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WOW what a faboulas novel. It is a story of the 112 Pope told to be the last Pope and judger of the masses. The third Secret is revealed from the Lady Mary of Fatima. It reveals some very troublesome things for the Church. It condems the Church for being way off base on a lot of doctrine. There are a lot of twists and turns and it is a real page turner. I give this book top marks. Five Holy Stars! Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond
This is exactly what I am looking for in a novel! Good pacing, a compelling story about concepts that are mysterious and bigger than any one person, with interesting characters that do not get too bogged down in their own psychology. It will no doubt be hated by anyone who subscribes to organized religion, but for me, the intrinsic intrigue of all things Papal, (Vatican Politics), combined with the ever present pull of the supernatural makes this a winning combination.The writing is descriptive
The three prophecies that three children received from the Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal in 19171 is regarded as one of the intriguing mysteries of modern Catholicism. Two of the secrets were revealed by Lucia Santos in 1941 – the first was a vision of Hell on earth, the second predicted a 2nd World War and the problems that Russia would encounter unless people prayed and dedicated themselves to the Virgin Mary. The 3rd and final secret was kept in a sealed envelope by the Vatican a...
I enjoy a good conspiracy book, but only if they are well done. Fortunately this one falls into that category, and carefully blends what is known with plausible fiction. Set against the background of the Vatican and various reported Marian appearances, the story skilfully leads the reader in a gripping tale.The characters were well thought out, and the pace of the story didn't falter at all. My main disappointment though was that the ending seemed such an anti-climax. Just how much is real, and
Due to the massive material of information surrounding the Catholic Church, the prestige positions of the priesthood, and the electoral function of the papacies, I am going to forgo a summary. I urge you to read the other reviews, or the excerpt from the book itself, to explain the plot and characters. There were just too many. I had picked up and started on 3 books before I sunk my teeth into this one and the process was frustrating. In my old age, I'm feeling much more fickle about what I'm re...
Mr. Berry acknowledges that he was raised Catholic and has done considerable research on the secrets surrounding the visions at Fatima as well as the politics and inner machinations of the Vatican. He has crafted an exciting, albeiit wildly improbable, novel containing all sorts of intrigue including scandalous conduct by priests, blackmail and murder. Like Mr. Berry, I was raised Catholic and graduated from an all-boys high school in 1952. If I’d picked up a novel like this in the early fiftie
I loved Steve Berry's first two books, but was very disappointed by this one. So much so, that I haven't read any of his books that have come out since then. It's your normal Da Vinci Code style of suspense and mystery, and it isn't as if most of the book itself is bad. It's the end that made me angry. When we finally discover the third secret of the Virgin Mary, it is stupid, and obviously written to fit his own personal agenda. The Virgin Mary wouldn't have said that. Maybe my little Catholic
Yikes. Forbidden romances with priests, Catholic end-times (but not really), megalomania, divine righteousness, and the war between reform and tradition all crash pell-mell into each other in this wannabe political thriller (with an all-priest cast) that can't quite shake the conspiracy craze started by The DaVinci Code. At first, it was kind of trite. Formerly errant priest struggles with his unconquerable passion for a (rather annoying) hard-nosed, independent journalist while doing his best t...
I enjoy sweeping thrillers that involve a lot of characters and locations. Steve Berry has, for the past four or five years, been kind of in the middle of my list of liked authors for this type of book. The Third Secret jumped him up a couple of notches.I'm not entirely sure why, but this book seemed much better to me than the others of his that I've read like The Amber Room and The Charlemagne Pursuit. (Of which, I liked the latter quite a bit and the former not so much.) I think it was that th...
For an adventure novel this one was somewhat short on adventure. No real investment in characters because the author didn't really give us a character to care about. Also the stories final message came off as forced and heavy handed. Disappointing.
So, I'm a Christian and this book was sort of "out there" like the DaVinci Code. I did not think this challenged my faith in any way. The Scriptures are clear about Jesus and the Virgin Mary and when the story diverged from that I knew I was reading a work of fiction. I was able to assert supension of disbelief and enjoy the story. It was not my favorite Steve Berry novel however. He does such a wonderful job of weaving in history with fiction in his novels, and although the "sighting" portions
I am a fan of the mystery/thriller genre, so the chances of me liking this book was really high. While it was well written and interesting, I think it lacked the quick pace needed for five stars. Best Description: A Sedated Dan Brown book. Good but no edge. I wasn't dying to discover the secret. Further, once I found out, I didn't get that "Ahhh" feeling. Worth a read but not the best.
Great book, took me awhile to read but really well written and thought provoking. His books are fantastic mysteries with lots of real information mixed in. It gave a different kind of insight into Vatican politics and the life of those involved.
Typical potboiler stuff - missing any sense of true and genuine suspense and capped by a totally implausible ending.
DiVinci Code knock off.Kept me reading and thinking.Steve Berry's work very interesting and easy to read
Spoilers ahead!!*Heavy sigh* This one was a bit of a bummer for me. I think it's because I'm Catholic. Please note I'm not offended by anything that was presented in this book. Personally, I think it would be really convenient if Mary the Virgin appeared and said "Okay guys. Priests can marry, birth control is wonderful and the big guy upstairs is completely okay with gay people." Without getting too preachy, I have found that many Catholics would welcome these changes. In fact, we seem to be wo...
As a catholic myself I had great expectation from this one. I might have a sadic part deep inside my soul which enjoys priest-gone-rogue stories, but this one touched me on levels I cannot describe. The story reaches into secrets and not so secret doings of the church, the inherited dogma we are still teaching our children after two thousand years. My father is the kind of guy who believes feverishly in the teachings of the theology he so loves. And I'm his opposite. I like to question every scr...
This is story of hope, intrigue, desperation and redemption. On top of that it is a well researched, incredibly entertaining religious thriller. If you liked Dan Brown's religious thrillers, you should enjoy this.
3.5 stars A very interesting and thought provoking book which makes a clear distinction between the church and faith. Now and again the pace dropped significantly, hence I rounded my rating down to 3 stars.Characters 7Atmosphere 8Writing Style 7Setup 7Plot 8Intrigue 7Logic 7Enjoyment 7
To say that I was surprised to so thoroughly enjoy this papal thriller (yes, you read that right - a book about the pope that qualifies in the suspense thriller genere) is an understatement. I was interested but didn't think it would take me on the whirlwind of Virgin Mary visions going back centuries, multiple popes meeting their maker and a cloak and dagger, traveling across Europe mystery over documents and legacies to rival any John Le Carre story. This was both a pure "church and faith" sto...