In his cleverly constructed debut thriller Arno Strobel takes us back to the time immediately after the events of 1945. While bombed-out Europe is being rebuilt, a few incorrigible Germans are devising an insane plan. Following their charismatic leader “Magus”, the Simonian brotherhood infiltrate the Catholic clergy with the aim of gaining control of the Church initially, before ultimately taking charge in the political arena on a worldwide scale.
By 1999 the project appears to have succeeded; a Simonian leaves the conclave as Pope Gregory XVII. Then a single shot is fired…
A riveting, psychologically convincing story with surprising twists, authentic characters, atmospheric imagery and a confident style that all go towards making this an utterly compelling read.