The Third Secret

Do you believe in miracles? You will when you discover The Third Secret... For fans of The Da Vinci Code comes a timely thriller that takes us from the echoing halls and papal politics of the Vatican to the wilds of Romania and a mysterious world of holy visitations and miracles. In the library of the Vatican, in its most secret vault, lies a box. A box that may only be opened by the Pope. And within this box once lay a scrap of paper that could shake the foundations of the church and faith itself - until in 1978 a junior cleric seized his chance and stole the paper... in July 1917 the Virgin Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal, and entrusted them with three secrets. The world soon learned that the first described Hell, and the second foretold the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. The third, not revealed until 2000, predicted an attempt on a Pope's life - which had indeed taken place 19 years earlier. Shock swept the globe: it didn't make sense - why keep this a secret for so long? And many around the world continued to wonder... Cut to the present day and the frail and elderly Pope Clement XV has become obsessed with accounts of visitations from Mary. He suspects that there was more to the Third Secret and assigns his trusted aide, Father Colin Michener, to discover the truth. Cardinal Valendrea, frontrunner to become the next Pope, knows for sure that there was more to the message than has been revealed, and he's ready to kill to prevent the full Third Secret from being made public. As the cardinals gather in conclave to decide the next Pope and Valendrea prepares for victory, only Michener can stop him, and his quest turns into a roller-coaster of a journey that could change Michener, the Church - and the world - forever. Based on true events, including the Fatima Secrets reported by three peasant children in Portugal, The Third Secret is a riveting thriller that melds fact, theology, tradition and fiction very much in The Da Vinci Code mould. And with the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of his successor fresh in the minds of readers, this is a timely and fascinating insight into the workings of the Vatican.