The relationships between characters are something I appreciate. The protagonists are genuine with one another, and there isn't drama for the sake of drama. It's so lovely to see the different versions of romantic and platonic love in play, and that adds to the charm of the book. Readers who like speculative plots based on possible ancient manuscripts will like this one. It has a good amount of intrigue and a little suspense near the end. It will also appeal to readers who like Dan Brown's early novels. I personally don't appreciate a novel that has as its plot disproving accepted historical accounts of Jesus' life. In that sense, the plot is not unique as similar plot lines have been written before. Other than my dislike of a plot critical of Christianity, I felt it was a very well written novel. During the Vatican’s papal conclave of 1740, violinist Antonio Vivaldi is given a devastating secret by his dying mentor, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, the man favored to be elected Pope before he was poisoned. Fearful of the Italian Camorra, Vivaldi hides the secret in a special cipher in his music—a cipher revealing a breathtaking centuries-long operation of art theft from the Vatican Museum and forgery of its priceless paintings. P.S. Below I have attached some links about the author and this wonderful book so if you would like to learn more about the author and the book then please have a browse. Thank you so much again for reading book lovers!

When a writer comes along with the ability to capture the attention of his audience in the first few sentences of a story that begins after Pope Innocent III’s massacre of thousands of Cathari men, women, and children at Béziers, in the first major battle of the Albigensian Crusade, readers need to stand up and take hold of his novels with both hands! I wish Gary McAvoy had penned the Magdalene Trilogy years ago when I was still in school learning the history of Pope Innocent III’s tortured attempt to eradicate heresy (i.e., Catharism) in Southern France in the 12th Century! When Dominic discovers a long-hidden papyrus written by Mary Magdalene—one that threatens the very foundations of Christianity—he and Hana, aided by brave Swiss Guards, try to prevent sinister forces from obtaining the manuscript, among them the feared Ustasha underground fascist movement, Interpol, and shadowy figures at the highest levels of the Vatican itself.Dominic is keen to discover what Saunière used to coerce the Vatican and gets the opportunity to investigate after he makes the acquaintance of Parisian journalist Hana Sinclair, who writes for Le Monde. A forbidden secret . . . The Church’s fate in the balance . . . Will a pair of amateur sleuths expose a truth that could upend the Christian world? We are here to help you navigate Goodreads and assist in finding solutions to your Goodreads book-listing issues. This connects with my major quibble about the story - almost everyone who meets Michael comments on how handsome he is, and marvels that he became a priest. It's just a bit much. 😏 A rip-roaring adventure with great characters. Even if you know nothing about the Cathars or the geographic areas, you will find the story riveting. There is even a hint at things to come and a tinge of romance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The novel is enhanced by engaging secondary characters, picturesque descriptions of the Vatican.....The diary propels them on a whirlwind adventure from Jerusalem, to Rome, to Buenos Aires. But as they unravel an ancient mystery, they run afoul of a nefarious sect determined to use the Magdalene veil for its own ends. Can Michael and Hana outsmart their ruthless adversaries and bring the artifact home to the Church, or will the revival of Aryan ambition destroy the long-lost relic of Christ?

In The Magdalene Deception you’ll find a plot that mixes elements of a treasure hunt, contempory and historic fiction, and spy stories. This mix reminded me a lot of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series, though The Magdalene Deception felt a bit slower and darker in some moments. It is also much more matter-of-fact in style, I’d say.As the Vatican’s secrets unfold, Pope Ignatius battles his own legacy. Torn between preserving the Church’s past and shaping its future, his decisions become paramount in the struggle for truth. The Pope’s radical stand for change, embodied in two Apostolic Constitutions, sets the stage for a new era in the Church while challenging long-standing beliefs and traditions. It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the hedgerow at the darkened, quiet house.” McAvoy is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and author of And Every Word Is True, a sequel to Truman Capote’s landmark book In Cold Blood. THE MAGDALENE DECEPTION is his fiction debut, and is the first in a series called The Magdalene Chronicles. Gary McAvoy gives the plates he set in motion in his debut novel, “The Magdalene Deception”, another spin and the result is “The Magdalene Reliquary”, a highly satisfying sequel. Once again, the reader is treated to intrigue with high ecclesiastical and political stakes as McAvoy trundles his cast of characters through the nooks and crannies of the Vatican archives and the reader through the labyrinth of past European religious conflict and post WWII political skullduggery. Since significant action in the book takes place in a system of caves in France, where a “treasure” of immense religious significance has been buried, “labyrinth” is both a metaphor and a literal description of the byways down which McAvoy successfully ushers his reader.