Rape. Murder. Intrigue—In the heart of the Vatican, no sin stays buried forever. When a former member of the Italian Polizia di Stato is murdered, Alex Cenni, head of the state police in Perugia, is asked to investigate the murder by the dead man's wife. The Carabinieri are in charge, and as Cenni knows too well, the easy way is often favored by the police, and an innocent man is threatened with life in prison.

The inquiry is much more than Cenni had expected. Twenty-five years with the police, and this case, unlike any other, involves just-about every aspect of policing: murder, rape, kidnapping, corruption, and a serial killer who pulls the strings. All involve higher operatives in the Catholic Church and the Italian government, including a General and a Cardinal serving in the Roman Curia. Where fidelity and treachery wear the same robes, the final answer is controlled by the Pope. Will he support Cenni in his request to unmask the truth?

His faithful commissario Elena Tonni and his twin brother Renato, a bishop assigned to the Vatican, work secretly with Alex to end the machinations of a Cardinal who, with an American billionaire, is planning to establish schools that teach the tenets of fascism. At the same time, they must find Cenni's long-time partner who has disappeared.

An occasional foray into Italian football, some light romance, delicious food, and the continual dominance of Cenni's cat Rachel brightened the mood and assure the reader that life in Italy has much more to offer than murder and mayhem.

Vendetta in the Vatican—a gripping mystery thriller set inside the hidden world of Vatican politics!