Customer Reviews

The Third Revelation: The Rosary Chronicles

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This book is much better than the reviews it has garnered to date. Some criticism is valid but nonetheless it is an interesting blend of the factual and fanciful. Many references are to real people (some not well known outside Church circles) but some are also in the world of fiction. This will probably appeal most to a Catholic audience that takes seriously the travails of modern times, including inside the Church, but is still appreciative of exciting fiction and its ability to illuminate shadows of truth often slightly veiled. If that description fits you, read the book.

This is a well-researched book, much in the style of a Morris West novel. If you liked "The salamander", you'll enjoy this book. The topic will appeal mostly to Catholics who know the story of the Fatima apparitions. The book is very up to date, with references to very recent events; it is definitely politically incorrect in its treatment of the issue of Muslim imigration to Europe and the author often mentions Oriana Fallaci and her last three books. The first section of the book is gripping and well written; the book sags a bit in the middle and picks up a bit in the final chapters. Overall, it makes for an entertaining read and the author clearly knows his way around Rome and its restaurants! He only makes one factual error, when he attributes the design of the Swiss Guards' uniform to Leonardo da Vinci (it was designed by Michelangelo).
While this book is no masterpiece, it is entertaining and worth a read.

At St. Peter's Basilica, Anatoly kills a guard with a knife and uses his uniform to gain entrance to the Apostlytic Palace. There he kills Secretary of State Rampolla by tossing him out the window and does likewise with the Cardinal's assistant. Finally he goes on a rooftop where he stabs to death Cardinal Maguire, head of the archives. As he leaves, Anatoly is noticed by both Russian Ambossid Chekvosky and archivist Father Brendan Crowe. The Russian asks for the files related to the Ali Agia assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II, but is stonewalled again.

The Vatican does a great job hiding the four murders. However, they make little progress on solving the mass killings and what the motive was. Retired CIA operative Vincent Traeger, who worked mostly in Rome, is sent to investigate. Along with his Vatican contact Rodriguez, they decide the most likely motive is the Russian interest in the Agia assassination attempt or the so-called third secret of Fatima already revealed by the Vatican, but many believe is a cover-up; however the document is missing.

The first Rosary Chronicles is an exciting investigative thriller that focuses on Christian extremism. The story line is entertaining from the moment Anatoly commits his mass killing and filled with some nice twists such as Traeger and Anatoly meeting up early into the plot, the deep belief that there is more to the third secret than officially revealed and to the Agia assassination attempt. Though it take perhaps too long for the myriad of subplots to begin to cohesively merge as there are more than just the above, fans will relish THE THIRD REVELATION.

Harriet Klausner

If you've read and enjoyed anything by Morris West, you will surely find The Third Revelation a wonderfully entertaining novel. Beginning with the first murder of a Cardinal within the Vatican Walls through to the final pages of the book, the reader is taken on an adventure that is both thrilling and more than a bit thought provoking. Ralph McInerny demonstrates his profound sense of good research and ability to weave a story based on solid fact and flights of fanciful conjecture. Taking the controversy surrounding the announcement of the revelation of the Third Secret of Fatima, and using, at times, the words of living personages within the Vatican --- including Benedict XVI himself--- he weaves a tale of ecclesiastical intrigue and mayhem worthy of any good teller of mystery stories. There are a few inconsistencies and errors, but these are left to the reader to determine if he/she is so inclined. One sees also a continuation of the "end times" phenomenon so prevalent in today's conspiracy circles. This is a novel freely recommended as a great read.

I really wanted to admire this book. After an inviting start, however, I was disappointed by one-dimensional characters and a thin, confusing story line. Even then, the plot became somewhat more intriguing but led to a disappointing ending -- in essence, God stepped in in the final chapter and everyone (or at least those still living) lived happily ever after and all's right with the world. I gave it a third star for an interesting knowledge of Vatican politics and a goodly sprinkling of ahah!-type literary allusions.

This novel has an interesting concept, but falls short on execution. The writing is sometimes sloppy, confusing, or just plain factually wrong. For example (p. 68), the author writes: "Americans were more amazing than he had thought. Hadn't one of the Rockefellers transported a medieval monastery stone by stone from Europe to New York? Hadn't the London Bridge been brought to Texas?" No, actually, Mr. McInerny, the Cloisters is composed of elements from five medieval French cloisters and other monastic sites from Southern France. And the London Bridge has been located in Lake Havasu, Arizona since 1971. It's little stupid mistakes such as these that detract from the quality of the story. Still, parts were engaging, and it isn't a bad book for a long, boring plane ride.

was very disappointed on how this thing was written. the flow always goes with a flashback. it confuses the reader from jumping one topic to another then going back to the original topic. needs some coherence.

the book also needs some proofreading. there are contrasting statements... even some repeated statements that are exactly the same... word for word! then it is followed by confusing facts that goes against the first time the statement was used. Example: page 17 about "Bea", then on page 70... exactly the same sentence, but followed by contradicting ideas.

definitely far from the league of Steve Berry and Dan Brown.