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.
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"A very interesting perspective on the man-made rules of the Catholic church. I found it enlightening, especially when reading that the book is based on actual research. I look forward to reading some of the other books by this author. "
— Susan (4 out of 5 stars)
The Third Secret
Controversial, shocking, explosive . . . rich in a wealth of Vatican insider knowledge and two thousand years of Virgin Mary visitations. The Third Secret will change our view of the relation between religion and wisdom.
— KATHERINE NEVILLE, author of The EightThe Romanov Prophecy
Perfect for thriller fans and history buffs alike. Fabulous plot twists.
— DAVID MORRELL, author of The ProtectorCompelling . . . adventure-filled . . . a fast-moving, globe-hopping tale of long-lost treasure and shadowy bad guys.
— San Francisco ChronicleThe Amber Room
Sexy, illuminating . . . my kind of thriller.
— DAN BROWN, author of The Da Vinci CodeMagnificently engrossing, with wonderful characters and a plot that speeds, twists, and turns. Pure intrigue, pure fun.
— CLIVE CUSSLER, author of Sacred Stone" I love a good conspiracy theory, and especially ones involving the Catholic church. Light, enjoyable, fluff reading. "
— Allison, 2/20/2014" This was a decent book with an interesting plot and great character development. The problem was the slow start, and the almost to good to be true ending for the good guys. I won't give it away, but the bad guy just kind of gives up. maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't but it just didn't seem right to me. I did, however, like the fact that Berry explained the basis of the plot and separated the fact from the fiction. It reminded me very much of the DaVinci Code without the revelation being quite as controversial or explosive. "
— William, 2/19/2014" When they finally revealed the third secret I found it a little hard to believe that all those topics would be in one vision... regardless of my personal opinions on the topics. "
— Lisa, 2/14/2014" Yikes. Forbidden romances with priests, Catholic end-times (but not really), megalomania, divine righteousness, and the war between reform and tradition all crash pell-mell into each other in this wannabe political thriller (with an all-priest cast) that can't quite shake the conspiracy craze started by The DaVinci Code. At first, it was kind of trite. Formerly errant priest struggles with his unconquerable passion for a (rather annoying) hard-nosed, independent journalist while doing his best to serve his friend, the pope. Meanwhile, not just one but two megalomaniacs face off: The charismatic priest, proponent of clerical marriage but mostly a fraud, against the man who becomes pope later, a man with an amazing dual personality, on one hand taking the preservation of his Church so seriously he'll do absolutely anything for it, and on the other being so shallow and power-hungry that he plans on becoming the best-dressed pope in history, that he might just be insane. The third secret: a heavy-handed message from Mary about the Church's backward ways that seemed more hilarious than relieving to me despite the true sense of it (I blame a bad story and bad writing for its failure to impress.) In the end, we are left with a pissing contest over which mere mortal really knows the divine will of god before our hero runs off to be with his love in the wilds of Romania. Given the cast to choose from, I couldn't help but enjoy the bad pope, mostly out of sheer perversity since the author was obviously so deadbent on making him the pawn of satan. "
— Nicole, 2/5/2014" My first story by Steve Berry will not be my last! Have shared this book with others. Could not stop reading it! "
— Lawrence, 2/5/2014" Steve is stabbing the Catholic Church using a spear made of Catholic's legends. Another Protestant propaganda against Rome. But it is very good thrilling novel. "
— وسام, 1/24/2014" This is an excellent look at what happens behind closed doors in Rome. This is probably one of my favorite Steve Berry books. "
— Jody, 1/19/2014" Fun. I like thrillers/adventure mysteries with religious twist/focus. "
— Mckinley, 1/19/2014" Thought it was well done. "
— Mark, 1/6/2014" not a bad tale. of the ones i have read, this one had the greatest let down at the end. It wasnt BAD, mind you, but after the journey he puts us through, it all comes down to a matter of opinion. I would recommend it to anyone at all interested in Fatima's 3rd secret, though. "
— Jeremy, 12/25/2013" It is no coincidence that Steve Berry's books become bestsellers. From the first line, the reader is invited to take part in a well-structured plot. I loved the book! "
— margginalia, 12/14/2013" Good book, rich with history. "
— Gsandoval2, 12/3/2013" Mystery. Vatican. Spies. Secrets. What more do you want? "
— Diane, 12/3/2013" loved it. he is a great author. "
— Gyongyi, 8/28/2013" Enjoyed this. Will like it if enjoyed the DaVici Code "
— Chris, 7/19/2013" This is one of those dislikes for me. A compelling read, just not an ending I am comfortable with. "
— Scott, 4/28/2013" I did not like this book by Steve Berry as much as I liked "The Amber Room". It seemed a little too forced and I was disappointed in the ending. "
— Margaret, 4/9/2013" A fast-paced plot similar to the Da Vinci Code. The setting is the Vatican like in Angels & Demons. I learned a lot of the history of the Catholic Church, even though it was fiction. I couldn't put it down. "
— Marie, 3/21/2013" A fun read in the USVI... "
— Alex, 1/28/2013" Just not my genre choice "
— Becky, 12/30/2012" DiVinci Code knock off.Kept me reading and thinking.Steve Berry's work very interesting and easy to read "
— Sandra, 10/3/2012" Audio Book. I thought it was a good book most of the way through. I liked the history of the popes and the secrets the vatican is trying to keep from the world but, when the third secret is revealed I felt like the author was trying to make a statement "
— Jake, 9/13/2012" I never fully got into the characters and was bored for the first half. The only thing that kept me going was that I wanted to know what the damn third secret was (though I started to suspect long before I found out). "
— Aimee, 3/15/2012" Good book. I didn't agree with a lot of what the third secret was, but it was quite intriguing reading about the inner workings of the Papal court, the deceit,and all...I like the story and enjoyed the characters. "
— Frank, 7/20/2011" Yet another great adventure from Mr. Berry. The more I read by him, the more I want to read! "
— Jason, 5/27/2011" Berry does a great job of weaving the fact with fiction! I really enjoyed this book!! "
— Kevin, 5/11/2011" Enjoyable book a good twist in a long running question for the Church.......whether priest can have a relationship or not..... "
— David, 5/8/2011" Audio Book. I thought it was a good book most of the way through. I liked the history of the popes and the secrets the vatican is trying to keep from the world but, when the third secret is revealed I felt like the author was trying to make a statement "
— Jake, 5/6/2011" This one really starts strong and then weakens throughout. Still a very good book. "
— Michael, 4/24/2011" Not worth the time to read. "
— Rick, 4/14/2011" An intriguing premise, the book just didn't fulfill its promise. Berry's knowledge of the inner workings of the Vatican provided the most entertainment. "
— Angie, 3/5/2011" Great concept and story. Horrible payoff. I truly thought the ideals of Vatican II would be pushed forward but instead you get a pro-abortion message from God. I don't think so. The ending does not follow with rest of the story greatly disappointed. "
— Bryan, 2/27/2011" Great book....I really love the way the Vatican's history is woven into the story. Continue to like this author. "
— Dave, 2/14/2011" The actual content of the third secret was mildly disappointing, but the conspiracy and intrigue surrounding the secret was well played out. "
— Don, 2/4/2011" I read this 2 1/2 to 3 years ago. Steve has become one of three top authors, along with Daniel Silva and Vince Flynn. "
— Wayne, 1/28/2011" Awesome book, Steve Berry is one of the best. "
— Peter, 1/16/2011" Almost the same story at Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code", but with a few more tidbits of information and a lot more action. "
— Valeria, 1/16/2011Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen Cotton Malone and four stand-alone novels, among other books and works of short fiction. He has twenty-five million books in print, translated into forty languages. He is an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and a founding member of International Thriller Writers. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation.
Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.