In Rome, a well known and controversial left-wing priest is found brutally murdered. Andy Chapman is an English foreign correspondent, who has been reporting from Italy for over eight years. When he discovers evidence during his investigation that implicates the Vatican in Father Vivaldi’s murder, he gives it to the investigating magistrate, Elena Fiorini, and they join forces to find the killers.

There was a lot to like about this book. The involvement of the Vatican takes us back to World War 2, Mussolini and the the black shirts, and the Ustashi in Yugoslavia. I knew nothing about the Ustashi’s concentration camp in Jasenovac, where tens of thousands of Orthodox Serbs, Jews and Gypsies were tortured and killed. Many of the leaders in the campaign of genocide were apparently Catholic priests and Franciscan friars. A dark history indeed.

As Andy and Elena draw closer to the truth, they find themselves up against people who will stop at nothing to stop them from revealing that truth.

I found the Italian setting intriguing, as their judicial system is so different to the English/Australian/American systems, all of which I am more familiar with.

The ubiquitous romance between Andy and Elena is predictable, and fidelity in relationships seems to be considered totally unnecessary. (Is the author trying to suggest that Italians do not value fidelity?) The two main characters didn’t particularly appeal to me, so although I found the book enjoyable enough, it didn’t rock my boat, so to speak! The ending, as is so often the case, feels rushed. However, I can see this book making a great film, with the settings in Rome, the Vatican, and the Italian countryside.