Andrew Greeley is a priest-sociologist who often tangles with the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Since most of the worthwhile priests I have encountered tangle with the hierarchy from time to time, that fact has never bothered me.

What has bothered me about the good Father Greeley is that he writes novels that seem to be steamy, seamy, decidedly unpriest-like works, although I have based this knowledge only on the salacious covers of his two earlier attempts in this genre….

But since I haven't read either of Greeley's previous novels, I really had no hard evidence with which to chide him for straying so far from his anointed mission.

Now comes "Ascent into Hell," Greeley's third novel.

Armed with a strong Catholic upbringing and an unyielding desire to expose the tawdry in art, I got beyond the pronounced cleavage of the blond on the cover and plowed through the book...