The Secret Cardinal [Hardcover]

Tom Grace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2007

Inspired by true events, masterful storyteller Tom Grace delivers his most provocative novel yet. In The Secret Cardinal, ex-Navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny returns in an adventure that races from the grandeur of the Vatican across the vastness of Asia, ultimately involving China, the Mafia, and the conclave of cardinals that will elect the next pope. When Kilkenny is invited to Rome to consult on the functioning of the Vatican Library, he is still grieving the death of his wife and son and welcomes the distraction of the seemingly simple assignment. But Pope Leo XIV has a startlingly different task in mind for him. In a private audience, Kilkenny learns of an unreported atrocity committed against the underground Church in China and its link to Yin Daoming, the long-imprisoned Bishop of Shanghai who has served thirty years of a life sentence in a Chinese laogai for refusing to renounce the Church of Rome. The aging pope then reveals the dangerous truth about Bishop Yin, a secret that he has kept for over twenty years. Decades of diplomacy have failed to end China’s persecution of the Catholics loyal to the pope, or to free Bishop Yin. The pope wants Yin free and asks Kilkenny to devise a plan to accomplish this seemingly impossible task. With help from the U.S. president, American Special Forces, and the C.I.A., he assembles a team of ten men and one woman that will use some of the most advanced weapons, aircraft, and computer technology to execute this extraordinary mission. Filled with fascinating detail about the history, politics, and people of China and the Roman Catholic Church, and the clever advanced technology and weaponry that have become hallmarks of a Tom Grace novel, The Secret Cardinal charges relentlessly toward an unexpected and unforgettable conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Grace's latest featuring series hero ex-navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny spins a complicated fugue around papal succession. After the tragic loss of his beloved wife and unborn son, Kilkenny arrives at the Vatican and is soon called to the side of the dying pope Leo XIV. The pope discloses that more than 20 years earlier he made Yin Daoming—who has been a religious prisoner in China for longer than that—a secret cardinal. He asks Kilkenny to head up a team to go to China, free Yin and bring him back to the Vatican. Standing in Kilkenny's way is intelligence agent Liu Shing-Li of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, a very serious fellow indeed. Interspersed with rescue mission chapters are detailed descriptions of the Vatican's inner workings and the details of the process of pope selection, which thrills-only readers may find distracting. But Grace (Bird of Prey) builds a suspenseful head of steam as Kilkenny and friends overcome twists and obstacles in a dangerous race against Liu's forces.
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From Booklist

Nolan Kilkenny, the former Navy SEAL turned globetrotting adventurer, returns for a mission that will test his skills to the limit. Called to Rome by his late father's oldest friend, ostensibly to assist in the cataloging of the Vatican library, Nolan has a sneaking suspicion his presence is necessary for some other, less-mundane reason. After a woman dies in his arms, Nolan is told the real reason for his summons to Rome: the pope needs him to spring a cardinal from a Chinese prison. The Kilkenny novels have grown increasingly far-fetched, but the author keeps us reading with a combination of solid characters and fast pacing. He doesn't give us a lot of time to slow down and ponder the story's many imponderables; we're too busy running around after Kilkenny as he charms, fights, and worms his way into enemy territory, usually on a mission to save the Catholic Church. Fans of high-flying adventure yarns will enjoy the romp, even if they find themselves rolling their eyes now and then. Pitt, David

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593154569
• ISBN-13: 978-1593154561
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A deftly plotted thriller, October 17, 2007

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Cardinal (Hardcover)

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 ([e-mail])

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The World is a very dangerous place; especially in religion, November 17, 2007

By 

Robert C. Olson (Vacaville, California USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Cardinal (Hardcover)

Tom Grace's The Secret Cardinal is simply a very good story. Tightly written with an excellent multifaceted plot. His review of the inner workings of the Catholic Church and how new Popes are elected was interesting and informative. Although superficial, it gives the layman a better understanding of the intricate complexities inherent to religious governance in the Catholic Church, especially when a new Pope is to be elected. To those gathered in St Peter's Square outside the Sistine Chapel while the Cardinals are in conclave, all eyes are focused on the chimney and whether the smoke is black or white. Unbeknownst to the gathered faithful, intrigue, political infighting, and religious dogma roil the conclave as they seek to elect a new pontiff. Into this high charged religious political mix is the fate of a Chinese bishop. Help in captivity for almost 30 years, the Chinese bishop has been secretly, in pectore, made a cardinal by the Pope who before he dies puts together a rescue mission to free the Chinese bishop. The story centers on both the conclave and the rescue mission and Mr. Grace does a very good job of weaving the two stories as one with a terrific ending.

Fast paced, historically accurate, and technically charged, The Secret Cardinal is a worthy read. Of particular note is the Author's Note at the story's conclusion. Here Mr. Grace brings salient historical facts to the reader's attention for analysis. An excellent device to add credence to this wonderful tale. Overall simply a well written suspenseful novel.

Warning: Some extremely graphic and very violent torture scenes. Although germane to the story could make some readers queasy. No gratuitous sex or language.

A solid recommend. A good story and learning experience.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book in awhile, October 3, 2007

By 

Brian Farkas "bwf4irish" (South Bend, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret Cardinal (Hardcover)

Best book I have read in awhile. It took me 2 days to read it. It is a thriller from the second I picked it up. A MUST READ. If you or anyone you know it interested in Vatican politics, international relations, religious freedom or human rights abuses in China this is a must read.