Living Catholicism: The Secret Cardinal by Tom Grace

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November 5, 2007

The Secret Cardinal by Tom Grace - Book Review

This is one of the most interesting books I've read lately, so it's actually a little different to review. In reality, this is an action-packed book with elements of espionage, politics, and war. But it also takes you inside the Vatican with the eye of a believer (unlike most inside-the-Vatican books) during a time of turmoil and trial (the death of a pope).

Overall, I recommend this book - especially for guys. It's definitely full of twists and turns and even has its Clancy-esque look at weapons and spy operations. And it's written very well - much better than most Catholic novels out there.

The storyline is interesting: the Pope has named a Secret Cardinal in China. This Cardinal has been imprisoned for most of his life and the Pope decides it is time to help him escape. So he asks the main character to pull the Cardinal out of China. As this process starts, the pope dies and a conclave begins to elect the new pope. Lots of intrigue, without making the Church or the Papacy seem like a spy operation, keeps this book going. It's especially perfect for those that like Tom Clancy or spy thrillers in general.

In the end, this is good, interesting story that's well-written, but has a nice 'Catholic' twist to it. And the Catholic twist makes it even better, so take a chance and check it out. You can buy it at Amazon here.

God bless,
Jay

Posted by jay at November 5, 2007 8:05 AM