U.K. novelist and journalist Hewson (Solstice) presents the first in a line of thrillers set in Italy and features detective Nic Costa and an ensemble cast drawn from the ranks of the Rome state police. University professor Sara Farnese is at her desk in the Reading Room of the Vatican Library perusing a 10th-century copy of Apicius's first-century cookbook De Re Coquinaria when former lover and fellow university professor Stefano Rinaldi careens into the room dragging a large plastic bag. Rinaldi dumps the contents of the bagâ€"the freshly flayed skin of an adult maleâ€"and quotes the Christian theologian, Tertullian ("The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church"), then takes a couple of bullets in the head from a panic-stricken Swiss Guard. Detective Costa and partner Luca Rossi are outside the Vatican in St. Peter's Square on pickpocket patrol when they catch the news of the shooting on a police scanner, charge into the Reading Room and are quickly kicked out by security man Brendan Hanrahan for jurisdictional reasons ("The Vatican is another country"). Rossi and Costa become officially involved when the skinless remains of Sara's lover and the body of Rinaldi's wife are found strung up in an ancient Roman church. After this rousing beginning, the intricate plot spins off in several directions, involving corrupt cardinal Michael Denney, the Mafia, Vatican secrecy and the serial killer who's murdering Sara's former lovers in ways that mimic famous paintings depicting the martyrdom of selected saints. Outsized, eccentric characters, a complex story and an abundance of historical detail make this engrossing book more than just another cookie-cutter, religious-nut serial killer thriller.

I was quite excited when this was offered up in the live swap at the Charleston Bookcrossing convention because I had just finished another book (Lucifer's Shadow) by the same author and I really enjoyed it.
It was great meeting you at the convention Matt!! :)

When a man enters the Vatican library carrying a bloody bag and lays the skin of a man across the table of his ex-lover, Nic Costa and his partner follow to see what is going on. Costa is an Italian police officer and knows that he has no jurisdiction in the Vatican but he enters the library to help. There is not just one murder, however, but multiple ones where the victims are posed as martyrs and the connection between all the victims is sleeping with one person: Sara Farnese. Meanwhile, Costa has to deal with his ailing father, pain in the ass boss Falcone, and controversial cardinal.
Having read Lucifer's Shadow by Hewson I had high expectations for this one and sadly they did not live up. I found this book disjointed and poorly explained. Some things made no sense and the 'revelations' in the book were underwhelming.
Even though all of that is a reason to stop reading the book, I found Costa to be a very engaging character. He has a strong morale center and connects well with everyone. But this made the ending all the more unbelievable.
I thought that Costa's boss, Falcone, was rough and rude to the point that the character was no longer believable. And Sara Farnese seemed so cold that I don't understand how her and Costa made a connection.
I don't recommend reading this book. Read Lucifer's Shadow instead, which was a much better mystery.

Reserved for Pepper.

Sent off today to Pepper as part of the mystery swap.

Enjoy!

Arrived today. Thanks for sending it. Maybe I'll enjoy it more because I haven't read anything by this author yet.

Sending to Appa for Candy-is-Dandy's m-bag.

This has arrived safely and is tucked away in the m-bag. I'll journal again when I mail it off.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing the m-bag off today

Teachie has been holding on to this book for me for some time. We finally managed to meet last Saturday and she has passed it over to me. Thanks very much and sorry for the delay in hearing from this book.

Time to move this on as it's sat, unloved, on my bookshelf for too long.

Sending by bookmule from Essex to Suffolk for onward releasing. Happy traveling, little book.

Picked up with thanks as donation for an NHS waiting room!

This book is to be left on the mantelpiece of the waiting room in All Saints House, Dovercourt. If you are the finder, thanks for picking it it up! yYu can make a journal entry here - you can remain anonymous if you want. I hope you enjoy the book and that you'll get a chance to leave it somewhere else for someone else to find in due course.

Just found this well travelled if unloved book. Will read it in a weeks time when I have finished Sphinx

Starts in the Vatican Reading room but covers a lot of Rome. Quite gory in the details of the murders but despite that excellent easy reading. The characters were involving and believable and although it was a bit predictable it made good sunny afternoon reading. Has a great plus in that it is an American printing and they seem to realise that small books fit better into women's little hands!

Well worth a look, not sure where I will leave it but if you find it you will enjoy.