Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers: Book 1
Publication Date: August 16, 2021
During the election of a new Pope in the mid-18th century, famed violinist Antonio Vivaldi learns of a ring of art forgers who are replacing the Vatican’s priceless treasures with expertly-painted fakes. Desperate, the composer hides a message in a special melody, hoping someone, someday, will take down the culprits . . .
Nearly three hundred years later, the confession of a dying Mafia Don alerts a Venetian priest to a wealth of forged paintings in the Vatican Museum, and the key to their identities lies hidden in a puzzling piece of music. Father Michael Dominic, prefect of the Secret Archives, investigates, and is mystified when he finds a cipher in an old composition from Vivaldi. Desperate to stop this centuries-long conspiracy, he calls on fellow sleuth Hana Sinclair and Dr. Livia Gallo, a music cryptologist, to help him crack the code and learn the truth.
But the Camorra, a centuries-old Italian Mafia clan, won’t stand by while some interfering priest ruins their most lucrative operation. Along with a French commando and two valiant Swiss Guards, Dominic explores the dark canals and grand palazzos of Venice to uncover the evidence he needs to stop the sinister plot. Can he unearth it in time, or will the Church’s most valuable artworks fall prey to this massive conspiracy?
Within the majestic halls of the Vatican, intrigue rooted in the 18th century comes to light courtesy of a conspiracy thriller series by Gary McAvoy.
The Vivaldi Cipher delivers a fascinating slice of historical fiction featuring a modern-day priest who stumbles upon a cipher hidden in a Vivaldi composition.
Father Michael Dominic teams up with a colleague and a music teacher to decipher a manuscript attributed to Vivaldi. Little do they realize the document, dating back to the 18th century, details corruption within the Vatican tied to the Italian mafia.
The author provides excellent details that bring the setting to life, especially regarding the various works of art. The suspense builds as The Camorra moves to protect the long-standing forgery business.
As the first installment in the Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers series, the storyline weaves in both fictional and historical figures. To decipher fact from fiction, readers will find a thorough guide at the end of the book.
Gary McAvoy is an American novelist known for internationally bestselling thrillers that blend historical intrigue, religious scholarship, and modern suspense. A lifelong researcher of rare manuscripts and Church history, he draws on extensive archival study to craft narratives rooted in authentic detail. His work includes the Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers, the Magdalene Chronicles, and the Vatican Archaeology Thrillers. Before turning to fiction, McAvoy built a distinguished career as an entrepreneur, technology consultant, and collector of historical documents. He now writes full time from the Pacific Northwest, where he continues to explore the shadowed crossroads of faith, power, and history.
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