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Title details for The Third Secret by Steve Berry - Available

The Third Secret

A Novel of Suspense

by Steve Berry
Paul Michael
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry tackles some of the most controversial ideas of our time in a breakneck journey through the history of the Church and the future of religion.
Fatima, Portugal, 1917: The Virgin Mary appears to three peasant children, sharing with them three secrets, two of which are soon revealed to the world. The third secret is sealed away in the Vatican, read only by popes, and not disclosed until the year 2000. When revealed, its quizzical tone and anticlimactic nature leave many faithful wondering if the Church has truly unveiled all of the Virgin Mary’s words–or if a message far more important has been left in the shadows.
Vatican City, present day: Papal secretary Father Colin Michener is concerned for the Pope. Night after restless night, Pope Clement XV enters the Vatican’s Riserva, the special archive open only to popes, where the Church’s most clandestine and controversial documents are stored. Though unsure of the details, Michener knows that the Pope’s distress stems from the revelations of Fatima.
Equally concerned, but not out of any sense of compassion, is Alberto Cardinal Valendrea, the Vatican’s Secretary of State,. Valendrea desperately covets the papacy, having narrowly lost out to Clement at the last conclave. Now the Pope’s interest in Fatima threatens to uncover a shocking ancient truth that Valendrea has kept to himself for many years.
When Pope Clement sends Michener to the Romanian highlands, then to a Bosnian holy site, in search of a priest–possibly one of the last people on Earth who knows Mary’s true message–a perilous set of events unfolds. Michener finds himself embroiled in murder, suspicion, suicide, deceit, and his forbidden passion for a beloved woman. In a desperate search for answers, he travels to Pope Clement’s birthplace in Germany, where he learns that the third secret of Fatima may dictate the very fate of the Church–a fate now lying in Michener’s own hands.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 31, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780739329696
      • File size: 356623 KB
      • Duration: 12:22:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The decades-old secret of Fatima, the fate of the world, and the love life of doubting priest Colin Michener hang by a thread in this thriller, reminiscent of THE DA VINCI CODE. Narrator Paul Michael perfectly pronounces the tongue-twisting foreign names and places while creating one memorable character after another. This behind-the-scenes glimpse at the election of a new Pope and the creation of one of the most chilling antagonists in recent memory creates great entertainment value. Once you listen, you won't want to keep this title to yourself. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 25, 2005
      Visions of the Virgin Mary, secret documents and politicking in the highest echelons of the Catholic Church—Berry (The Amber Room
      ) combines combustive elements in this well-researched thriller. In 1917, the Virgin Mary revealed herself to three children in Fatima, Portugal, disclosing three secrets to the eldest, Lucia, who shared the first two secrets soon after their revelation but left the last to be disclosed upon her death. This third secret was released to Pope John XXIII in 1960 and made public by Pope John Paul II in 2000... or was it? The novel's stolid protagonist—Msgr. Colin Michener, longtime secretary to Clement XV, the novel's near-future successor to John Paul II—has reason to doubt the accuracy of the public version of the secret. Beleaguered by radically dogmatic cardinals and bishops, the embattled Clement XV also appears distressed by recent knowledge of secret documents regarding the Fatima messages. Before his inexplicable suicide, Clement sends Michener to Romania in search of a Father Tibor, who translated the third secret for Pope John XXIII and may hold the key to its mystery. Also on the case, if a step behind, is the ambitious and traditionalist Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Valendrea, with an eye on the papal throne. Da Vinci Code
      fans hungry for more may want a taste of this. Agent, Pam Ahearn. 10-city author tour.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Following the success of the DA VINCI CODE, it seems as though every author is writing Vatican-based mysteries. Unlike many of these copycats, THE THIRD SECRET is a captivating page-turner that never disappoints, with an ending as controversial and thought-provoking as anything by Dan Brown. The novel features murder, suicide, forbidden romances, and a diverse cast of characters, including an evil Pope. L.J. Ganser's performance makes the novel even better. Presented with characters from all over the world, Ganser handles the diversity of accents smoothly and with panache. He also provides the right emotional intensity in every scene. The result is one of those rare books that makes the listener want to stop everything and just keep listening. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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