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Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits
When control of the Vatican is at stake--money talks, and nobody plays fair.
The murder of a Jesuit priest and church financier thrusts investigator Michael Visconte into a web of Vatican conspiracy and intrigue — with deadly consequences.
Tavakoli's pulse-pounding thriller predicted a pope would step aside, and for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, a Jesuit would rule the Vatican. This mesmerizing murder mystery combines authentic history with riveting suspense of first-class fiction.
When Jesuits recruit Italian intelligence specialist Michael Visconte to investigate the brutal murder of a young priest, he discovers the crime is tied to his personal complicated past and to his ongoing investigation into the money laundering operations of the Archangeli, a secret society inside the Vatican.
Michael enters the enclave of the extraordinary men known as the Society of Jesus who practice memory arts, hypnotism, and spiritual exercises, and he uncovers multi-layered conspiracies involving hackers, high-finance, tax evasion, political intrigue, and blackmail.
His lucky break—one that should provide critical evidence—blurs the line between good and evil and not only endangers the lives of Michael and the Jesuits, but also imperils the lives of his wife and children.
Tavakoli weaves a rousing tale of murder, embezzlement, psychological manipulation, and ultimate power.
"Conspiracies within conspiracies...a fast-paced thriller.his fast-paced thriller."
Publisher's Weekly
From the Back Cover
"A word of advice, Mr. Visconte. This is Vatican business. It's dangerous to forget that."
Michael Visconte never forgot the Vatican Bank's $250 million payoff to the defrauded depositors of Banco Ambrosiano or the murder of Roberto Calvi. The fresh corpse at his feet told him it was far from over. He thought he already knew the consequences of double-crossing the Vatican.
But that was before he agreed to help the Jesuits blackmail the Pope...
This is an alternate edition for ISBN-10: 0985159022
ISBN-13: 978-0985159023
The murder of a Jesuit priest and church financier thrusts investigator Michael Visconte into a web of Vatican conspiracy and intrigue — with deadly consequences.
Tavakoli's pulse-pounding thriller predicted a pope would step aside, and for the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, a Jesuit would rule the Vatican. This mesmerizing murder mystery combines authentic history with riveting suspense of first-class fiction.
When Jesuits recruit Italian intelligence specialist Michael Visconte to investigate the brutal murder of a young priest, he discovers the crime is tied to his personal complicated past and to his ongoing investigation into the money laundering operations of the Archangeli, a secret society inside the Vatican.
Michael enters the enclave of the extraordinary men known as the Society of Jesus who practice memory arts, hypnotism, and spiritual exercises, and he uncovers multi-layered conspiracies involving hackers, high-finance, tax evasion, political intrigue, and blackmail.
His lucky break—one that should provide critical evidence—blurs the line between good and evil and not only endangers the lives of Michael and the Jesuits, but also imperils the lives of his wife and children.
Tavakoli weaves a rousing tale of murder, embezzlement, psychological manipulation, and ultimate power.
"Conspiracies within conspiracies...a fast-paced thriller.his fast-paced thriller."
Publisher's Weekly
From the Back Cover
"A word of advice, Mr. Visconte. This is Vatican business. It's dangerous to forget that."
Michael Visconte never forgot the Vatican Bank's $250 million payoff to the defrauded depositors of Banco Ambrosiano or the murder of Roberto Calvi. The fresh corpse at his feet told him it was far from over. He thought he already knew the consequences of double-crossing the Vatican.
But that was before he agreed to help the Jesuits blackmail the Pope...
This is an alternate edition for ISBN-10: 0985159022
ISBN-13: 978-0985159023
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2012
134 people are currently reading
1992 people want to read
About the author
Janet M. Tavakoli
20 books78 followersFinance Expert & Author
Janet Tavakoli is the founder and president of Tavakoli Structured Finance, a Chicago-based consulting firm established in 2003. Internationally recognized as a finance expert, Business Week called her the "Cassandra of Credit Derivatives" for predicting the financial crisis. This profile features her acclaimed nonfiction finance books and business expertise.
Ms. Tavakoli posts topical finance updates at her business site: Tavakoli Structured Finance.
Fiction Writing: Author Janet Tavakoli has written the well-received financial murder mystery Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits. She also writes science fiction using the pseudonym Michael K. Clancy, creating the acclaimed Zombie Apocalypse series. She posts fiction updates at: Janet Tavakoli, Science Fiction and Mystery Author.
Media Recognition: She is frequently published and quoted in financial journals including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, New York Times, The Economist, Business Week, Forbes and Fortune. Television appearances include CBS's 60 Minutes, CNN, C-Span, CNBC, Fox, CBS Evening News, Bloomberg TV, and BBC.
Education: Ms. Tavakoli earned a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where she served as adjunct associate professor of finance.
Books by Janet Tavakoli
Finance & Business: Credit Derivatives (John Wiley & Sons, 1998, 2001, 2022)
Structured Finance & Collateralized Debt Obligations (John Wiley & Sons, 2003, 2008): an exposé of grave flaws in the structure, sales practices, and methodology for rating structured financial products.
Dear Mr. Buffett: What an Investor Learns 1,269 Miles from Wall Street (John Wiley & Sons, 2009): the causes of the greatest credit bubble in the history of the world, how we could have avoided it and how we can prevent it from happening again.
The New Robber Barons (2012): Janet Tavakoli's ongoing chronicle of the global financial crisis captured in her articles from the September 2008 meltdown through February 2012.
Nonfiction: Decisions: Life and Death on Wall Street: Janet Tavakoli's nonfiction account of Wall Street skullduggery.
Unveiled Threat: A Personal Experience of Fundamentalist Islam and the Roots of Terrorism: Janet Tavakoli's autobiographical account.
Fiction: Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits: Janet Tavakoli's financial fiction thriller debut.
Janet Tavakoli is the founder and president of Tavakoli Structured Finance, a Chicago-based consulting firm established in 2003. Internationally recognized as a finance expert, Business Week called her the "Cassandra of Credit Derivatives" for predicting the financial crisis. This profile features her acclaimed nonfiction finance books and business expertise.
Ms. Tavakoli posts topical finance updates at her business site: Tavakoli Structured Finance.
Fiction Writing: Author Janet Tavakoli has written the well-received financial murder mystery Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits. She also writes science fiction using the pseudonym Michael K. Clancy, creating the acclaimed Zombie Apocalypse series. She posts fiction updates at: Janet Tavakoli, Science Fiction and Mystery Author.
Media Recognition: She is frequently published and quoted in financial journals including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, New York Times, The Economist, Business Week, Forbes and Fortune. Television appearances include CBS's 60 Minutes, CNN, C-Span, CNBC, Fox, CBS Evening News, Bloomberg TV, and BBC.
Education: Ms. Tavakoli earned a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where she served as adjunct associate professor of finance.
Books by Janet Tavakoli
Finance & Business: Credit Derivatives (John Wiley & Sons, 1998, 2001, 2022)
Structured Finance & Collateralized Debt Obligations (John Wiley & Sons, 2003, 2008): an exposé of grave flaws in the structure, sales practices, and methodology for rating structured financial products.
Dear Mr. Buffett: What an Investor Learns 1,269 Miles from Wall Street (John Wiley & Sons, 2009): the causes of the greatest credit bubble in the history of the world, how we could have avoided it and how we can prevent it from happening again.
The New Robber Barons (2012): Janet Tavakoli's ongoing chronicle of the global financial crisis captured in her articles from the September 2008 meltdown through February 2012.
Nonfiction: Decisions: Life and Death on Wall Street: Janet Tavakoli's nonfiction account of Wall Street skullduggery.
Unveiled Threat: A Personal Experience of Fundamentalist Islam and the Roots of Terrorism: Janet Tavakoli's autobiographical account.
Fiction: Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits: Janet Tavakoli's financial fiction thriller debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 2, 2013
The crash of the Franklin Bank tilted the balance of the Vatican Bank making it loose 55million. The author, an expert in the finance world, has done excellent research. She has not only touched on the inner financial schemes, but also the political maneuvers in the inner circle of the Vatican. I grant that she has mixed a little fiction with the real facts. The characters are well defined and transparent.
The plot has a good flow. The setting goes from city to country. You must read and find out the ending.
The plot has a good flow. The setting goes from city to country. You must read and find out the ending.
February 7, 2013
I thought this would be some story like Mr. Brown's “The DaVince Code,” but it was not. At times I was ready to pack it in because I am not really into reading romance novels, or the story line was becoming trite. It is neither. It may seem to be, but all of the sudden there is a change and goes in another direction, or you get back to the thriller mode, and you say, 'Whoa, where did that come from?”
The characters got to be some you would like to visit with and get to know better. The main person and his wife were real, as were some of the Jesuits, but some of the Jesuits were so perfect and wonderful, you just had to wonder at the reality of the situation. Through training, the Jesuits may0 become about as special as you can get, it does not make them perfect. This is really a silly criticism of this story since the 'perfect' Jesuits are not the important characters, and not all the Jesuits are the good guys.
Another side of the story is the financial dealings that the Church does. I understand some of it, but I am left wondering at the need. Billions and billions in money and it is all sort there, but it is only paper (stocks and bonds). I suppose that some of it comes in as some cash via dividends or interest, but what is the sense of doing all this just to enhance the gain (paper gain) you have? I suppose it is a game financial wizards and bankers play to make themselves feel like they are winning. I am not sure it helps anyone below the executive level much at all except in the stability of the economy and jobs, and in light of the debacle of 2008, that is questionable. (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/so-g...) I am going to have to reread Kurt Vonnegut's “Slaughterhouse Five” to refresh my memory of why the British POW's did not share with the Russian POW's. There may be a parallel with the Church having so much and not doing more for the poor.
The characters got to be some you would like to visit with and get to know better. The main person and his wife were real, as were some of the Jesuits, but some of the Jesuits were so perfect and wonderful, you just had to wonder at the reality of the situation. Through training, the Jesuits may0 become about as special as you can get, it does not make them perfect. This is really a silly criticism of this story since the 'perfect' Jesuits are not the important characters, and not all the Jesuits are the good guys.
Another side of the story is the financial dealings that the Church does. I understand some of it, but I am left wondering at the need. Billions and billions in money and it is all sort there, but it is only paper (stocks and bonds). I suppose that some of it comes in as some cash via dividends or interest, but what is the sense of doing all this just to enhance the gain (paper gain) you have? I suppose it is a game financial wizards and bankers play to make themselves feel like they are winning. I am not sure it helps anyone below the executive level much at all except in the stability of the economy and jobs, and in light of the debacle of 2008, that is questionable. (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/so-g...) I am going to have to reread Kurt Vonnegut's “Slaughterhouse Five” to refresh my memory of why the British POW's did not share with the Russian POW's. There may be a parallel with the Church having so much and not doing more for the poor.
January 8, 2013
I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. Even though it is marked as "fiction" I would guess that it contains more fact than written on the label. This book is written at a fast pace and contains some really interesting historical information and backdrop about Italy, the Catholic Church and its history and the current financial markets. So learning and enjoying the story at the same time. Great read.
April 14, 2013
I just finished reading Archangels: Rise of The Jesuits by Janet Tavakoli. I think Janet is a great writer and story teller. This book held my interest to the very last page. I remember reading about Vatican embezzlement in the papers years ago. Her story brought it all back to me. I like the way James, the Jesuits and Michael handled the investigation of the thievery/ sex scandals that plagued the Vatican.
June 7, 2013
Ms. Tavakoli made this Rome and the Vatican come alive in ways even Dan Brown did not. When I went to Italy recently I had one request: to see as many of the places mentioned in this book as possible to get a first hand feel for the setting, especially Castel Sant'Angelo. If this is the author's first venture into non-fiction, I say "encore".
Want to read
March 11, 2013YAY!!! Just found out I won this book, so..thank you GR and thank you Janet, looking forward to reading it.
February 17, 2013
To get the formalities out of the way, I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. :)
When I read about Archangels, I thought it would be along the lines of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. But once I started reading it, I found that it wasn't, really, like it at all. Both stories talk about the Vatican, and there is murder involved. That's where the similarities end.
Which, to me, is really a good thing. Janet Tavakoli stated at the beginning of the book that while some places, people, and business/corporations are real, they are used fictitiously in the book, except where documented historical events are referenced. I believe she has put more fact in there than what I originally thought when reading.
Janet is very thorough when describing history, and the Society of Jesus. While some of the descriptions may not be REAL, she made sure we have all the facts and can understand what is going on. Archangels was well written and thought out, and I enjoyed reading it.
Why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5:
1) There were a couple times where I found it hard to get through, it seemed too slow moving for me.
2) I thought it could have used another murder or two, in my opinion the bloodier it is, the better it is to read.
3) While she was great at describing everything else, Janet really didn't go into much detail of the main character, and his family. I feel she should have gone more in depth with them, as I didn't really feel connected to any of them. I didn't feel like I knew them, or care about them, really.
One of the things that I truly loved about the book:
I am usually able to pick up on the foreshadowing and once I meet all the characters, I'm pretty good about figuring out how the book is going to end, who was the murderer/culprit/etc. While reading Archangels, I thought I had it figured out...then with 33 pages left in the book, I thought I'd discovered I was right. ... then a few pages after that, I found I was incredibly WRONG. I love it when books have a twist from the direction I was thinking!
Besides those 3 things, I found this book enjoyable to read and look forward to reading any other fictional books Janet may release. As for the physical book itself, I received a trade paperback (they're taller and usually thinner than the standard mass market paperback). The book was well bound, and the paper was a lot thicker than you usually see in paperbacks. Nice and heavy duty paper, harder to rip, and will hold up better over the years.
Thank you, Janet, for putting Archangels on the giveaway page so I had a chance to win, as I truly enjoyed the book!...
I have no idea why my review says it was written on January 27th, when I didn't win the book until the 28th, and didn't finish the book until February 3rd...I wrote the review on February 3rd! so strange
When I read about Archangels, I thought it would be along the lines of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. But once I started reading it, I found that it wasn't, really, like it at all. Both stories talk about the Vatican, and there is murder involved. That's where the similarities end.
Which, to me, is really a good thing. Janet Tavakoli stated at the beginning of the book that while some places, people, and business/corporations are real, they are used fictitiously in the book, except where documented historical events are referenced. I believe she has put more fact in there than what I originally thought when reading.
Janet is very thorough when describing history, and the Society of Jesus. While some of the descriptions may not be REAL, she made sure we have all the facts and can understand what is going on. Archangels was well written and thought out, and I enjoyed reading it.
Why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5:
1) There were a couple times where I found it hard to get through, it seemed too slow moving for me.
2) I thought it could have used another murder or two, in my opinion the bloodier it is, the better it is to read.
3) While she was great at describing everything else, Janet really didn't go into much detail of the main character, and his family. I feel she should have gone more in depth with them, as I didn't really feel connected to any of them. I didn't feel like I knew them, or care about them, really.
One of the things that I truly loved about the book:
I am usually able to pick up on the foreshadowing and once I meet all the characters, I'm pretty good about figuring out how the book is going to end, who was the murderer/culprit/etc. While reading Archangels, I thought I had it figured out...then with 33 pages left in the book, I thought I'd discovered I was right. ... then a few pages after that, I found I was incredibly WRONG. I love it when books have a twist from the direction I was thinking!
Besides those 3 things, I found this book enjoyable to read and look forward to reading any other fictional books Janet may release. As for the physical book itself, I received a trade paperback (they're taller and usually thinner than the standard mass market paperback). The book was well bound, and the paper was a lot thicker than you usually see in paperbacks. Nice and heavy duty paper, harder to rip, and will hold up better over the years.
Thank you, Janet, for putting Archangels on the giveaway page so I had a chance to win, as I truly enjoyed the book!...
I have no idea why my review says it was written on January 27th, when I didn't win the book until the 28th, and didn't finish the book until February 3rd...I wrote the review on February 3rd! so strange
March 3, 2014
This is one of my favorite novels, and I read a lot of books of various genres. The title captured my attention immediately, since I've had of 8 years of Jesuit education. The author, a scholar in mathematics and financial markets, did her homework. She creates as protagonist an individual who is in charge of Italy's equivalent of the FBI financial crimes unit. He has a friend who he met while attending university in America, who's now a Jesuit priest and a psychologist. Both get swept up in the complexities of Vatican politics, including financial irregularities and corruption. Enormous detail of historical real-life events are put into the mix, adding credibility to the plot. I was also delighted to see so many details of Roman life and culture, it truly is a romantic city with a dark side. The Jesuits clandestinely get a plan together to take back control of Vatican finances, and to try to positively reset the Catholic Church's moral compass. In the process, we have a nice personal story of a civilian crusader for existential meaning in his life. I'd be willing to travel a long way to hear the author give her impressions of the new Holy Father, the Catholic Church's first Jesuit. The book was published just before his ascension to the position first held by St. Peter. Now I'm going back to surfing the net, looking for bargain travel & lodging travel packages to take me once again to Rome.
January 25, 2013
I am a big fan of Dan Brown-esque books and have noticed a small trend in these over the last couple of years. This is another one to add to the list. A well written page turner that I really enjoyed.
I have only one problem with this book. It's more of a personal thing so it didn't effect my star rating, but I just want to warn others that may be like me. There are a few ... unnecessary ... sex scenes in this book. I always feel that when sex is added, the author (director, etc) doesn't think their book (movie, TV show) can stand out on its own and this definitely does. I understand WHY the author put them in (storyline-wise), I just wish they could have found a different way to do it. I feel it's too easy to rely on a sex scene and I don't find it appropriate, but as I said, that's a personal thing and nothing against the writer.
I have only one problem with this book. It's more of a personal thing so it didn't effect my star rating, but I just want to warn others that may be like me. There are a few ... unnecessary ... sex scenes in this book. I always feel that when sex is added, the author (director, etc) doesn't think their book (movie, TV show) can stand out on its own and this definitely does. I understand WHY the author put them in (storyline-wise), I just wish they could have found a different way to do it. I feel it's too easy to rely on a sex scene and I don't find it appropriate, but as I said, that's a personal thing and nothing against the writer.
July 5, 2014
This is a work of fiction, but one is hardpressed to see it that way. The scandals amongst the Vatican, the Cosa Nostra, the US Mafia, the Latin American connection all rang true, and with good reason. Growing up with much of what went on in this book, I saw the truth behind the author's story. This may seem incredible to a lot of people, but Janet took away the seeming impossibility of the story for me. She has creds. Lots of them.
September 1, 2013
This novel has a deliciously suspenseful plot involving a historically benign group, the Jesuits. They desire to take over the administration of the Church and bring an end to the corruption and scandals of recent years. I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy the novels of Steve Berry and Dan Brown.
February 26, 2013
I enjoyed the tension and relationships in this book. The main characters were believeable and easy to relate with. While the book contain a lot of historical information, I find it helps in understanding the tale. I received a copy from Goodreads Firt Reads.
September 18, 2013
I really found this book to be fast paced and full of interesting information. The last part of the book gave a time line of the Catholic Church's Popes and questionable events.
The plot was very believable and an easy read.
The plot was very believable and an easy read.
May 17, 2015
Good suspense mystery mixed in with the Catholic Church and the Roman police. Some seems to be the setup for a series.
The Jesuits are getting ready to take over the church hierarchy and need the help of the Roman police to get the "bad" folk out of the way.
The Jesuits are getting ready to take over the church hierarchy and need the help of the Roman police to get the "bad" folk out of the way.
September 26, 2015
Most interesting mystery. Just could not put down so lost some sleep. Agree with other reviewers this is a must read.
July 19, 2013
I enjoyed the book, it had some financial manipulations in it, but the book moved and was a different look behind the scenes. I hope the author writes more books like this.
December 13, 2013
Excellent 1st novel. Can't wait for the next one.
December 27, 2014
Interesting and good read.
Considering that the Pope is now a former Arginine Cardinal who belongs to the Society of Jesus. How did that happen?
Considering that the Pope is now a former Arginine Cardinal who belongs to the Society of Jesus. How did that happen?
April 28, 2018
A brilliant book that combines the intricacies of finance with Society of Jesus with great success!
A fascinating book that keeps the reader totally engrossed by combining the corruptions of both the Catholic church and a few narcissistic, arrogant priests of the SJ denomination and the attempts of a small faction of priests who still maintain their values and integrity to restore goodness, honesty, morality and virtue back into both the Catholic church and the Society. Into this mix is thrown an officer belonging to the Specialists, a highly unique law enforcement agency respected even within the corridors of the Vatican in such a manner that impacts him and his family.
The activities of the priests, the situations that arise due to the manipulations of enormous amounts of money and people both within the Church and outside forms the content of this exceptional book that holds the reader enthralled until the last page.
Thanks for a magnificent book, Ms. Tavakoli.
A fascinating book that keeps the reader totally engrossed by combining the corruptions of both the Catholic church and a few narcissistic, arrogant priests of the SJ denomination and the attempts of a small faction of priests who still maintain their values and integrity to restore goodness, honesty, morality and virtue back into both the Catholic church and the Society. Into this mix is thrown an officer belonging to the Specialists, a highly unique law enforcement agency respected even within the corridors of the Vatican in such a manner that impacts him and his family.
The activities of the priests, the situations that arise due to the manipulations of enormous amounts of money and people both within the Church and outside forms the content of this exceptional book that holds the reader enthralled until the last page.
Thanks for a magnificent book, Ms. Tavakoli.
May 23, 2017
I really like the book. The author obviously knows her financial information and manages it very well, although there were times I was a bit overwhelmed by the list of people involved.
I really liked the characters particularly the main character Michael and his wife. They were very well drawn and well developed. The entire story is a good premise. I've seen reviews that said it was like Dan Brown's book. Da Vincey Code but I read that book and I don't think there's a whole lot of comparison other than they both involved a conspiracy within the Catholic Church. This story is fiction based on facts and that makes it much more interesting. I had no idea that the Catholic Church was so involved in finances but I probably should've. After reading this it makes one wonder what else they're up to.
I really liked the characters particularly the main character Michael and his wife. They were very well drawn and well developed. The entire story is a good premise. I've seen reviews that said it was like Dan Brown's book. Da Vincey Code but I read that book and I don't think there's a whole lot of comparison other than they both involved a conspiracy within the Catholic Church. This story is fiction based on facts and that makes it much more interesting. I had no idea that the Catholic Church was so involved in finances but I probably should've. After reading this it makes one wonder what else they're up to.
December 18, 2023
A pretty good emulator of the Dan Brown-style novels -- Catholic misbehavior, infighting, and competing plots among competing factions. I did not think all the characters were fully developed; in particular, Helena seems consistent, but probably much more complex than is shown here, as her actions don't seem fully explainable. The Susan subplot is a bit obvious to me.
It was a fun read, with a couple of poor editing mistakes, but not as tight as some. Given this is the author's first foray into fiction, she can be forgiven for a little bit of teaching.
It was a fun read, with a couple of poor editing mistakes, but not as tight as some. Given this is the author's first foray into fiction, she can be forgiven for a little bit of teaching.
January 8, 2017
Must read
The story made the xxx Da Vinci code weak. The twists and turns of the story kept me Monica keep reading until I finished it . Many may not want to except that this could be possible in the church but it's time to start being realistic and realize nothing is perfect great story and job by the author
The story made the xxx Da Vinci code weak. The twists and turns of the story kept me Monica keep reading until I finished it . Many may not want to except that this could be possible in the church but it's time to start being realistic and realize nothing is perfect great story and job by the author
May 18, 2018
Excellent premise
I enjoyed the storyline of this book. It had two stories entertwined. I works have given it five stars but I am not one who enjoys a lot of description. In several instances a couple of pages of description were written which was not integral to the story. It was a good story though and would recommend it to those who undressed the workings of the Vatican.
I enjoyed the storyline of this book. It had two stories entertwined. I works have given it five stars but I am not one who enjoys a lot of description. In several instances a couple of pages of description were written which was not integral to the story. It was a good story though and would recommend it to those who undressed the workings of the Vatican.
August 28, 2020
Parts of this book were interesting and I did learn a bit about banking and the church. The gratuitous sex scenes that were plopped into a few places of the book, required me to give this book my 2-star rating.
September 14, 2021
Catholic Church
I started reading ,very interested in the story. But when it came to all the financial information, it was too much for me.
Luckily it became a good story again. After I skipped many pages of finance, I was happy to finish the book.
I started reading ,very interested in the story. But when it came to all the financial information, it was too much for me.
Luckily it became a good story again. After I skipped many pages of finance, I was happy to finish the book.
July 25, 2019
Rise, I never thought they fell!
Intriguing! Fiction yes, but captivatingly believable! The data, names, geography and food filled the story with ummmph! I Loved it!!!😎👍
Intriguing! Fiction yes, but captivatingly believable! The data, names, geography and food filled the story with ummmph! I Loved it!!!😎👍
July 10, 2020
Great
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me so wrapped up in the
adventures of the story that it was difficult to put down.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me so wrapped up in the
adventures of the story that it was difficult to put down.
January 8, 2022
This was a lightweight Dan Brown knock-off with a heavy emphasis on finance. While the premise was intriguing, the execution was less than successful.
May 25, 2014
If you want a pulpy watered-down Dan Brown kind of mystery book involving corruption, scandal, sex, and the Catholic Church hierarchy in the Vatican and involving the supermen Jesuits, then you'll probably really enjoy this book. It's an easy read, not altogether horrible; but definitely of inferior quality compared to other efforts in the genre of suspense/mystery/thriller. Just to give you a sense of what you're getting into, take this scene as an example: The protagonist, Michael, is introducing a lady friend to his Jesuit buddy, Fr. James Talman. This is how Michael introduces the good Jesuit: "Susan, I'd like you to meet my very good friend, Father James Talman, S.J. M.B.A., Ph.D., Ph.D., Ph.D, and M.D." Now when I first read this I took it as a kind of good-natured joke from Michael playing into the stereotype of Jesuit priests as very smart, multi-talented people. The author follows this with the following: "Susan looked overwhelmed. 'I'm not sure what all those initials mean, Father.'" To which, Father James replies: "'Please call me Father James, or just James if you prefer." OK so far, and one would expect everyone to chuckle and for the joke to end there. But, no! The author actually feels the need to have Father James explain all his greatness: "He (Fr. James) gave Michael a wry look. 'S.J. is for Society of Jesus. I'm a Jesuit priest. The M.B.A. is in finance. The Ph.Ds. are in theology, German, and psychology. I'm also a practicing psychiatrist." And this is all done with a rather serious intent. My God! I'm a Jesuit-trained aficionado of the Society of Jesus, but for real! And the whole book is kinda like that. Everyone is a superman or superwoman, even the villains! And even the kids! (There's one scene where Michael's son saves the family from a gang of thugs by using his carving knife to knee-cap stab a seasoned thug who has a gun to his mother's head, allowing them to escape.) If you like that kind of stuff, go for it. As for me, I'd rather read something else (and I only read it because it was a selection made for a book club I'm in). I recommend serious readers looking for masterful writing to spend time on other stuff (Dan Brown's writing is much better fare for this kind of pulp fiction.)
January 27, 2013
Among the questions posed about Janet Tavakoli: How will her fictional Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits impact her day job, writing serious financial analyses? Is her braiding of fact and fiction legitimate, that is to say, fair? Clearly she’s excited about exercising her fictional muscles. But I don’t think her fiction foray will help her main career. The book is a cheap knockoff of Dan Brown’s daVinci Code. Despite Archangel’s formulaic scenes of grotesquerie, it has nowhere near the narrative drive of daVinci. Both books exploited spiritual movements in the Catholic Church. Brown riffed on Opus Dei, the 20th century largely lay movement, and Tavakoli picked at the Society of Jesus, the order of priests, brothers and lay volunteers founded in 1540. Catholics may find Opus Dei to be their type of spirituality or not, and may admire the Jesuits or not. It can’t be denied, however, that both have achieved an enormous amount of good in the world. Brown exonerates Opus Dei in his work; Tavakoli doesn’t give the Jesuits the same courtesy.
Tavakoli is upset about Catholic involvement in financial scandals and clergy sexual abuse, as am I. But the problem in writing with an agenda against a force is that the agenda’s ill will shows. She should have stuck with her non-fiction writing if she has the goods she claims, although Jason Berry’s well researched and documented books on both matters have staked out that territory. Her hybrid fiction/non-fiction amalgam seems little more than self-indulgence. Of course if she makes a lot of money from Archangels, it will have been worth it, right? Or not.
Minor points: She missed a plot line about the confessional and its confidentiality. And she seems to be conflating Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI by calling the former’s native language German; that conflating wasn’t clever.
I got the book free on a day it was so listed on the Free Kindle Books and Tips blog, http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/tag/fre.... It wasn’t worth the read.
Tavakoli is upset about Catholic involvement in financial scandals and clergy sexual abuse, as am I. But the problem in writing with an agenda against a force is that the agenda’s ill will shows. She should have stuck with her non-fiction writing if she has the goods she claims, although Jason Berry’s well researched and documented books on both matters have staked out that territory. Her hybrid fiction/non-fiction amalgam seems little more than self-indulgence. Of course if she makes a lot of money from Archangels, it will have been worth it, right? Or not.
Minor points: She missed a plot line about the confessional and its confidentiality. And she seems to be conflating Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI by calling the former’s native language German; that conflating wasn’t clever.
I got the book free on a day it was so listed on the Free Kindle Books and Tips blog, http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/tag/fre.... It wasn’t worth the read.
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