From the Publisher
Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is
a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry
tackles some of the most controversial ideas of our time in a
breakneck journey through the history of the Church and the future
of religion.
Fatima, Portugal, 1917: The Virgin Mary appears to three peasant
children, sharing with them three secrets, two of which are soon
revealed to the world. The third secret is sealed away in the
Vatican, read only by popes, and not disclosed until the year 2000.
When revealed, its quizzical tone and anticlimactic nature leave
many faithful wondering if the Church has truly unveiled all of the
Virgin Mary's words-or if a message far more important has been
left in the shadows.
Vatican City, present day: Papal secretary Father Colin Michener is
concerned for the Pope. Night after restless night, Pope Clement XV
enters the Vatican's Riserva, the special archive open only to
popes, where the Church's most clandestine and controversial
documents are stored. Though unsure of the details, Michener knows
that the Pope's distress stems from the revelations of
Fatima.
Equally concerned, but not out of any sense of compassion, is
Alberto Cardinal Valendrea, the Vatican's Secretary of State,.
Valendrea desperately covets the papacy, having narrowly lost out
to Clement at the last conclave. Now the Pope's interest in Fatima
threatens to uncover a shocking ancient truth that Valendrea has
kept to himself for many years.
When Pope Clement sends Michener to the Romanian highlands, then to
a Bosnian holy site, in search of a priest-possibly one of the last
people on Earth who knows Mary's true message-a perilous set of
events unfolds. Michener finds himself embroiled in murder,
suspicion, suicide, deceit, and his forbidden passion for a beloved
woman. In a desperate search for answers, he travels to Pope
Clement's birthplace in Germany, where he learns that the third
secret of Fatima may dictate the very fate of the Church-a fate now
lying in Michener's own hands.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Jacket
Explosive in both its pace and its revelations, The Third Secret is
a remarkable international thriller. Bestselling author Steve Berry
tackles some of the most controversial ideas of our time in a
breakneck journey through the history of the Church and the future
of religion.
Fatima, Portugal, 1917: The Virgin Mary appears to three peasant
children, sharing with them three secrets, two of which are soon
revealed to the world. The third secret is sealed away in the
Vatican, read only by popes, and not disclosed until the year 2000.
When revealed, its quizzical tone and anticlimactic nature leave
many faithful wondering if the Church has truly unveiled all of the
Virgin Mary''s words-or if a message far more important has been
left in the shadows.
Vatican City, present day: Papal secretary Father Colin Michener is
concerned for the Pope. Night after restless night, Pope Clement XV
enters the Vatican''s Riserva, the special archive open only to
popes, where the Church''s most clandestine and controversial
documents are stored. Though unsure of the details, Michener knows
that the Pope''s distress stems from the revelations of Fatima.
Equally concerned, but not out of any sense of compassion, is
Alberto Cardinal Valendrea, the Vatican''s Secretary of State, .
Valendrea desperately covets the papacy, having narrowly lost out
to Clement at the last conclave. Now the Pope''s interest in Fatima
threatens to uncover a shocking ancient truth that Valendrea has
kept to himself for many years.
When Pope Clement sends Michener to the Romanian highlands, then to
a Bosnian holy site, in search of a priest-possibly one of the last
people on Earth who knows Mary''s true message-a perilous setof
events unfolds. Michener finds himself embroiled in murder,
suspicion, suicide, deceit, and his forbidden passion for a beloved
woman. In a desperate search for answers, he travels to Pope
Clement''s birthplace in Germany, where he learns that the third
secret of Fatima may dictate the very fate of the Church-a fate now
lying in Michener''s own hands.
About the Author
Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of
The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The
Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov
Prophecy, and The Amber
Room. His books have been translated into 37
languages and sold in 50 countries. He lives on the Georgia coast
and is currently at work on his next novel. He and his wife,
Elizabeth, have founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to preserving our heritage.
From the Hardcover edition.
Mass Market Paperbound
400 Pages, 4.14 x 6.88 x 1.08 in
January 31, 2006
Random House Publishing Group
English
034547614X
9780345476142