The Last Pope

By Luis Miguel Rocha (Michael Joseph, RRP $37)

 

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Thrillers & Mysteries

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When a Vatican archivist uncovers a secret set of papers that relate to the death of Pope John Paul I, he is unsure who to trust.

Fearing for his life, he sends them out to some of his closest friends. He was right to be fearful as before long he and two of these friends are killed by organisations that want their links to the Pope's death to be kept in the dark.

The race is then on to recover the third set of papers. Enter Sarah Monteiro, who receives them on behalf of her father. She has no idea of their import until a last minute warning from her father and a narrow escape from a hit team.

Forced to run, her only help is an unknown man who sweeps in to help her to safety, if that is possible.

Conspiracies, secret organisations and even more conspiracies add up to a cross between Robert Ludlum and Dan Brown.

Whether the truth is as truly stranger than fiction as the author tries to assure us, and no matter how revealing the truths in this novel may be, the story itself takes a slow burn before launching into what is really standard thriller complete with narrow squeaks and tenuous jumps to its resolution.

- © Fairfax NZ News