The Devils Prayer by Luke Gracias
A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago. In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul. As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors. And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it. Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction? Watch the book trailer on YouTube youtube.com/watch?v=1OJMiPIR0zw or Vimeo vimeo.com/156061258 or simply search “Devil’s Prayer by Luke Gracias” See the stunning locations from the book at devilsprayer.com.
I have to admit this book scared me a bit which wasn't helped by the fact I was reading it late at night when it was cold and raining. I thought the author did an amazing job of weaving history and Catholicism in order to create this. Gracias obviously did tons of research not only evidenced throughout his story but also after it was over where he provides a note on some of the actual facts which influenced where the story went. It reminded me a bit of the Da Vinci Code in that the author combined reality with history in such an interesting way I kept finding myself on Google looking up places, stories and people so I could separate fact from fiction. The only parts of the book I found truly hard to get through were the multiple rape scenes but as a woman I don't think it's possible to ever read a rape scene, even if needed for the story, and not feel like you're going through the experience yourself. As a mother I appreciated the sacrifices she made for her kids and the fact there was nothing she wouldn't do for them so that aspect I felt the author also did a good job of getting right. At the end I myself wishing for a sequel because I wanted to know what the oldest sister had decided to do and if she was going to be successful. This was a book I could not put down no matter where my emotional journey went because Gracias keeps you glued to the pages.
*synopsis and pic from amazon.com