Silent Mistresses
By John Rigoli et al.

This is the third book in the Vatican Chronicles trilogy. It is a very interesting tale of how the misguided rules of the Catholic church have negatively impacted both priests and parishioners for generations. Most notably this book speaks to the subjects of the unnatural celibacy required of priests and the exclusion of women from the halls of church power. Members of the church hierarchy perform misguided (sometimes criminal) acts to "protect the church", when they are in fact protecting their own power.

This story revolves around the so-called Silent Mistresses fund. This was ostensibly a charitable fund intended to help the poor worldwide and funded through contributions. In reality it is a slush fund to pay off women and their illegitimate children fathered by clergy. There are different versions of these situations: some of this women were willing participants in a mutually loving relationship, others involve the abuse of young girls and women by predator clergy. Either way, this fund and the situations that brought it about are kept secret.

I very much enjoyed the thoughtful way these stories are told. My only problem with the book is that there is no conclusion as to what happens to some of the main characters. Not having read or even heard of the preceding books, I felt that maybe those characters would form the basis for another book. I was disappointed to realize that this is the final volume of a trilogy!
Thans to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Okay. We're switching gears. No more archaeology, now we're in computer forensics and accountancy.

I quit caring. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_Ambrosiano">Banco Ambrosiano scandal</a> took place in my adulthood and, as I thought then, represented an iceberg's tip of the real story.

While nice enough to read as a mystery, the topic was not what I expected it to be or wanted to read about. The authors, as assisted, turned out a run-of-the-mill crime story with stakes I just could not invest in. Three stars for competency. None for my personal enjoyment.

A nun discovers a secret fund to provide for mistresses of Catholic clergy within the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. Some clergy do the right thing, others continue to lie and cover up. Good story.

This thriller thrives on suspense, unexpected twists, and high stakes. Silent Mistresses immerses the reader in the Vatican’s inner workings, exposing the complexities of financial cover-ups and the weight of historical legacies. The blend of religion, finance, and conspiracy creates a gripping narrative, while Sister Maria’s role as a nun-turned-investigator adds a fresh and compelling angle.
When hidden accounts are discovered, Sister Maria finds herself entangled in a relentless psychological battle. As a whistleblower, she becomes an intriguing figure—her faith guiding her actions, but at what cost? The novel masterfully explores the tension between loyalty to the Church and loyalty to the truth, presenting a compelling moral dilemma. How far will she go to expose corruption? As she grapples with her convictions, she questions whether revealing the truth will ultimately do more harm than good.
The book is well-paced, maintaining tension through unpredictable twists and betrayals. The characters feel authentic, and the resolution delivers a satisfying conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free advance copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was an interesting read, it would have been better for me if I have read the first two books but the title and the blurb intrigued me. I find these elements of history fascinating and how they can happen. Now I am going back to the previous books to fill in the blanks.

As this mystery-cum-thriller is based on true happenings in the history of the Roman Catholic church, I had to believe that the events eluded to in this novel were plausible. It made for a really good story and gave my heart a few zinging nips of adrenaline as I read through. No wonder Sister Maria Caruso, who was an advocate for truth, had some excitement in her otherwise placid life.
The authors of Silent Mistresses may appear to be putting a negative spin on the Roman Catholic church but as the book's characters thrash out consequences of certain actions of the church, to expose the secrets and the plight of those involved, I thought it wasn't so much about the church in general, per se, rather on some of their deplorable practices they unreaonably attempted to uphold.

Priests, fathers, bishops, popes and general chuirch adherents may be surprized but also find this of interest. I enjoyed the story as there were those who were especially championing female victims. I feel most other potential readers will enjoy reading this third book in the Vatican Chronicles series.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

March 2025

The Vatican chronicles book#3

What a gripping tale this chocking story turned out to be, although it may not please individuals with extreme religious beliefs I think this fiction may have a tad of reality not to be ignored.

Sister Maria Caruso is sent to the Eternal City to modernize the Bank’s books. She is the first woman to hold this esteem position- until the day she discovers an anomaly in the eight-figure fund. A secret account has not been funding charities rather individuals…..slush money given to clerics’ mistresses…..oh lala what a hot topic. Uncovering secrets the Vatican never wanted the world to know. With Maria’s perception of the Vatican shattered…..what will come next. One of those exciting reads. Enjoy.

This story is about a Vatican scandal, a nun who knows too much and a church willing to go to no end to keep their secrets silent…

I simply loved how the story develops in a rather unexpected manner opening our eyes to what is and what could be in an entertaining way. It is said the inspiration of this series is taken from real women who have been working hard alongside men their labour or knowledge ignored. But not anymore. Sister Maria is smart and is a great protagonist an asset in giving this story some truth. She faced Monseigneur, the head sister and eventually kidnappers, but Maria even with all her challenges knew what to do and held her own. All characters have great roles and played them not only to entertain us but make us wonder if something like this possibly could exist.

I found this story to be captivating, well-said and well paced and a topic not often tackled.

The Vatican always seems shrouded in a mystery. As billions of dollars flow through here, it was interesting to see how one big slice of this was being used for cover-ups and our bold nun sussing it out. Sister Maria is smart, too smart, and she needs to keep her head off the chopping block while using her clever software to uncover the financial trail.

This was well researched, but I found the pacing a bit slow at first.

#SilentMistresses #NetGalley