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THE POPE'S BUTCHER: Based on the True Story of a Serial Killer in the Medieval Vatican by [Joseph C. Gioconda]

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Joseph C. Gioconda

THE POPE'S BUTCHER: Based on the True Story of a Serial Killer in the Medieval Vatican Kindle Edition

by Joseph C. Gioconda (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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A #1 Amazon best-seller one week after its release, The Pope's Butcher is not only a hair-raising work of suspense and espionage, but an astonishing account of religion and the occult in the Middle Ages.

★ Synopsis ★

Abandoned as a child and raised by the Church, young Sebastian works tirelessly in his pursuit of priesthood. But when a shadowy hooded figure serves him with a summons, his careful plans face a turning point. It appears his name has drawn the attention of the Inquisition and his attendance is commanded at once--for retribution, information, or something else, he does not know.

Father Heinrich Institoris the Grand Inquisitor is lauded as a visionary man, driven by a burning desire to cleanse the world of Eve's original sin by eradicating witches. As Inquisition courts bloom across Europe, he vows to leave no stone unturned, no hovel unexamined, and no woman alive, in his search for justice.

As the Inquisitor's violent mission unfolds, Sebastian embarks on a quest through dank crypts, crumbling abbeys, and the darkest depravities known to man. Torn between duty and love when he encounters the beautiful pagan Brigantia, he fights to uncover the truth: of his past abandonment, the power of the occult, and just how far he'll go to protect the Church he loves. A Church that is harboring deadly secrets.

With an intriguing writing tone and a talent to create suspense and mystery from true events, Joseph C. Gioconda delivers a shocking story of serial murders within the Catholic Church. In writing his first novel, he has interviewed leading scholars in the U.S. and Europe and hired professional researchers to comb through newly discovered source material from Germany and Italy.

Print length

250 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 2, 2021
File size

2201 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

★ "Wow. The history perfectly blended with the world building and characterization to create a hypnotic tale I couldn't put down." -- Author J.A. Martin

★ "Exhaustively researched and brilliantly executed...A riveting read." -- The Prairies Book Review

★ "The Pope's Butcher is top-notch writing, the best book I've read this year, and I'm looking forward to Joseph C. Gioconda's second novel, Salem's Ropes." -- Lex Allen, Reader's Favorite Book Review

★ "Immersing the reader in the bloody but fascinating world of medieval witch trials, Joseph Gioconda's debut is a thrilling take on a little-known historical episode." -- Indie Reader Book Review

★ "A dark, well-researched story centered on the Inquisition's most notorious killer. With evocative prose and careful research, Gioconda captures the nuances of medieval Church politics and the frank realities of the prejudices of the time." -- BookLife by Publisher's Weekly

★ "From the first chapter, I was hooked as the book is a real page turner! I love that the book is inspired by actual history and that the author provides great details about the true horror in the medieval Vatican!" -- NetGalley Reviewer

★ "I loved the world building as well as the absolutely authentic feel. Institoris is as twisted a character as one can have, but the scariest part is that he was real. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author." -- GoodReads Reviewer

★ "The Pope's Butcher is one of those novels that leaves you thinking about what was, what is, and what will be in the next hundred years. Now that's good writing!" -- Viga Boland, Reader's Favorite Book Review

★ "Interesting and intriguing, the story flowed well and would recommend this even if you have no interest in the church." -- NetGalley Reviewer

★ "The author did a great job in merging facts and fiction...it hits the nail on the head without being too gory." -- Online Book Club

★ "All I can say right now is Wow, Just Wow. This book was intense and the author did an awesome job putting it all together." -- GoodReads Reviewer

★ "The plot is twisty with great pacing and plenty of hair-raising action with well-developed characters that grow throughout the book. Fantastic story. I really want to read more from this author and hope he has a sequel in the offing." -- Anne Marie Reynolds, Reader's Favorite Book Review

About the Author

Joseph C. Gioconda is a former Catholic seminarian who went on to graduate from Yale Law School and become a trial lawyer.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095SZJSPY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Newtown IP Holdings LLC; 1st edition (June 2, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 2, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2201 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #58,762 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #707 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #719 in Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #853 in Historical Mystery

Customer Reviews:
45 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		65%
4 star		23%
3 star		5%
2 star		3%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Lyn Murdock

Historic Intrigue - Murderous Madness

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021

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Historic fiction is not often packed with accuracy and twisted intrigue, but here you get both. A well researched story of one of the most bloody, murderous incidents in the history of The Church.

Enter a frenzy not unlike the stories you’ve doubtless heard of the Salem witch trials, but a change of settings, a tale of darkness and corruption.

Mysteries and life questions are on the line for Sebastian Alberti. Orphaned as a child Sebastian has long sought answers in The Church. He has studied and committed himself. A short time before he attains ordination as a priest he is approached by The Grand Inquisitor with the opportunity of a lifetime: journey and research the presence of witches who have infiltrated the community with evil.

As the fast-paced story unfolds Sebastian is faced with a dilemma: Does Hey pursue the path to which The Inquisitor has called him — which comes with reward, position, prestige- or does he press through what he increasingly believes to be the false veil which has hidden and even twisted the truth about “witches”?

Sebastian begins to suspect the nefarious intent of The Inquisitor and his fierce obsession with the wiles of womanhood. The Church’s objective is the salvation of souls from evil. Where and in whom the evil lies unfolds in this quick-paced story.

I could not put it down! Read it straight through, with a few side treks to research interesting historical points.

This should be read in conjunction with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to broaden understanding of the hysteria and malevolence present during the time.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Hannibal Lecter meets Game of Thrones.

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021

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Incredibly rich and detailed historically, this book is a real page-turner! From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The Inquisitor is a fascinating character and Sebastian is a compelling protagonist. The details are very nice.
For his first novel, the author did an incredible job! I look forward to more books about these same characters.
Really interesting story. I found myself wanting to learn more about Institoris as a real historical figure. It is amazing that we don’t know more about him. A real gem!
Intriguing characters. I want to get to know them better in a sequel.

2 people found this helpful

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Julie Martin

Wow

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021

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There is no end to the infamy that Father Institoris of the Roman Inquisition intends for medieval Europe. He sends young Sebastian Alberti on a fact- finding expedition, and while on this research trip, Sebastian learns many things, including what really happened to his parents. Dark forces are at work within the Church but luckily, there are equally powerful forces ready to fight back. The history perfectly blended with the world building and characterization to create a hypnotic tale I couldn’t put down.

2 people found this helpful

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tracey a.

Loved it - Medeival Thriller

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2021

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Havent enjoyed a book this much since The Davinci Code. Still amazed this is based on a true story. Why hasn't this story been told until now? Anyway - a good read, especially if you have an interest in Medieval times and the early Catholic Church

2 people found this helpful

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kelly knapp

Illuminating

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2021

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An entirely new look at the inquisition and the Catholic church of the middle ages. Amazing information about a time in history about which I knew very little

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Historical fiction at its best!

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021

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This is a well-written and thought provoking work of historical fiction. The author brings you into the medieval world of the Vatican and you feel as if you're on the journey with the characters. A must read regardless of your religious background. Bravissimo!

One person found this helpful

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Diane

Dark

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021

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A good mix of history and dark fiction. Well done plot and a bit creepy. Kept me turning pages.

Helpful

Well Written Historical Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2021

The Pope’s Butcher is probably one of the most well-researched and well-written books I’ve read in some time. To learn that it’s Joseph C. Gioconda’s first book makes it remarkable.

Based on historical facts, this book of fiction is about a priest initiate named Sabastian who is tasked with searching out witchcraft and its practices throughout the 15th century Roman Catholic world. Sabastian travels through Europe, Britain, and Ireland studying and taking notes on local witch practices. Toward the end of his travels, he judges witchcraft to be the innocent application of herbal medicinal practices that have been practiced from long before the founding of the Christian Church. In his notes, he opines that the actions taken by witches are entirely beneficial to the health and welfare of the communities being served. Spending a considerable amount of time with one young witch, he falls in love but leaves her to return to Rome to file his report with the chief inquisitor. According to the fictional account, Sabastian’s notes are misused and end up serving as the basis for the chief inquisitor’s widely distributed book on the evils of witchcraft. That book, The Witch’s Hammer, is still being published and is in circulation today. The initial publication of The Witch’s Hammer led to the deaths of thousands of women in Europe and America over the ensuing years.

In my experience, books that include a bibliography the size of the one at the end of The Pope’s Butcher are assigned social sciences texts that must be read in college. While historically factual and somewhat interesting as enhancements to the subject matter being studied, they are not enjoyable literary reading. Gioconda, on the other hand, wrote his book as reading literature, not an academic enhancement. I think that he succeeded in doing so and has, what will shortly become, a bestselling book as a result.

Gioconda, no doubt, has a busy schedule as a trial lawyer, but I do hope that he continues to set time aside for more historically based fictional writing. The Pope’s Butcher emotionally engaged me and always had me looking forward to my next reading session.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Diana Jackson

A Gruesome but Gripping Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2021

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A well researched novel taking on the difficult subject of the Inquisition at its worst. The human natures of Sebastian who stood for the good and pure, and Brigantia who showed us the character of a witch who strived for healing and love~ a medieval apothecary, balanced an otherwise terrifying period in history where the church certainly did not shine in glory. I loved the touch of the Knights Templar coming to the rescue at the end, but was it just too little too late?

Suey

Predictable

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

Decided to read because of the hype and seemed a bit different. Really couldn't see what the fuss was about. Predictable story line/ending and pretty dull