Blood of the Lamb by Sam Cabot

Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets by Sam Cabot

 

The Historian meets The Da Vinci Code in this exhilarating supernatural thriller set in Rome. Rival groups are searching for a document that holds a secret that could shatter the Catholic Church.

While in Rome, American Jesuit priest Thomas Kelly is called upon to reclaim a centuries-old document stolen from the Vatican. An enigmatic letter leads him to the work of a 19th century poet, where Thomas discovers cryptic messages that might lead to the missing manuscript. His search is unexpectedly entwined with that of Italian art historian Livia Pietro, who tells him that destructive forces are threatening to expose the document’s contents. As they’re relentlessly chased through the heart of Rome by mysterious men who quickly demonstrate they would cross any line to obtain the document for themselves, it becomes clear to Livia and Thomas that the pages hold a deep, devastating, long-buried truth. Livia, though, has a secret of her own: she and her People are vampires. But all this pales in light of the Secret that Thomas and Livia discover together—a revelation more stunning than either could have imagined.

Sam Cabot is a pseudonym for:

S.J. Rozan is the author of many critically acclaimed novels and short stories which have won crime fiction’s greatest honors, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Macavity, and Nero awards. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rozan now lives in lower Manhattan.

Carlos Dews is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature at John Cabot University where he directs the Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation. He lives in Rome, Italy.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Religious ideology meets creepy Vampires? Why yes, I do believe I would like some more please.

This book…You really do have to read it to appreciate the depth of how complex and intricate the framework for this novel is. The book is slightly reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code, in the respect that the characters are on a quest to find an item that could forever change the church and the long held beliefs of said entity. However, I really have to say–I liked this book far more. This one has vampires. (Okay not the best reason but good enough to make it more interesting in my opinion.)

I never felt this book lost purpose along the way. The main characters are strong and keep the story moving when it could have been lost to miles of description and religious explanation as in other books of similar subject matter. I enjoyed the relatively short chapters as this gave me the opportunity to stop and consider what I had already read.

This book is labeled as a novel of secrets. There is no disputing that this is true. The mysteries abound throughout and just when you think you have it figured out, something else happens and then you start over rethinking your ideas. I really love/hate/love it when I can’t figure a mystery out.

Overall, this was a book with a great start, and exciting middle and an ending that I just was not expecting. The author duo that makes up Sam Cabot should be really proud, this is certainly an accomplishment.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher and provided by Netgalley.