The Third Secret: A Novel of Suspense (Random House Large Print (Hardcover)) [Hardcover]

Steve Berry (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 624 pages
• Publisher: Random House Large Print Publishing; Lrg edition (May 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375435107
• ISBN-13: 978-0375435102
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (201 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,390,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key, The Emperor's Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room --- as well as the e-book original short stories The Balkan Escape and The Devil's Gold. He has 12,000,000 books in print worldwide, translated into 40 languages and sold in 51 countries. He lives in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our heritage. To learn more about Steve and the foundation, visit www.steveberry.org.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A 20th century appariton influences Vatican policy, August 2, 2005

By 

Cory D. Slipman (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Third Secret: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)

Steve Berry's "The Third Secret" is a blending together of religious fact with fiction to create a creditable thriller based upon doctrines set forth by the Vatican.

An appariton of the Virgin Mary observed by 3 peasant children in 1917 Fatima, Portugal and the disclosures made by her form the crux of the plot of the novel. The Virgin purportedly revealed 3 secrets, two of which were revealed by one of the children named Lucia. The third secret, however remained concealed within the walls of the Vatican only observed by papal eyes until its revelation in the year 2000.

Father Colin Michener, papal secretary to present pope Clement XV has served the former Cardinal of Cologne faithfully for years. They forged a father son relationship and Michener was concerned by the popes behavior. Pope Clement had been spending an inordinate amount of time in the Riserva, a Vatican library whose contents were reserved for papal use only. Clement was a progressive pope altering rather than sticking to the old doctrines of the Vatican.

Vatican Secretary of State Italian Cardinal Valendrea was at odds with Pope Clement. Having narrowly lost the papacy in the last conclave, Valendrea with lofty aspirations to become pope, favored a return to the princples of the past. Valendrea was a corrupt man using eavesdropping devices he had installed in the Vatican to keep members of the college of cardinals in line.

Pope Clement became aware that the third secret of Fatima stored in the Reserva seemed incomplete. He recruited Father Michener to discover the missing segment of the secret by travelling to Romania to speak with a Father Tibor, the original translator of the account of the peasant girl Lucia.

Berry leads us on a trail of adventure and intrigue as on one hand the true meaning of the secret is trying to be revealed. At the same time forces lead by the conservative Cardinal Valendrea are attempting to suppress its contents. The plot is at times uneven but the religious history, when woven into the story is fascinating.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Typical Berry..., July 27, 2007

By 

Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Third Secret (Mass Market Paperback)

Steve Berry is known for his historic-based fiction thrillers, and The Third Secret follows his usual formula. While definitely entertaining, the plot defies belief.

Father Colin Michener is the papal secretary for Pope Clement XV. Clement is obsessed with the visitations of the Virgin Mary at La Salette, Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje. He is especially intent on discovering the third secret of Fatima. Clement sends Michener to Romania and Bosnia in his efforts to uncover the truth. But there is another powerful member of the Vatican Curia who has knowledge of the third secret. He is so fearful of it coming to light that he has resorted to wiretapping, blackmail and even murder.

Berry weaves this tale around Roman Catholic history. In addition to the visitations, he also uses the predictions of St. Malachy of the 16th Century, Irish birthing centers in the 20th Century, and the procedures for papal succession. While the historic aspects were interesting, the plot was a stretch. Without giving away the plot, Fatima's third secret (as revealed in this book) is just totally unbelievable and would change almost all the core beliefs of the Roman Church. Most of the characters are also a bit over the top. Michener, an ordained priest and lawyer, is way too gullible. His former girlfriend, Katerina Lew, is totally self-centered and not very likable. Cardinal Alberto Valendrea is too Machiavellian, and his assistant, Paolo Ambrosi acts more like a Nazi SS officer than a priest.

While The Third Secret was a fast-paced thriller that kept my interest, it is not of the same caliber as other books of this genre including The DaVinci Code.

37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good beach reading, June 3, 2005

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Third Secret: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)

Even with the stereotypes (good pope - bad secretary of state; good conflicted priest - evil murderous unconflicted priest, etc), this isn't so bad if you like the genre of lost secrets (or in some books, lost manuscripts) found, eternal battle of good and evil, etc. I thought the author's handling of why Lucia didn't contradict the published secret very well done. There were some historical inaccuracies, but who cares. This is just a good summer mystery and held together enough for me to read it straight through in an afternoon.