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Stefan Gillespie #8
The City of God
Italy, 1943. Irish detective Stefan Gillespie leaves the chaos of Nazi-occupied Rome for neutral Switzerland on a mission his government knows nothing about. Waiting for a late-night connection in Zurich he sees a train that shouldn't be there. The train's SS guards, who shouldn't be there either, beat him to within an inch of his life. But Stefan's perilous journey begins in Rome with the barbaric murder of an idealistic young Irish priest. The Eternal City is a place of vengeance, duplicity and betrayal that has even infected the City of God itself, the Vatican. In a war that is everywhere, not even neutrals, can escape the surrounding darkness.
Praise for Michael Russell
'Complex but compelling . . . utterly vivid and convincing' Independent on Sunday
'A superb, atmospheric thriller' Irish Independent
'A thriller to keep you guessing and gasping' Daily Mail
'Atmospheric' Sunday Times
Praise for Michael Russell
'Complex but compelling . . . utterly vivid and convincing' Independent on Sunday
'A superb, atmospheric thriller' Irish Independent
'A thriller to keep you guessing and gasping' Daily Mail
'Atmospheric' Sunday Times
- GenresIreland
288 pages, Hardcover
Published November 7, 2023
About the author
Michael Russell
10 books49 followersMichael Russell was born in England. He grew up in one of those English-Irish families where the first stories he heard at his grandmother's knee were about murder, mayhem, Thompson Machine Guns and civil war in Ireland in the 1920s.
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 31, 2023
An extraordinary series,and this one is as brilliant as the rest.
Maybe more subtle, more subduded,which is a great contrast to the atrocities described,or hinted at,and all the more powerful for the subtlety.
Could be a great companion piece to My Father´s House ,by Joseph O´Connor.
Maybe more subtle, more subduded,which is a great contrast to the atrocities described,or hinted at,and all the more powerful for the subtlety.
Could be a great companion piece to My Father´s House ,by Joseph O´Connor.
September 6, 2023
The City of God by Michael Russell was published August 3rd with Constable (Little Brown) and is the eighth book in the Stefan Gillespie series. I haven’t read all the books in this series, but having read the brilliant book #7, The City Underground, I was delighted to be reacquainted with this very complex Irish Garda Inspector. It’s important to note that this is a book that can be read as a standalone and is the perfect novel for anyone who has enjoyed My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor. My Father’s House is very much a portrait of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest who dedicated his time in Rome to aiding the escape of those running from the Nazi regime during the Second World War and, although a fictional retelling, there are many truths running through the book. In The City of God Michael Russell paints more of a landscape of the time, with Gillespie’s fictional character central to the plot and with some references to real-life events and characters. I have to mention the striking cover which I think really stands out on any shelf – bravo to the designer!
The City of God opens up with Gillespie making his way to Zurich’s Central Station. He is enroute to a meeting that the Irish government is unaware of, one where vital information is to be delivered. On the platform he sees a train, one containing unexpected voices and sounds. Gillespie is not supposed to be there and when he is spotted by the SS he is beaten close to death. In hospital, it is unsure whether he will live or die. Why was an Irish Inspector in Switzerland? What information was he carrying?
Two weeks previously, Gillespie was sent to Rome on a diplomatic mission, with living accommodation supplied at the Irish Embassy for the duration of his stay. His job was to retrieve some documents of a sensitive nature as discreetly as possible. Rome in 1943 was under German occupation. Movement around the city was challenging with German soldiers parading the streets picking up ‘enemies’ of The Reich as they went. Gillespie, being Irish, had the benefit of neutrality so he had certain immunity in his movements.
At that time Vatican City was beyond the remit of the Nazi regime, much to the frustration of the local SS Hauptsturmführer Ritter. This independence meant that the Vatican was often used as a temporary hiding place for those escaping the tyranny of the Nazis. When a young Irish priest is discovered brutally murdered, Gillespie finds himself caught up in something much bigger than was originally intended. Rome was a very hostile place for the Jewish community at that time with pure hatred and vitriol directed at them. Gillespie is disgusted by what he witnesses but also knows that his own personal safety is only very tentative. A wrong turn, a misdirected comment, assisting the wrong individual could all spell the end for him, no matter Ireland’s neutral stance.
As Gillespie’s role changes he crosses paths with real life figures Hugh O’Flaherty, the Irish singer Delia Kiernan, Ex-Minister Charles Bewley and many more. Intertwining these factual characters with Gillespie’s work adds a very authentic element to the novel, bringing this period of history very much alive. As with many historical novels I found myself down a rabbit -hole researching the people and places mentioned but it was the atrocities of the Croatian fascist movement The Ustaše that really shook me. I had never heard of The Ustaše and I’m finding it so very difficult to comprehend the depravity and horrific crimes committed at that time by these individuals.
In my review of The City Underground I mentioned its credible storyline and its cast of plausible characters. The same statement applies to The City of God. I had just finished My Father’s House and was immediately craving more so this novel by Michael Russell was the perfect choice for me.
The City of God is a brilliant novel. Its interweaving of fact and fiction adds a layer of credibility to the tale, vividly depicting a sense of time and place. The fear is palpable. The intense atmosphere is all very believable. There is a definite touch of the noir to Stefan Gillespie’s character with his cynical, tired yet resolute personality. Highly engaging and very compelling reading, The City of God is a book I am extremely happy to recommend.
The City of God opens up with Gillespie making his way to Zurich’s Central Station. He is enroute to a meeting that the Irish government is unaware of, one where vital information is to be delivered. On the platform he sees a train, one containing unexpected voices and sounds. Gillespie is not supposed to be there and when he is spotted by the SS he is beaten close to death. In hospital, it is unsure whether he will live or die. Why was an Irish Inspector in Switzerland? What information was he carrying?
Two weeks previously, Gillespie was sent to Rome on a diplomatic mission, with living accommodation supplied at the Irish Embassy for the duration of his stay. His job was to retrieve some documents of a sensitive nature as discreetly as possible. Rome in 1943 was under German occupation. Movement around the city was challenging with German soldiers parading the streets picking up ‘enemies’ of The Reich as they went. Gillespie, being Irish, had the benefit of neutrality so he had certain immunity in his movements.
At that time Vatican City was beyond the remit of the Nazi regime, much to the frustration of the local SS Hauptsturmführer Ritter. This independence meant that the Vatican was often used as a temporary hiding place for those escaping the tyranny of the Nazis. When a young Irish priest is discovered brutally murdered, Gillespie finds himself caught up in something much bigger than was originally intended. Rome was a very hostile place for the Jewish community at that time with pure hatred and vitriol directed at them. Gillespie is disgusted by what he witnesses but also knows that his own personal safety is only very tentative. A wrong turn, a misdirected comment, assisting the wrong individual could all spell the end for him, no matter Ireland’s neutral stance.
As Gillespie’s role changes he crosses paths with real life figures Hugh O’Flaherty, the Irish singer Delia Kiernan, Ex-Minister Charles Bewley and many more. Intertwining these factual characters with Gillespie’s work adds a very authentic element to the novel, bringing this period of history very much alive. As with many historical novels I found myself down a rabbit -hole researching the people and places mentioned but it was the atrocities of the Croatian fascist movement The Ustaše that really shook me. I had never heard of The Ustaše and I’m finding it so very difficult to comprehend the depravity and horrific crimes committed at that time by these individuals.
In my review of The City Underground I mentioned its credible storyline and its cast of plausible characters. The same statement applies to The City of God. I had just finished My Father’s House and was immediately craving more so this novel by Michael Russell was the perfect choice for me.
The City of God is a brilliant novel. Its interweaving of fact and fiction adds a layer of credibility to the tale, vividly depicting a sense of time and place. The fear is palpable. The intense atmosphere is all very believable. There is a definite touch of the noir to Stefan Gillespie’s character with his cynical, tired yet resolute personality. Highly engaging and very compelling reading, The City of God is a book I am extremely happy to recommend.
August 7, 2024
A captivating Second World War crime thriller.
Dispatched to Rome to undertake a mission on behalf of the Irish Ambassador, Inspector Stefan Gillespie finds himself immersed in the unease and paranoia enveloping the city.
When a young priest is brutally murdered within Vatican City, Stefan finds himself assisting the Gendarmerie in their pursuit of the killer.
In the shadows of Rome’s unique architecture and the physical heart of the Catholic faith, Stefan’s investigation takes him on a perilous journey.
‘The City of God’ is the eighth novel in the Stefan Gillespie series by Michael Russell, set in the autumn of 1943. We begin at the end, with Stefan’s journey into Switzerland following his time in Italy, and a confrontation with an SS officer which leaves him hospitalised. Told through a flashback narrative from Stefan’s first person perspective, a first for the series, we return to the beginning of Stefan’s diplomatic mission, travelling through war-torn Europe to Rome, currently occupied by the Nazis as the Allies march ever-closer, the wind of change in the air. While a standalone narrative, there are references to earlier entries in the series and returning characters from the first, ‘The City of Shadows’, plus the fourth ‘The City of Lies’, while we delve a little deeper into Stefan’s loneliness and his feelings about all that he witnesses around him.
As we travel with Stefan, we get a sense of the tension and distrust, the monumental evil the Nazis represented and the fear and suspicion they inspire. Stefan discovers his mission to be an unconventional one – to obtain documents a former ambassador has retained as they may prove embarrassing to Ireland should they come to light were Germany to lose the war. Finding himself under observation, Stefan conducts his own surveillance, uncovering covert agendas and hidden allegiances, before being confronted by murder. The victim, a Catholic priest, was part of a group aiding Jews and others to escape the Nazis, offering them sanctuary within the Vatican before travelling elsewhere under a false identity. Alongside his own mission, Stefan becomes embroiled in the aftermath of this brutal crime and the war of rebellion conducted in secrecy.
Entwined within the narrative are real people and events, revealing some of the political machinations that occurred during this time, both those corrupt and efforts to protect those persecuted and aid them in reaching a place of safety. It’s also interesting to delve a little deeper into the positions of the neutral states of Ireland, Switzerland, and, significantly, Vatican City, exploring the moral questions this throws up in the face of atrocity. This is a significant point in time in the history of WWII – the Allies are gaining ground against the Axis powers, now in disarray following Italy’s surrender and splintering; while the Nazis continue to escalate their Final Solution, the true extent of this sheer horror still largely unknown.
Blending politics, espionage and intrigue with detective fiction, this is a sublime historical thriller, with a multi-faceted, intricate plot and complex characters shaping an atmospheric and evocative narrative; mystery and tragedy wrapped in this stark look at the political tapestry of Europe at its most perilous and desperate, perfectly capturing the hostility and paranoia, the threat of betrayal, but also the resonating power of hope and faith that offers a glimmer of light in these incredibly dark times; a vivid depiction of place and time told through rich, bleak prose. Most disturbing of all is how we recognise the hatred and segregation, the persecution and intolerance, that continues to be present in our own modern society.
Absorbing and chilling, ‘The City of God’ continues a superlative and consistently fascinating historical crime series. Stefan will return in the ninth novel ‘The Dead City’, as we move forward into 1944 and return to Berlin.
Dispatched to Rome to undertake a mission on behalf of the Irish Ambassador, Inspector Stefan Gillespie finds himself immersed in the unease and paranoia enveloping the city.
When a young priest is brutally murdered within Vatican City, Stefan finds himself assisting the Gendarmerie in their pursuit of the killer.
In the shadows of Rome’s unique architecture and the physical heart of the Catholic faith, Stefan’s investigation takes him on a perilous journey.
‘The City of God’ is the eighth novel in the Stefan Gillespie series by Michael Russell, set in the autumn of 1943. We begin at the end, with Stefan’s journey into Switzerland following his time in Italy, and a confrontation with an SS officer which leaves him hospitalised. Told through a flashback narrative from Stefan’s first person perspective, a first for the series, we return to the beginning of Stefan’s diplomatic mission, travelling through war-torn Europe to Rome, currently occupied by the Nazis as the Allies march ever-closer, the wind of change in the air. While a standalone narrative, there are references to earlier entries in the series and returning characters from the first, ‘The City of Shadows’, plus the fourth ‘The City of Lies’, while we delve a little deeper into Stefan’s loneliness and his feelings about all that he witnesses around him.
As we travel with Stefan, we get a sense of the tension and distrust, the monumental evil the Nazis represented and the fear and suspicion they inspire. Stefan discovers his mission to be an unconventional one – to obtain documents a former ambassador has retained as they may prove embarrassing to Ireland should they come to light were Germany to lose the war. Finding himself under observation, Stefan conducts his own surveillance, uncovering covert agendas and hidden allegiances, before being confronted by murder. The victim, a Catholic priest, was part of a group aiding Jews and others to escape the Nazis, offering them sanctuary within the Vatican before travelling elsewhere under a false identity. Alongside his own mission, Stefan becomes embroiled in the aftermath of this brutal crime and the war of rebellion conducted in secrecy.
Entwined within the narrative are real people and events, revealing some of the political machinations that occurred during this time, both those corrupt and efforts to protect those persecuted and aid them in reaching a place of safety. It’s also interesting to delve a little deeper into the positions of the neutral states of Ireland, Switzerland, and, significantly, Vatican City, exploring the moral questions this throws up in the face of atrocity. This is a significant point in time in the history of WWII – the Allies are gaining ground against the Axis powers, now in disarray following Italy’s surrender and splintering; while the Nazis continue to escalate their Final Solution, the true extent of this sheer horror still largely unknown.
Blending politics, espionage and intrigue with detective fiction, this is a sublime historical thriller, with a multi-faceted, intricate plot and complex characters shaping an atmospheric and evocative narrative; mystery and tragedy wrapped in this stark look at the political tapestry of Europe at its most perilous and desperate, perfectly capturing the hostility and paranoia, the threat of betrayal, but also the resonating power of hope and faith that offers a glimmer of light in these incredibly dark times; a vivid depiction of place and time told through rich, bleak prose. Most disturbing of all is how we recognise the hatred and segregation, the persecution and intolerance, that continues to be present in our own modern society.
Absorbing and chilling, ‘The City of God’ continues a superlative and consistently fascinating historical crime series. Stefan will return in the ninth novel ‘The Dead City’, as we move forward into 1944 and return to Berlin.
November 15, 2024
Michael Russell is a master of the historical mystery/thriller genre. He weaves actual figures and events with plausible literary license to create a great story. The backdrop is Irish nationalism (backstories and flashbacks take you back to the origins of the IRA and the Irish revolution) and the interwar period in Europe with the increasing threat of war. I am a history fan and so, find myself going off on "rabbit trails" reading about the real life character or event introduced in the story - takes me a little longer to get through his novels but it increases my enjoyment. The protagonist, Stefan Gillespie, is no two-dimensional gunshot - Russell has created a believable and likeable figure in the widowed father, Protestant in Catholic Ireland, who would rather be a regular Garda detective than a Special Branch Inspector (but he's so good at it, his superior won't let him transfer out). There are nine books in the series so far - this is the eighth - and while each novel can stand on it's own, to get the full flavor of the story arc, start at the beginning and read every one. The first novel, City of Shadows, starts in 1932 - this eighth novel, City of God is set in 1943 - and the recently-released The Dead City, is set in 1944 - can't wait to get started.
May 21, 2026
This is one of the better books in the series, in my opinion.
Stefan Gillespie is in war- time, neutral Switzerland and we are then taken back in time to his diplomatic mission to the Vatican.
There are many characters with major roles in this book. Occasionally it is confusing and difficult to keep track of them as well as the German soldiers, Italian police and partisans.
The plight of the Jewish population of Rome occupies a large part of the book and the attempts to shelter them, help them to flee and then trains taking them to unimaginable destinations are only too clearly described.
The ability, or inability of neutral, Catholic states like Ireland and the Vatican to influence this situation is discussed.
The writing is very good, especially the descriptions. I also liked Stefan's witty comments and unspoken thoughts.
There are several very moving elements in the novel which give pause for thought.
Stefan Gillespie is in war- time, neutral Switzerland and we are then taken back in time to his diplomatic mission to the Vatican.
There are many characters with major roles in this book. Occasionally it is confusing and difficult to keep track of them as well as the German soldiers, Italian police and partisans.
The plight of the Jewish population of Rome occupies a large part of the book and the attempts to shelter them, help them to flee and then trains taking them to unimaginable destinations are only too clearly described.
The ability, or inability of neutral, Catholic states like Ireland and the Vatican to influence this situation is discussed.
The writing is very good, especially the descriptions. I also liked Stefan's witty comments and unspoken thoughts.
There are several very moving elements in the novel which give pause for thought.
May 28, 2024
Another excellent entry in the Stefan Gillespie series, this one taking place in Autumn 1943 mainly in Rome but with a first and last chapter in Switzerland.
Gillespie is sent to Rome to surreptitiously obtain some papers from a former Irish ambassador; there, with partisans and priests in and out of the Vatican, he becomes reluctantly involved in the investigation of the murder of an Irish priest and the subsequent complications. Great characters, a realistic incorporation of the war situation and genuine tension marks another fine read in this series.
Gillespie is sent to Rome to surreptitiously obtain some papers from a former Irish ambassador; there, with partisans and priests in and out of the Vatican, he becomes reluctantly involved in the investigation of the murder of an Irish priest and the subsequent complications. Great characters, a realistic incorporation of the war situation and genuine tension marks another fine read in this series.
November 8, 2023
A fascinating episode in ww2
Russel has unearthed a little known time involving Irish neutrality and the Vatican. It's a fascinating story, and well written,as always.
For me though it's a bit too long.The linked story of the atrocities in Croatia promised more than was delivered.
I've read all of the Inspector Gillespie books and I would advice readers to begin with one of the earlier books
Russel has unearthed a little known time involving Irish neutrality and the Vatican. It's a fascinating story, and well written,as always.
For me though it's a bit too long.The linked story of the atrocities in Croatia promised more than was delivered.
I've read all of the Inspector Gillespie books and I would advice readers to begin with one of the earlier books
Read
September 24, 2023Very different tale for our Irish Special Branch "Spy" - The story based in Italy with Stefan not returning to Dublin or the Wicklow Mountains in this story. Although this departure was unexpected, the story moves along nicely and continues the learning curve for Stefan - Interesting to see where Michael goes from here with the character.
May 1, 2025
For me, each book in this series has been better than the one before. Russell's creation, the Irish Special Branch man Stefan Gillespie can, as a neutral, move freely among the belligerent nations of Europe, and the author brilliantly exploits the possibilities that this opens up.
The City of God - Rome - is the setting here, and the plot is set against the background of the moral ambiguities surrounding the Vatican and its uneasy relationship with the Nazis as Rome's Jews are deported. As usual, the characters, historical and invented, are drawn in depth and not stereotyped - there's even a personable SS officer.
I look forward to the next in the series.
The City of God - Rome - is the setting here, and the plot is set against the background of the moral ambiguities surrounding the Vatican and its uneasy relationship with the Nazis as Rome's Jews are deported. As usual, the characters, historical and invented, are drawn in depth and not stereotyped - there's even a personable SS officer.
I look forward to the next in the series.
September 14, 2024
Interesting read
Not the same crime element, but a good and interesting read. Makes you think of some people (governments/institutions) complicity in the evil .
Not the same crime element, but a good and interesting read. Makes you think of some people (governments/institutions) complicity in the evil .
Read
August 18, 2025Hello, Guys, my name is Gabriela and I have recently just published my book. I'll leave the link if yous would like to give it a go. Thank you very much
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMQPKXW3
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMQPKXW3
September 25, 2025
Another fab Stefan Gillespie.
April 29, 2026
Another cracking read in this excellent series. Already got number 9 downloaded.
January 19, 2024
Really enjoyable first experience of Michael Russell. Good characters. Great atmosphere and nice touch points to real history.
May 18, 2026
Having read about the role of the Vatican in WW2, and in particular, the actions of some to assist the movement of people, I was interested to come across this novel. Whilst it was ok, it was nothing more than that. There was also some overlap of real characters between this and the other novel.
The book starts with a brutal incident in Switzerland , before backtracking to explain the events leading up to it. The plot held my interest in relaying an account of what it was like to be a neutral country during the War, and in particular, the difficult relationship between the Vatical and the occupying Germans. It was also good in explaining the bravery of not only some clergy, but others. However, in general, the plot was not great, and I wasn't sad to get to the end.
This is part of a series and I doubt I'll be going any further with it.
The book starts with a brutal incident in Switzerland , before backtracking to explain the events leading up to it. The plot held my interest in relaying an account of what it was like to be a neutral country during the War, and in particular, the difficult relationship between the Vatical and the occupying Germans. It was also good in explaining the bravery of not only some clergy, but others. However, in general, the plot was not great, and I wasn't sad to get to the end.
This is part of a series and I doubt I'll be going any further with it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews