Do you remember George Burns and Gracie Allen? They were a comedy team from the old days of vaudeville, radio and TV. George was the straight man. Gracie was a comic genius whose “illogical logic” delighted and confused everyone she interacted with.

For reasons I don’t fully understand, I decided to bring Gracie and George into my fourth Father Turiddu novel which is set in the mid 1950s shortly after Father T’s ordination as a priest. The relationship between Burns and Allen and Father Turiddu is entirely fictional. As far as I know, young Father Sal Polizzi (aka Father Turiddu) never met George or Gracie, but in my mind they made a great team.

“Solving murder mysteries is not something we were taught in the seminary,” the young priest protests when Gracie asks him to help her free her nephew  who she believes has been falsely accused of murder.

“I’m psychic,” Gracie responds. “I know you can do it. Besides, I have experience. Many years ago, I helped a detective, Philo Vance, solve a murder mystery. They wrote a book about it—and later a movie—called ‘The Gracie Allen Murder Case.’ Won’t you please help me, Father? I know my cousin is innocent. He’s a good boy, all things considered.”

Father T agrees, of course, and the result is lots of fun!

Check out Father Turiddu and the Second Gracie Allen Murder Case. It’s available at www.danielconwayauthor.com.