If you're looking for a rip-roaring action adventure, this is the book for you! The Vatican Secret reminded me of the great pulp adventures of yore. Fans of James Rollins or Matthew Reilly will love this one. Some of the best genre books have been based around the secrets of The Vatican and this book deserves a place among them. And, as a bonus, you get the formation of a formidable new team of action heroes! A thrilling plot and the colorful characters make for an exciting read. Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy!

420 pages

5 stars

British Joe Mason, a former soldier who is haunted by a devastating firefight in Iraq, now works for an organization that provides, among other things, security for individuals. His boss, Patricia, assigns him to protect a professor and his daughter in Rome. They have research to do in the Vatican archives.

The catch is that they want two people, one a woman to protect the daughter. Patricia assigns Roxy Banks. Joe is upset for two reasons. First, he works alone and second, he has heard nothing good about Roxy. He very reluctantly accepts the assignment.

Sally Rusk is the daughter and her father is a renowned and wealthy professor. He is also more than a little haughty.

While watching them do their research, things get a little boring. Suddenly, shots ring out and their two Vatican guards are dead. What is going on? The female assassin turns and shoots the professor. His daughter Sally is bereft and very angry. She urges them to chase the woman. Racing after the killer, they discover that the Book of Secrets has been stolen from its highly secured vault.

This sets up a scenario of cover to cover action.

The reader meets Marduk, who brings megalomania to a whole new level. The man is certifiable. He kills without feeling to achieve his goal. He plans to release a firestorm across the world using the information from the Book of Secrets. He will destroy Christianity and the Vatican. He is gleeful in his plans and so assured of success. He soon learns of Joe, Roxy and Sally and sends his henchmen after them.

Invaluable aid is received from men called Hassell and Quaid.

The characters in this book are both fascinating and engaging. I really liked all five of the main protagonists. And the bad guys were really bad. The book is very well written and plotted. It moves along apace. With the pages flying by, the reader loses time. Mr. Leadbeater creates exciting action scenes. He is a great writer. This is my first David Leadbeater novel (how can that be?), but it certainly won’t be my last. I loved this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK/Avon for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Secrets are not unusual in the Vatican, so when an author dares to title a book as “The Vatican Secret,” you expect something special. This novel gets its special label in the area of action. There is plenty of action delivered not only by the protagonist, but a collection of antagonists keep the story going.

An absolutely thrilling adventure, a rollercoaster ride. I really enjoyed it, terrific plot and well drawn characters. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.