Vatican Gold

Rating:
Summary: Buy It Now
Review: "Edgar, the prince of darkness is a Gentleman."

This apt chapter epigraph from Shakespeare, and all the others just as good, tony up Vatican Gold, an action movie of a book, like Bacall boosting Chandler.

Vatican Gold is Tom Stern's second novel on the ineffable mineral and the infernal behavior it succors. I enjoyed its edgy idealism - it's all about friendship after all - combined with a chilling mastery of nasty minds.

The reader is paced to the last page by violent self-reflection "....like a gladiator plowing forward despite fatal injury," the author's words describing the flight path of an airliner minus tail assembly.

Vatican Gold. I say buy it now.

Rating:
Summary: New book by America's Greatest Story Teller
Review: I could hardly imagine a novel more exciting and fascinating than Tom Stern's first novel, Gold Fever, but with this new release, the author weaves a tale sure to be an American Classic. Dr. Todd Ellison returns as the hero, once again involved with golden treasure, this time belonging to the Vatican. What I really like is that in addition to a fast-moving story, the book has a profound literary level that appeals to my intellect as much as the action appeals to my need for entertainment. Stern sounds as deep as Herman Melville, but more exciting! A must for the silver screen.

Rating:
Summary: Intrigue, violence, and hidden power plays
Review: The exciting and chilling sequel to "Gold Fever," Vatican Gold by Tom Stern is a fast-paced, deftly written saga of world conflict with the Vatican and the Holy Lands at the core of conflict and terror. A sharp and vividly drawn portrayal of an apocalyptic Muslim-Christian conflict, Vatican Gold grips the reader with its compelling story of intrigue, violence, and hidden power plays until the very last page.

Rating:
Summary: Vatican Gold
Review: Thi is the second Tom Stern book I have read. My enjoyment of the first encouraged me to read Vatican Gold. While Gold Fever was excellent, Vatican Gold far exceeds it in depth, character development and plot. The mystery and adventure is well presented and intriguing in realms of possibilities the average person would never conceive of. This alone makes this book a MUST READ. Even better is the presentation of background detail and history unknown to even the most erudite scholar. The remarkable, intriguing history of the hidden details of the Catholic Church are almost as fascinating as the plot of the book itself. I highly recommend VATICAN GOLD to anyone who enjoys a captivating adventure story superbly presented.

John Begley

Rating:
Summary: You'll like this one.
Review: This follows the characters from Stern's first book through yet another adventure. The style is ala Tom Clancy which to me is a good thing. If you're looking for a good way to spend some time away from the world, curl up with this baby. But beware, you won't want to put it down once it gets going. There's action, likeable sexy characters, intrigue and the sort of conspiracy theory stuff that you sort of suspect might exist in the real world, but we'll never know about. There's even a well researched peak into the day to day Vatican. What's not to like?

Rating:
Summary: You'll like this one.
Review: This follows the characters from Stern's first book through yet another adventure. The style is ala Tom Clancy which to me is a good thing. If you're looking for a good way to spend some time away from the world, curl up with this baby. But beware, you won't want to put it down once it gets going. There's action, likeable sexy characters, intrigue and the sort of conspiracy theory stuff that you sort of suspect might exist in the real world, but we'll never know about. There's even a well researched peak into the day to day Vatican. What's not to like?

Rating:
Summary: The Thinking Person's Thriller
Review: This is an astonishing book! A thriller for people who read thrillers and for people who don't. Although it is crammed with scholarly historical and technological detail, it gathers tension and speed after a start in which the action briefly gets interrupted too often by fact-heavy background, picking up speed flawlessly, taking off like a rocket and requiring an effort of will to not skip ahead. If you do skip ahead it does you no good because it won't make sense unless you let yourself be carried along by all the unexpected and ingenious plot twists that never stop happening right up to the last page. Stern covers a breathtaking canvas, yet always provides the small detail that makes this totally fantastic plot convincing. Given the sheer breadth of knowledge it is hard to believe it was not written by a team of high-powered experts. Stern relishes the wealth of detail that some how goes down smoothly and gives the texture of events a documentary feel. At the same time he shows a remarkable amount of psychological savvy. You'll not only have an exciting read, you'll find yourself suddenly well-informed on a vast array of both mundane and arcane subjects. As a bonus, Stern writes a good sentence and has a good ear for prose rhythm and pacing.

Rating:
Summary: Adventure in the context of world terrorism
Review: This the action packed sequel to Gold Fever. The good doctor returns with the world in crisis. It's an interesting, though not hysterical, speculation of what could happen if terrorists put together a string of successful operations.

As in Gold Fever, it's the description of the relationships that form the living underpinnings of the book. Often hair-raising, I found this book entertaining and satisfying and occasionally touching.

Rating:
Summary: A tale of terrorism that rings true!
Review: Tom SternÕs second novel, Vatican Gold is as exciting as his first. Drawing on the characters established in Gold Fever, Stern weaves an intriguing tale of terrorism and corruption steeply based in the ancient traditions of the Catholic church.

The story, tapered with human emotions and based on excruciating research, begins after the World Trade Center bombings and unfolds in a continuous crescendo, building to its exciting climax. The book, though fiction, rings true to life and presents several plausible scenarios for what a war against terrorism may really be like in the end.

The writerÕs succinct style and elaborate detail makes this exciting reading and a must read for anyone who wants to look into the future of a world at war with terrorists