The Priest of Santa Maria is a fast-paced thriller. An entertaining read, it had me gripped to the end. In the prologue, we discover the origin of a locked box from Babylon and are introduced to a man and his daughter, the current custodians, living in Switzerland, and a woman named Angelica living in a convent in Italy. What is the connection that brings them together? And what does it have to do with a young priest named Christiano who is employed as a temporary minister at the convent? Although reluctant at first, the feeling he has towards Angelica is unlike anything he has come across. He is taken aback by the urge he has to protect her even though he may lose his vocation by doing so. This is a vivid portrayal of characters we want to engage with and an unputdownable story we don't want to end. I was pleased to discover it is part of a series and I, for one, will be looking forward to the next book from this talented storyteller.
Lynn Johnson, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Other Genres: |
This was a complex and exciting book
This was a complex and exciting book, full of adventure and rich detail, spanning centuries and full of interesting characters and places, all vividly described.... Read Full Review
It's a sometimes gory and violent tale in spite of being peopled by many deeply religious characters as well as Mafiosa. I found it exciting and emotional.
The Priest of Santa Maria by Alexandra Kleanthous is set in Italy. It's a sometimes gory and violent tale in spite of being peopled by many deeply religious characters as well as Mafiosa. It tells the story of a newly trained young priest, Christiano, and a young woman, Angelica, who we are introduced to shortly after she becomes a servant at the Convent of Santa Maria L'Adorata. After a series of unfortunate occurences to his predecessors, Christiano becomes the caretaker priest at the Convent...or could there be another, more vital, reason he finds himself in this place at this time. The plot is gripping and fast-moving and, though I struggled with the religious premise at the heart of this novel, I found it exciting and emotional. The characters are well-drawn and the writing style makes for easy reading.... Read Full Review
