This novel tells the story of Julia Episcopa. Julia Episcopa lived an extraordinary life and walked alongside many famous historical figures. I enjoyed her story because it was compelling. I did not prefer the other timeline and thought it was unnecessary. Still, I recommend this for fans of Angela Hunt, Tessa Afshar, and H. B. Moore!

The Mystery of Julia Episcopa was a good read overall. It is a dual timeline story that covers a lot of history and some of the details are fascinating. Check this out if you like Roman history and early church history. I’m not sure how biblical this story is but it was still an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved the use of ancient rome for a mystery, this was a fun read that kept me guessing. The characters were well done and I enjoyed the journey.

A discerning eye turned toward the Vatican and the continuing questionable decisions and hiding of important information. This follows Julia Episcopa from just before her marriage, through two children, a divorce, and becoming a very important figure in the early years of the church.

The Mystery of Julia Episcopa is an intriguing novel of a woman who lived in the first century in Rome and the archeologists who are investigating her now. This is meant to be the first in a new series and I look forward to more. Julia and her two daughters, Livia and Flavia are forced to flee their home in Herculaneum as Mt. Vesuvius is threatening to destroy it all. They take very little with them, just a scroll and an old stone cup. Julia's life has brought them to this point, saying good-bye to the scribe who had lived with them for years, after traveling to Rome with Peter, writing down his memories of the words of Jesus, and writing the life story of Mary Magdalene. Life had been difficult to Julia having married a man not to be trusted, being disposed of after birthing two daughters and no sons, and catching him in the act of adultery. Yet she had many years to life, becoming a bishop at the hands of Clement, one of the early leaders of Christianity in Rome.

Valentina is part of the team that began the hunt for Julia after she and he partner found an anomaly on the tag of an ancient scroll. She is an excellent forensic archeologist. It has been years since she has been on a dig. This is an earth-shattering claim, if it can be proven. Well, proven it was, but at what cost? Men dead? Unemployment. Ruined reputations. Corruption at the highest level. This is an intriguing story with a cast of characters including and ex-Mossad agent, a mentally deficient grounds keeper, a Franciscan brother, as well as a ground of interesting archeologists. Good plot. Fascinating subject. Imagine, a historical basis for women priests. This is a real world novel, some of which may have already taken place. For one small woman, dead 2000 years, to have such an impact is unimaginable. Not your typical mystery or thriller but well worth the read

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Mystery of Julia Episcopa by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #themysteryofjuliaepiscopa

Mystery, intrigue, danger and cover ups! Was there a woman bishop? This story makes you wonder and think! Lots of twists and turns make this a real page turner! A must read!

This work, this first in its series, is a religious mystery novel set between pre-100 AD and the modern day Vatican.

The novel focuses on the potential discovery of the existence of a female bishop. This potential discovery rocks the Vatican, the archaeologists and the researchers involved.

This is a well-written story with alternating timelines and viewpoints. It manages to stay cohesive throughout the narrative. While there is some character development, due to the sprawling nature of the narrative the character who gains the most development throughout is the main focus of the investigation, Julia Episcopa. The character development varies from person to person, and it is assumed that these characters, having been introduced through this work, will become more fleshed out as the series progresses.

This is an engaging read, but those who have deep feelings regarding the Catholic Church may find this a more difficult book to engage with.

Recommended for readers who enjoy Donna Leon and Dan Brown.

I think I read this book in the 2018 but I wasn't sure and requested it.
I had a lot of fun in reading it as it's fast paced and well written.
It's a good historical pastiche, I had to suspend my belief and try not to cringe at historical inaccuracies, but it was a lot fun.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is good historical fiction, and the many high ratings and reviews reflect that. I can't add anything of value that hasn't been said, so I'll just recommend it. I may have to check out her other books.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

2.5 rounded up due to the story concept. Was excited to have the opportunity to read this book; seemed like something new and different. The characters weren't well developed and story didn't flow well.

Set in various locations in Italy (Rome, the Vatican, Ostia Attica, Herculaneum, Neopolitana) this riveting duel timeline book is enshrouded in mysteries as you can imagine. In the historical fiction story Julia Episcopa lives in Italy, mostly Rome, Attica and Herculaneum and the book is about her fascinating life as an independent wealthy wife of a magistrate, mother and keeper of secrets. Julia is witness to key events, though she hardly knew at the time we would be discussing them two thousand years later.

The second timeline is about experts Valentina and Erika finding an ancient document which could be a game changer for the history of the Church including the mention of a female bishop in a long line of only males. Not only that but a trove of other discoveries takes their breath away. The Church is depicted from both perspectives and those involve seek answers to ancient questions. There is also a tie-in of The Way believers (early Christians) and differences between them and the Church.

As a frequent traveler to Italy, I was able to easily envision all the places mentioned. It really brought each locale alive with the bustle of markets and extra sensory experiences of life both in the upper and lower classes, including slaves and early Christian persecution.

The inspiration for this story is described in the back of the book. Interesting stuff. Readers of Ancient History, particularly Italy, would find much to enjoy here.

My sincere thank you to The Book Whisperer and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this unique book.