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| Cover courtesy the Publisher |
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Published: October 25, 2018
Hardcover - 538 pages
Volume 4 of the Jack Rogan Mysteries
I received a copy of this book from the author, Gabriel Farago, for a fair & impartial review
Having been introduced to Jack Rogan through the pre-quel
The Kimberley Secret, and liking the hero, it was with some anticipation that I started the number 4 volume of the Jack Rogan Mysteries. The books are stand-alone and can be read in any order you like.
Extract from the publishers summary:
"A desperate plea from the Vatican. A kidnapped chef. An ambitious mob boss. One perilous game.
When Professor Alexandra Delacroix is called in to find a cure for the dying pope, she follows clues left by her mentor and friend, the late Professor K, which lead her on a breathtaking search through historical secrets, some of them deadly. ..."
The story starts at the Topkapi Palace in Constantinople on a dark January morning in 1595. Murad III is dying, and as custom is, all his sons, except the one to inherit the throne, will die with him. Fatma Hatun, one of Murad's consorts is afraid for her own son, Osman, who will die the very same day, if she cannot prevent it. The introduction leads us into a world where forgotten art and its hidden messages might provide a cure for a dying pope 500 years later.
Jack Rogan and his friends are out to save the day in this entertaining and thrilling novel. Alexandra Delacroix, a distinguished medical professor trying to find a cure for a deadly disease; Lorenza da Baggio, top international chef; Tristan, a gifted psychic; Dr Amena Algafari a Syrian medical doctor on the run; Salvatore Gambio a mafia boss eager to gain control of his empire; Luigi Belmonte an assassin with ambitions; Antonio Grimaldi chief prosecutor in Florence determined to stop the mafia; a sick pope and a few other characters enrich the plot.
I must admit I found the beginning, with the introduction of the many story lines and characters somewhat overwhelming. I also thought that too many of todays' international problems were used for the story. However, as the plot develops I am hooked and Farago deals very well with the complexity of the story line.
Professor K: The Final Quest is an ambitious story, with historical details mixed with present day phenomena. Jack Rogan appears mostly in the latter part of the story. It does not matter since the other characters are well crafted and makes an interesting mix. One has to admire Farago's knowledge and eye for details, whether they come with complicated medical science, his many different characters or the places.
A fascinating and complicated story. The suspense is building up through the whole novel, and keeps it up until the very end. Unexpected turns, more than once, keep you tied to the pages. While reading, I wondered how so many loose ends would come together? Not to worry. When you come to the end and think you have figured it all out, the story takes another turn...and another.
Enjoyable and thrilling!
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