Secret societies, strange initiation rites and clues provided by Dante's Divine Comedy are the framework for this International bestseller which features a noted paleographer in search of the Vera Cruz , the True Cross.
Dr. Ottavia Salina, a member of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is called upon by the Vatican to help in the murder investigation of an Ethiopian man. They need to find out what the tattoos on his body of crosses and Greek letters signify. With the help of Captain Glauser-Röist of the Swiss Guard and Professor Farag Boswell, they embark on a quest to infiltrate the Staurofilakes, the ancient order in charge of protecting the True Cross.
Asensi cleverly uses The Divine Comedy to guide her characters to the secret. Although, Dr. Salina is quick to point out that Dante was not her favorite author. Dr. Salina and her companions must go through many tests themselves to get to the truth.
Of all the characters, I found Dr. Salina kind of charming actually. We know she’s very intelligent and devoted but there are moments when more of her playful nature is shown; such as, when she decides to call Captain Glauser-Röist, The Rock, or when she is displays a bit of a rebellious streak when she buys pants for the first time.
If you enjoy historical mysteries and stories of secret orders then try this book. It’s not as fast paced as some other books in this genre but a worthy entry nevertheless.
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