Title: Rob the Vatican
Author: Robert Gallant
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9870595439249
Pages: 229
Genre: Fiction/Thriller/Action
Reviewed by: Tiffany Ezuma
Buy on AmazonPacific Book Review
Fast-paced, witty, and fun Rob the Vatican is an action-adventure that will have readers on the edge of their seats. The book centers around Craig Reynolds, an American jewel thief who sets out to do an impossible task: pull off a heist in the holiest city of all, the Vatican. Most would scoff at an opportunity like that, believing it to be a suicide mission, but when Craig is given access to the only set of maps that depict the city’s underground catacombs he knows that this is the heist of a lifetime.
But the mission isn’t going to be a cakewalk. Darlena Aldonzo, a gorgeous Italian gymnast who Craig doesn’t have the best track record with complicates his plan. She was once taken hostage by him, but now finds herself entangled in Craig’s complicated world. Things get hairier when INTERPOL Detective Martin Von Meier begins to tail Craig, hoping to lock him up for good. Added into the mix is the Catholic Church, complete with colorful characters including a Priest, Cardinal, and a Pope. No one is quite who they appear to be, making it impossible to figure out who to trust.
With all the players set in motion, Gallant shows that he’s skilled at writing a compelling plot and creating a vivid world for the characters to move in. His descriptions of Italy and the Vatican are clearly familiar to him, as the reader feels as if he or she is transported into the holy world with the protagonist. The plotting moves at breakneck speed, which makes it feel like an action movie, taking readers on various twists and turns. At times, Gallant can move a little too briskly from one plot point to another but as the story progresses, the novel’s kinetic pacing leads to an explosive ending readers will appreciate.
Rob the Vatican is a perfect book for those diehard action fans that are looking to read about a setting, which we don’t get to see. And because of the pacing, the book is also good for the reluctant reader since it the plot moves so quickly, easily and entertainingly engrossing the reader’s attention.
