- Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Carousel Press,US; Reprint edition (7 Aug 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1593154844
- ISBN-13: 978-1593154844
- Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 10.4 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,329,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Inspired by true events, masterful storyteller Tom Grace delivers his most provocative novel yet. In The Secret Cardinal, ex-Navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny returns in an adventure that races from the grandeur of the Vatican across the vastness of Asia, ultimately involving China, the Mafia, and the conclave of cardinals that will elect the next pope. When Kilkenny is invited to Rome to consult on the functioning of the Vatican Library, he is still grieving the death of his wife and son, and welcomes the distraction of the seemingly simple assignment. But Pope Leo XIV has a startlingly different task in mind for him. In a private audience, Kilkenny learns of an unreported atrocity committed against the underground Church in China and its link to Yin Daoming, the long-imprisoned Bishop of Shanghai who has served thirty years of a life sentence in a Chinese laogai for refusing to renounce the Church of Rome. The pope wants Yin free and asks Kilkenny to devise a plan to accomplish this ostensibly impossible task. With help from the U. S. president, American Special Forces, and the CIA, Kilkenny assembles a team of ten men and one woman that will use some of the most advanced weapons, aircraft, and computer technology to execute this extraordinary mission.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was my first Tom Grace book and my introduction to Noel Killkenny, his ex Navy Seal lead character, and quite a pleasant surprise it was too. I half expected a light page turner with a typical ex special forces action guy with some kind of Dan Brown style plot.
But this was a lot more interesting then that, here we have a dying Pope approving a mission to rescue a Chinese bishop imprisoned by the Chinese. Vatican Intelligence and Kilkenny pull together a small team to insert into China while both the Chinese and the Italian mafia pull out all the stops to destroy the operation. But this is no mindless action novel and the style and pace did remind me of classic Tom Clancy.
The good points are the plotting and some interesting characters. There is some action but it is in balance with the story which does flow quickly and well and has some intelligence in it that lifts it above a 'read and forget' novel.
The theme in this is about the rescue of a Roman Catholic bishop, so there is a Catholic theme that runs through this, and at times it works well, but at other times it is a bit over the top. Catholics seem to have no flaws and hundreds of them seem willing to sacrifice themselves rather too easily for their religion or for their Bishop, with no balancing picture of Catholics that struggled with making the ultimate sacrifice. In fact, that is the book's weakness, too many people seem more then willing to sacrifice themselves for a noble cause, but it is not so in your face that it becomes annoying, but it is a very black and white perspective.
I'd be interested to see if this is a theme that runs through all of the author's books, honourable and decent people who 'always' do the right thing, might get a bit tedious, as would too much of the religious aspect covered in this book.
But isolation, I enjoyed this thriller, almost a four star book, but held back to three because many of the participants were too good to be true. But I will seek out some other novels by the author.
But this was a lot more interesting then that, here we have a dying Pope approving a mission to rescue a Chinese bishop imprisoned by the Chinese. Vatican Intelligence and Kilkenny pull together a small team to insert into China while both the Chinese and the Italian mafia pull out all the stops to destroy the operation. But this is no mindless action novel and the style and pace did remind me of classic Tom Clancy.
The good points are the plotting and some interesting characters. There is some action but it is in balance with the story which does flow quickly and well and has some intelligence in it that lifts it above a 'read and forget' novel.
The theme in this is about the rescue of a Roman Catholic bishop, so there is a Catholic theme that runs through this, and at times it works well, but at other times it is a bit over the top. Catholics seem to have no flaws and hundreds of them seem willing to sacrifice themselves rather too easily for their religion or for their Bishop, with no balancing picture of Catholics that struggled with making the ultimate sacrifice. In fact, that is the book's weakness, too many people seem more then willing to sacrifice themselves for a noble cause, but it is not so in your face that it becomes annoying, but it is a very black and white perspective.
I'd be interested to see if this is a theme that runs through all of the author's books, honourable and decent people who 'always' do the right thing, might get a bit tedious, as would too much of the religious aspect covered in this book.
But isolation, I enjoyed this thriller, almost a four star book, but held back to three because many of the participants were too good to be true. But I will seek out some other novels by the author.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"The Secret Cardinal" is an exciting and interesting story that's a definite step up from many of the suspense books out there. The story focuses on two main threads, the first being an attempt to rescue a Chinese bishop from a long incarceration in prison in China and the second the events taking place in the Vatican as a new pope is being chosen.
The hero of this book is Nolan Kilkenny, an American man who is still trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and unborn child. A close family friend invites him to work for him at the Vatican and very soon Kilkenny finds himself involved in a plot to tell the world about the fate of Yin Daoming, an imprisoned Chinese bishop. Kilkenny's skills are vital to plan to rescue Yin, and soon, and with the death of the pope, who had made Yin a secret Cardinal, the pressure is on to rescue the man.
As the various Cardinals meet to choose the new pope, the story follows Kilkenny and his group of special forces operatives as they break Yin out of prison and try to extract him from China to Rome. The action is always well paced and mostly believable and it's an exciting book to read.
The author writes well with good pacing. He isn't particularly strong on descriptive passages so although parts of this book took place in China, Tibet and India I didn't feel that I got a particularly strong picture of the places about which he was writing. I also found the portrayal of catholicism rather one-sided; almost everyone mentioned in the story is a holy and worthy person who is resistant to torture and willing to be martyred - quite a contrast from most books where people's motives are always suspect. It was good to read a book with a positive view of faith but I found at times it was laid on a bit thick for this reader.
Those who have enjoyed other books by this author will no doubt welcome this book and it was indeed a good read, if at times quite depressing about the state of the world and China's hostility towards people of faith.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
The hero of this book is Nolan Kilkenny, an American man who is still trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and unborn child. A close family friend invites him to work for him at the Vatican and very soon Kilkenny finds himself involved in a plot to tell the world about the fate of Yin Daoming, an imprisoned Chinese bishop. Kilkenny's skills are vital to plan to rescue Yin, and soon, and with the death of the pope, who had made Yin a secret Cardinal, the pressure is on to rescue the man.
As the various Cardinals meet to choose the new pope, the story follows Kilkenny and his group of special forces operatives as they break Yin out of prison and try to extract him from China to Rome. The action is always well paced and mostly believable and it's an exciting book to read.
The author writes well with good pacing. He isn't particularly strong on descriptive passages so although parts of this book took place in China, Tibet and India I didn't feel that I got a particularly strong picture of the places about which he was writing. I also found the portrayal of catholicism rather one-sided; almost everyone mentioned in the story is a holy and worthy person who is resistant to torture and willing to be martyred - quite a contrast from most books where people's motives are always suspect. It was good to read a book with a positive view of faith but I found at times it was laid on a bit thick for this reader.
Those who have enjoyed other books by this author will no doubt welcome this book and it was indeed a good read, if at times quite depressing about the state of the world and China's hostility towards people of faith.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
Format:Paperback
It was a very simplistic, and easy to follow story. I found the book easy to read, and was disappointed that there was not more of a challenge - at least for me. This said, i was excited with the storyline and there were no great surprises, but it was one of those books i couldn't put down from beginning to end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cleverly constructed plot
Bought another Tom Grace book in one of those 3 for £5 shop offers (alongside Scott Mariani - really good and David Hewson - not for me). Quite enjoyed it so have read the rest. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Andrew H
Entertaining but predictable
This is a well written book, which is exciting almost all the way through. What it lacks are any real twists, and most people should be able to guess the ending (or a big part of... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Mr. A. Mcgregor
Excellent read
I couldn't put this book down. A really pacy, gripping intrigue involving China and the Vatican.
Published on 22 July 2009 by Tim
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