I enjoyed this gripping thriller for its intellectual puzzle and its fast-paced conspiracy, as well as a story that includes a mystery, murders and a religious intrigue. Mr. Cooper knows well how to deliver a blend of historical, religious and scientific themes to captivate us from the get-go till we reach the last word.
Although this book is part of a series, it stands well by its own although I highly recommend to have a look at the previous books in order to know more about the protagonist, Cal Donavan, a Harvard professor, and Elisabetta Celestino, a former secretary of State to the Vatican. The two play a pivotal role in this latest. Be advise: IMO, some books are better than others but don’t give up, in the long run you will be rewarded.
The story in a few words:
Three nuns are murdered in the attic of a Boston convent. There are no witnesses. No shell casings.
The only things missing are their rosaries.
Days later, a Boston medium claims her spirit guide has identified the killer: a broken priest with an antique revolver. A single newspaper column turns that claim into a city-wide witch hunt.
Cal Donovan and former Vatican secretary Elisabetta Celestino step into the city’s séance rooms to test the story. What they uncover will reaches generations and the birth of modern spiritualism.
My last words:
The suspense never ends but I had to be all there in order to understand what was going on. We have a cracking police procedural, a medium’s spirit guide, a story about Boston mediums, a brief history of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his influence on Boston, a twisted case with roots going back 80 years and it goes on and on. The best a progression in the Cal and Elisabetta saga…awe….love is the air….
Thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC and providing my honest review!
