Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Pub date: 14 January 2020
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Description from Amazon
1572
The pope is dead. As cardinals flock to the Vatican to elect a new pontiff, they are unaware that a weapon capable of destroying the Church has been smuggled in with them.
As the doors of the city are locked, Catholic exile Jack Cole is sealed inside, hoping to gather intelligence for Elizabeth I’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham, and win permission to return to England.
But he is not alone.
His wife, Amy, has sneaked into the Vatican. If she is discovered, they could both be tortured and executed.
The pair are not, however, the only ones in the city with a dark purpose. As night falls, a mysterious prisoner is arrested. He has no name, no identity, and no history. Yet his sinister presence spells danger.
Dragged into aiding the Swiss Guard and its secretive captain, Jack and Amy must uncover the prisoner’s motives, find his weapon, and foil his plot. But is he working alone? As servants begin to disappear, mysterious figures are seen in the shadows, and bodies are discovered, the spies realise they can trust no one.
With time running out, there are only twenty-four hours to save the Vatican.
This is the third instalment of the series.
Once again Amy and Jack Cole are thrust into the centre of a plot, this time it appears the plotters want to destroy the Vatican.
Like the first two books this has a great storyline, full of intrigue and kept me engaged. I loved the descriptions of the Vatican and what it must have been like to be a servant during conclave.
There are some great characters in this book, personally I really liked Moretti and Agosti, with Agosti I enjoyed how his character and behaviour was portrayed.
Throughout this trilogy I came to admire Amy, although sometimes I completely understand Jack’s frustration with her. She is mouthy, independent and acts before thinking but it’s totally refreshing to read about a female like this in the Elizabethan era.
Veerapen is very good at making you think you know who the plotters are only to be surprised when the truth is revealed.
I really enjoyed this instalment and as a series I loved it!
As with the previous books the author’s note provides further information on the history at that time and where his ideas have come from.
I do hope there will be more from Amy and Jack in the future, until then I will be reading more of Veerapen’s books!
The Last Judgement is available here:
You can also get the trilogy here:
The latest of Veerapen’s books is Succession and is also an Elizabethan Spy Thriller but is set later in her reign. I will certainly be reading it!
Succession is available here:
If you are bored during lockdown Kindle Unlimited currently have a 30 day free trial!
Amy McElroy 