The Quest for Paradise

Life for Dr. Owen Breese-Jonesex-British army officer, turned philosophy professorseems tranquil enough. That is, until the day a painting is stolen from the prestigious Queens University in the north east of England. Breese-Jones is soon embroiled in theft, murder and mystery as, with local crime reporter Sineade Callaghan, he tries to uncover the truth of the missing painting.

Set against the tangled life of the university, the story contains strong characterizationfrom the implacable Harold Birty Birtles, university head porter, to Professor Jake JacksonHell, Im the only liberal from Texas, and dour Geordy Detective Sergeant John Fisher; from the imperturbable third-wave feminist Dr. Julia Baxter, to Hashemi Motallebi, Iranian grad-student, pursuing the American dream, and Father Brian Flannery, Irish priest turned hermit and Breese-Joness friend and confidente.