JM BERGER ON THE MECHANIC VS. THE JACKAL
Everybody loves Father Francis Loyola, the humble pastor of a Catholic church in Boston. But his world is turned upside-down when a sniper attack during Sunday Mass forces him to confront his long-buried past as a covert assassin in service to the Pope.
To uncover the truth about who is behind the attack, Loyola must take on old enemies and former allies, all while evading the dogged investigation of homicide detective Martina Rocha and interference from the formidable and enigmatic nun, Sister Belina Fortis.
Loyola’s search for answers will take him from the streets of Boston to a fortified compound in Bosnia, a medieval castle in France, and finally to Rome, pursued every step of the way by an army of fanatic monks, heavily armed American mercenaries, and Interpol investigators.
The Pope’s Hitman will keep you guessing until the final mayhem-filled pages of its breathless climax during Midnight Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica, as Loyola races to thwart a shocking conspiracy to seize control of the Catholic Church!
Represented by Wayne Arthurson of The Rights Factory.
" Berger (Optimal), a senior research fellow at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, puts his background to good use in this riveting action thriller... Berger makes it surprisingly easy to suspend disbelief ... keeping the focus squarely on the plot’s breakneck action and giddy twists. Fans of Frederick Forsyth’s conspiracy novels will enjoy themselves."
"It's got a great title, a ridiculously fun premise — the Vatican has secret assassin black ops teams — fantastic settings and a killer (literally!) opening. ... This is ridiculously over-the-top and I loved every second of it."
"Father Frank Loyola is here to restore your faith in action heroes. Just remember to duck once the bullets start to fly. A wild, heart-pounding, roller-coaster ride to the very end. Beyond a doubt the best thriller I’ve read in years."
-- John Horgan, author of Terrorist Minds
"Starting with a bang that pulls you right into the mystery, full of high-voltage, cinematic action sequences, with a pace that just keeps ramping up to the final spectacular set piece, anchored by a main character you'd be happy to follow from mission to mission all over the world, The Pope's Hitman is the most fun I've had reading an action thriller in years."
-- Caitlin Fitzgerald, author of The Children’s Illustrated Clausewitz
"From the pews of Boston to the forest near Medjugorje to the Confessio of Saint Peter, Father Loyola's mission to confront a secret betrayal from his past makes for a gripping thriller that can't be missed."
-- Sam Jackson, author of Oath Keepers
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A rising tide of extremist movements threatens to destabilize civil societies around the globe. It has never been more important to understand extremism, yet scholars and policy makers can't even define who is an extremist and why. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, J. M. Berger offers an introduction to extremist movements, explaining what extremism is, how extremist ideologies are constructed, and why extremism can escalate into violence. Available in six languages, including English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Finnish.
The Pope's Hitman is riveting, exciting, crazy, over-the-top, buzz-worthy, fresh, different, unputdownable, immersive, original, memorable, with great characters, great settings, shocking twists, unique action sequences, an unforgettable chase scene, and a high-stakes climax that delivers mayhem.