This is the story of the plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981. It tells of treachery in the Vatican and complicity in the secular world. The story alleges that Pope John Paul I was murdered because of his views on the responsibility of the papacy and when John Paul II appeared to be on the same path the assassins begin stalking him.

Journalist Sarah Montiero is in possession of a dossier that implicates the assassins and is forced to run for her life. She is intercepted by a priest named Rafael who assumes responsibility for her well-being. All of their moves are being closely monitored by a man known only as JC. The conspirators will stop at nothing and they prove it by murdering three people in an airport restroom. Sarah and Rafael are pursued through several countries. They’re following a route that Rafael has devised but it seems that the killers are always close behind.

The CIA is also aware that something is brewing and extend their resources into the probe as well. And to add a little supernatural flavor to the story, there is a Muslim man who has regular visions and interactions with the Virgin Mary and he seems to know exactly how things will end up.

This is a very complex book that spans generations in time, continents in locale, and dozens of characters. It is not a book for the unsophisticated reader. I read close to fifty books a year and I found this one difficult to follow. It’s a good story and well written, although it took a little while to get used to the second person plural narrative. It’s the kind of book that needs to be read in as large of chunks as you can digest. Trying to read one chapter a day will get most readers hopelessly lost. The scenes and characters change in almost every chapter and they sometimes seen terribly unrelated.

I would still recommend this book but only to serious readers.