Almost three hundred years later, the encoded music is discovered by Father Michael Dominic, Prefect of the Vatican Secret Archive, who tries decoding the cipher with the help of journalist Hana Sinclair and her former teacher, music cryptologist Dr. Livia Gallo. Dominic, Hana, and their Swiss Guard companions Karl Dengler and Lukas Bischoff, meet up in the enchanted city of Venice during Carnivale celebrations to further investigate Vivaldi’s coded music with the help of the maestro’s descendant, Contessa Donatella Vivaldi—whose palazzo on the Grand Canal holds many secrets of its own. For those of you who are fans of Indiana Jones (Last Crusade and Raiders), Daniel Silva's "A Death in Vienna," or the mystery/thriller genre, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. And the sequel, in my opinion, is just as good if not better! McAvoy has done a good job of weaving a fictional story into historical events. The descriptions of locations are detailed, allowing readers to get a very good sense of the setting. The characters are well developed, providing an essential aspect to an engaging novel. Unfortunately, the egalley I read did not have an author's note indicating which parts of the novel were, in fact, based on history and which were the author's imagination.

A rip-roaring adventure with great characters. Even if you know nothing about the Cathars or the geographic areas, you will find the story riveting. There is even a hint at things to come and a tinge of romance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Can he outwit adversaries who will stop at nothing to keep him from revealing an object that challenges history as we know it? Jesuit priest Michael Dominic’s assignment to the Vatican’s legendary Secret Archives results in his discovery of a hidden papyrus: the unpublished writings of Mary Magdalene — a lost record buried in Rome’s deepest recesses. The forgotten relic’s heretical revelation threatens the Vatican’s very legitimacy, and pits Michael against ruthless and powerful enemies. The Magdalene Deception is an impassioned thriller that’s directed by Church mysteries, featuring a crystalline portrait of persistence.This was the first book I read by Gary McAvoy, and it certainly did not disappoint. Though it is labeled as fiction, there is plenty of factual history incorporated into this novel, which Mr. McAvoy walks the reader through in the post script.

Jesuit priest Michael Dominic’s assignment to the Vatican’s legendary Secret Archives results in his discovery of a hidden papyrus: the unpublished writings of Mary Magdalene—a lost record buried in Rome’s deepest recesses. The forgotten relic’s heretical revelation threatens the Vatican’s very legitimacy, and pits Michael against ruthless and powerful enemies. Hana is pursuing a story that Nazi and Croatian gold is held in the Vatican bank. Gold and other treasures were stolen by the Nazis and Ustasha (an extreme, brutal right-wing group in Croatia) from their victims of genocide proceeding and during WW11. Hana meets with Dr. Ginsberg who is documenting the collaboration of Pope Pius X11 with the Nazis and the role of secreting war criminals out of the country. A vast amount of looted and stolen treasure ended up in Vatican vaults. With the help of Hana Sinclair, a reporter for Le Monde newspaper and heiress to a Swiss banking fortune, and Karl Dengler a member of the Swiss Guards of the Vatican, Father Michael finds a document that could bring down the whole of Catholic religiosity.

As in the first book, the story briefly opens with an account of a mysterious reliquary (a container of holy relics) purportedly part of the 13th Century Cathar treasure. It was hidden in 1244 in a cave near Castle Montsegur (the last stronghold of the Cathars) the day of their surrender to the Crusaders besieging their castle. McAvoy has solidified his cast of characters and deepened their relationships in this sequel and it begs the question: Having thus far twice unearthed religious artifacts whose import has threatened the very foundations of Christianity, what will his protagonists next bring to light? McAvoy surely has more up his sleeve and I, for one, can hardly wait to find out what it is. Kudos, Mr. McAvoy, for another stellar novel. Your gift of suspense does not go unnoticed and I hope others are as captivated as I was throughout this experience.

Based on illuminating historical facts—including the intriguing true story of Bérenger Saunière, the mysterious abbé in the French village of Rennes-le-Château; and the Cathars, fabled keepers of the Holy Grail—THE MAGDALENE DECEPTION takes readers on a gripping journey through one of the world’s most secretive institutions and the sensitive, often explosive manuscripts found in its vaults. Dominic and Ginsberg determine that 16th century Nostradamus made predictions relevant to current times, and an early 20th century priest named François Bérenger Saunière, who had a small parish in Rennes-le-Château, France, extorted huge sums from the Holy See. Arrayed against the “good guys” are some malevolent individuals who will not hesitate to kill. Among the antagonists is Cardinal Fabrizio Dante, Vatican Secretary of State. His muscle is supplied by Petrov Govic a Croatian liaison to Interpol in Lyons, France. His father was a major leader of the Croation Ustasha who out Nazied the Nazis during WWII when it came to eliminating Jews and Romas in Croatia. The apple did not fall far from the tree. Gary McAvoy is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and author of And Every Word Is True, a sequel to Truman Capote’s landmark book In Cold Blood. THE MAGDALENE DECEPTION is his fiction debut, and is the first in a series called The Magdalene Chronicles.Meanwhile a journalist, Hana Sinclair, who also happens to be related to one of the cardinals at the Vatican is working on a piece that will highlight the theft of millions of dollars from the Jews in WWII by the Nazi's and the hiding of the money within various banks and even the complicity of the Catholic Church in stealing their share.