A rote Dan Brown knockoff, though well researched and often unintentionally amusing.
The pope is in peril and only an international man of Marian mystery can save him.
Superstar academic Cal Donovan, esteemed Harvard professor of religion and archaeology, roguish lady’s man, and loyal cat’s-paw of the pope, returns in this weirdly sedate thriller concerning an earthshaking “fourth secret” divulged by the famous apparition of Mary to three young children at Fátima in 1917. Lúcia dos Santos, the principal recipient of the vision’s message, described some of Mary's revelations and prophecies, which included visions of hell, the advent of World War II, and the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981. Long-standing rumors of a fourth, as yet undisclosed, secret prophecy come to a head some nine decades later on the cusp of Lúcia’s beatification as the pope is threatened by a mysterious group with their own designs regarding the secret vision. Our man Donovan is tasked with solving the mystery of the fourth prophecy before Lúcia is sainted a few days hence and the promised doom arrives. The Marian apparitions make for an intriguing thriller setup, but the thin characterizations and lack of momentum—despite the plot’s ticking clock—sap the narrative of any thrills it might have yielded. We mostly follow the dashing, wish-fulfillment uber-mensch Donovan through a series of densely expository conversations with various church officials as he doggedly tracks Lúcia’s secret. The Catholic history vividly imparted in these interviews is the most compelling aspect of the book; scenes involving kidnappings, car chases, and the like are desultory and generic. There is some small entertainment to be had chuckling at the clichés (incorrigible rake Donovan is assisted by a gorgeous nun) and the frankly bizarre characterization of the Vatican as a sort of supernatural MI6, with the pope as a twinkly, kindly M and Donovan, a devout James Bond.
A rote Dan Brown knockoff, though well researched and often unintentionally amusing.Pub Date: May 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5387-2124-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A standout in the series.
The sixth adventure of Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon explores the mysteries of human consciousness, the demonic projects of the CIA, and the city of Prague.
“Ladies and gentlemen...we are about to experience a sea change in our understanding of how the brain works, the nature of consciousness, and in fact…the very nature of reality itself.” But first—Langdon’s in love! Brown’s devoted readers first met brilliant noetic scientist Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol (2009); she’s back as a serious girlfriend, engaging the committed bachelor in a way not seen before. The book opens with the pair in a luxurious suite at the Four Seasons in Prague. It’s the night after Katherine has delivered the lecture quoted above, setting the theme for the novel, which features a plethora of real-life cases and anomalies that seem to support the notion that human consciousness is not localized inside the human skull. Brown’s talent for assembling research is also evident in this novel’s alter ego as a guidebook to Prague, whose history and attractions are described in great and glowing detail. Whether you appreciate or skim past the innumerable info dumps on these and other topics (Jewish folklore fans—the Golem is in the house!), it goes without saying that concision is not a goal in the Dan Brown editing process. Speaking of editing, the nearly 700-page book is dedicated to Brown’s editor, who seems to appear as a character—to put it in the italicized form used for Brownian insight, Jason Kaufman must be Jonas Faukman! A major subplot involves the theft of Katherine’s manuscript from the secure servers of Penguin Random House; the delightful Faukman continues to spout witty wisecracks even when blindfolded and hogtied. There’s no shortage of action, derring-do, explosions, high-tech torture machines, attempted and successful murders, and opportunities for split-second, last-minute escapes; good thing Langdon, this aging symbology wonk, never misses swimming his morning laps. Readers who are not already dyed-in-the-wool Langdonites may find themselves echoing the prof’s own conclusion regarding the credibility of all this paranormal hoo-ha: At some point, skepticism itself becomes irrational.
A standout in the series.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780385546898
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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