God’s Spy
by Juan Gomez-Jurado
Published by Plume (subsidiary of the Penguin Group)
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Reviewed by Stephanie Boyd
A serial killer is killing Cardinals inside the Vatican in the days following the death of Pope John Paul II. The Vatican police will do anything to keep this information from the public but are forced to bring in Police Inspector Paolo Dicanti to solve the case. Another high-ranking official insists that Father Anthony Fowler assist with the case, as Father Anthony knows who the killer is–a very disturbed American priest who has been missing for a couple of years.
As Inspector Paolo and Father Anthony follow the clues and discover more and more disturbing information about the crimes, they are lead directly to the hierarchy in the Church itself. How can a serial killer, even a priest, get access to the Cardinals? Why are the Cardinals in danger now? Can they stop the killer before one or both of them become his next target?
God’s Spy is an incredibly imaginative and complicated story. Whether you know anything about the Catholic Church, the peek is fascinating that he author gives into the extraordinarily complicated hierarchy of the Church. All of the main characters are very intelligent, disciplined, and dedicated to their jobs–including the killer. Inspector Paolo is highly qualified to be working this case, but at every turn, it seems someone is determined to tie her hands and keep her from succeeding.
Father Anthony is also highly qualified, especially since he knows the killer personall,y but he has his own demons to master to be able to aid Paolo in solving the case. And even though Paolo and Father Anthony know exactly who the killer is and have a lot of documentation about his history, they have no idea where he is now or how he is getting into the Vatican.
God’s Spy is full of unexpected twist and turns in the story that kept me in suspense and on the edge of my seat, never knowing what is coming next. This is not a lighthearted read; this story is intense and takes concentration to keep up with the plot. I highly recommend reading this book when you are not expecting many interruptions.
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