I am pleased to share my review of Toni Pike’s book, The Rock of Magus: Code Red in the Vatican, the second in the Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller series.

About the Author:

Toni Pike is the author of The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series: “The Magus Covenant,” “The Rock of Magus,” and “The Magus Epiphany.”

She is also the author of “100 Secrets to Love, Health and Wealth,” a guide to finding a job and creating a life that you love.

Toni believes that coffee and long walks are an essential part of any day. After starting her career as a veterinary surgeon, she taught high school and later had a successful career in the public service. Toni lives in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, with husband Jon. Her main passions are writing, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

 

From Pike’s Amazon page:

A CRISIS IS BREWING IN THE VATICAN – AND ONLY ONE MAN CAN PREVENT DISASTER…Jotham Fletcher is back in a race against time to stop a sinister cardinal, a libertine sect and a homicidal priest.

“FEATURING: a fast-paced and gripping plot, murders, police investigations, a political conspiracy, terrorism, religious mysteries, fascinating historical details, Vatican traditions, a love story like no other and an ending that you won’t see coming.”

My 5-Star Amazon and GoodReads Review:

If you enjoy religious conspiracy thrillers, you will love Pike’s exciting, fast-paced adventure that takes readers to Rome and into the Vatican.

Similar to Dan Brown’s main character, Robert Langdon in The DaVinci Code, Pike’s central character, Jotham Fletcher, also possesses unequaled expertise in a particular subject, in this case, the shadowy, religious figure Simon Magus.

I find it fascinating that Pike built her series around this little-known historical figure, a magician and cult leader at the time of the Apostles. Magus is mentioned in the Bible in Acts 8:9-24 as he tries to “buy” the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but was rebuked by the Apostles as a sorcerer and wicked charlatan.

The heart of Pike’s adventure lies in this fictional, 21st-century Simonian Sect, whose cult followers are nothing short of fanatical, according to her series.

Pike sets the scene for suspense, thrills and twists that lead readers to believe that Fletcher may not solve this mystery, as insurmountable odds stack against him and his female partner. I found the book to be a nail-biter and a page-turner!

The characters are believable, with Fletcher expressing doubt at one point, but using his shaky confidence to navigate the labyrinthine Vatican grounds as he and Madena attempt to solve the mystery.

Pike’s research is extensive and written from the perspective of having visited Rome. I personally love it when authors write from their intimate knowledge of a subject and from the locations they have been.

I highly recommend this adventure series and am looking forward to book #3, The Magus Epiphany.

Check out the The Rock of Magus on Amazon.

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I am always thrilled to read books published by fellow bloggers!

In fact, Sue Loncaric, who writes the incredible blog Sizzling Toward Sixty, introduced me to Toni Pike, with whom she went to high school in Australia. You never know who you will meet in the world of blogging! Read more about Toni on Sue’s blog Becoming an Author in Midlife.

To find out more, please join her on Facebook (Toni Pike – Author) or follow her on Twitter  @piketoni1

Read and follow Toni’s blog at ToniPike.com 

You can also follow Toni on her GoodReads Author Page

What books have you read lately? Have you left a review for the author?