THE SECRET CARDINAL
Tom Grace
Vanguard Press
Thriller
Hardcover: 9781593154561
Paperback: 9781593154844

• Read an Excerpt
• Author Interview -- October 5, 2007

When Nolan Kilkenny’s father asks him to travel to Rome to work as a consultant for Malachy Donaher, his dad’s oldest and dearest friend, Nolan suspects that the request is actually an attempt to help him snap out of his grief. Over the past two months Kilkenny has suffered great losses --- his wife, his unborn child --- and his faith. Since the deaths of his wife and son, he has buried himself with work, so he welcomes the change of scenery from his lonely house in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the vibrant city of Rome, Italy.

Malachy Donaher is more than Kilkenny’s godfather and his father’s best friend; Donaher is the Cardinal Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, and he holds another secret and critical position inside the Vatican. And Donaher’s request for Kilkenny’s help is for more than Kilkenny’s technical expertise in information management. When Cardinal Donaher takes Kilkenny to meet with Pope Leo, the real purpose of his visit is revealed.

The ailing Pope is disheartened over the persecution and deaths of Roman Catholics in China, especially after a deliberately set fire in a theater that killed more than 500 Chinese Catholics. The Pope is also deeply concerned about the fate of Yin Daoming, an underground priest who was instrumental in holding the Catholic community together during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Yin, a devout and humble Jesuit and the Bishop of Shanghai, has been imprisoned for decades for refusing to denounce the Roman Catholic Church.

During Kilkenny’s meeting, Pope Leo confides that he has made Yin Daoming a cardinal “in pectore” (in his heart) over 20 years earlier. The Pope enlists Kilkenny’s assistance as an ex-Navy Seal to rescue Yin from the heavily-guarded Chinese prison so the Pope can publicly announce Yin’s elevation to Cardinal within the Roman Catholic Church.

With covert assistance from the President of the United States, the CIA and volunteer members of the Special Forces, Kilkenny assembles a courageous and committed team that uses the latest high-tech equipment to execute their mission, which is put at risk after the death of Pope Leo. The stakes are raised as the Congress of Cardinals assembles in conclave to elect the next Pope, and time becomes a critical factor.

The lives of Kilkenny’s team, as well as the secret cardinal and faithful Roman Catholics in China, are jeopardized after the Chinese receive detailed information about the rescue attempt from someone on the inside.

Tom Grace has written an intelligent and intriguing thriller with characters worth rooting for and a welcome twist --- no gratuitous sex or over-the-top violence. The deftly plotted novel gives a close-up view of the inner workings of the Vatican in electing a Pope, along with a dazzling display of the latest high-tech military hardware and software. THE SECRET CARDINAL is a suspense-filled work of fiction about faith, hope, sacrifice and forgiveness, and a story that shows what precious gifts faith and freedom really are.

   --- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt (dvolkenannt@charter.net)

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