Blood of the Lamb

A Novel of Secrets #1

by Sam Cabot

Father Thomas Kelly has been called to the Vatican. A Cardinal’s desperate plea: find a missing document that contains a secret so shocking, it could shatter the Church. Livia Pietro, in Rome, has been called before the Noantri Conclave. Her mission: Join the Jesuit priest on his search—because one misstep could destroy her people as well.

As Thomas and Livia are thrown into a treacherous whirlwind of art, religion, and age-old secrets, they find themselves pursued by enemies who will do anything to stop them. Only the Conclave knows the true gravity of the document’s revelations. The Noantri—Livia and her people—are vampires. And the unimaginable secrets of their past are far too dangerous for man to ever know.




(Description from back cover of mass market paperback edition)

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Mystery Thriller

453 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Sam Cabot is the author of the novel, Blood of the Lamb and Skin of the Wolf .

Sam Cabot is a pseudonym for:

S.J. Rozan is the author of many critically-acclaimed novels and short stories which have won crime fiction's greatest honors, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Macavity, and Nero awards. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rozan now lives in lower Manhattan.

Carlos Dews is Professor and Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature at John Cabot University where he directs the Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation. He lives in Rome, Italy.

Reviews

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit it. If it weren't for the fact that half of the writing team that makes up Sam Cabot wasn't the wonderful mystery writer S.J. Rozan, I might never have read BLOOD OF THE LAMB (A Novel of Secrets). And that would have been a pity because the book is terrific.

I could short hand it and say that it's Charlaine Harris meets Dan Brown, but that doesn't give this para-normal thriller enough credit. It's like taking a literary roller coaster ride through the streets of Rome with surprise twists and turns written on a foundation of smart and thought-provoking ideas.

I usually hate to give away any plot points that could be spoilers when I talk about books, but I will say that this book is about following two academics, one an American Jesuit priest and the other an Italian art historian. However, that doesn't begin to tell you the people (well...mostly people) you are going to meet and the fantastic places in Rome that the book is going to take you to visit.

BLOOD OF THE LAMB is entertaining, full of adventure of the religious and the secular kind and you'll be glad if you grab a copy and dive in for a wild ride that S.J. Rozan and Carlos Dews writing as Sam Cabot have created. Enjoy!

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I began reading this novel Blood of the Lamb because it's described as being a mix between The DaVinci Code and The Historian. I have never had the privelege of reading The Historian but based on it's comparison to The DaVinci Code, I was more than happy to give this novel a go. Being a huge fan of hostorical fiction and paranormal fiction, this book seems to be the perfect marraige between the two.

Father Thomas Kelly is asked to find a centuries-old document named Concordat. After finding a letter written by a poet from the 19th century, he discovers clues as to it's whereabouts. Enter Livia, an art historian and Noantri (a vampire), who's interest in finding the Concordat is just as great as Kelly's but for totally different reasons. Also enter all the bad guys on their trail.

In the context that it's presented, the paranormal aspect of the novel fits very well. Sam Cabot (the writing duo of S.J. Rozan and Carlos Dews) give some interesting and fresh views on vampires and their relationship with society. I found that to be more interesting than the clues that they were deciphering. Keeping track of all the bad guys and good guys is a little hard when there seem to be so many. The chapters that they are involved in don't seem to add any new information to the plot, they are only used as ways to add depth to that character. The Cabot duo definitely get an A+ for the character depth. I genuinely liked Kelly and Livia... others I didn't know why I needed to know them so well.

Essentially, this novel is well written, interesting, has vampires and may piss off religious zealots. Why not read it for that very reason? The reason why I don't wholly recommend this novel is because of its meandering nature unless a slow burn is what the reader enjoys. The action comes but it's quick and far between. Last I checked The DaVinci Code was a page turner. This is not that. Enough with the comparisons you say? Well it shouldn't be marketed that way.

****Although I did not finish this novel in its entirety, I did make it to over half the book, but in the interest of full disclosure I wanted to point that out. I will revisit this title later in order to be absolutely fair but until then... this is my rating and I'm sticking to it.

[B.g. Ritts · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Historian meets The Da Vinci Code" ...

Blood of the Lamb's prose is orders of magnitude better than The Da Vinci Code, and not at all plodding like I found The Historian.

I'm not much into supernatural, but I loved this book. The supernatural is there, but not the drive-you-under-your-bed-scared sort of thing. It's just a part of the story.

There is much to consider while reading Blood of the Lamb, and much after you've finished. Whether you think it's your kind of book, you owe it to yourself to at least start it to see how well it's written and how incredibly not like other vampire books it is.

[Kaora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I receieved this book for free through Goodreads first reads.

There were two things that bothered me greatly about this book. First of all this book is described as a mix between Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

Let's be clear. This is not hundred year old vampires still attending high school and this is not vampires who go all sparkly in the sun. I think this would have been better represented by Anne Rice than Stephenie Meyer! I have never red Dan Brown, so I can't make a comparison there.

The second thing is the cover. It is CREEPY.

Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed, and have rich backgrounds. The book grabbed my attention and held it all the way through. It ends with some loose ends, but not the sort of loose ends that you feel something is missing. I'm not sure if it is to be a series, as it very well could be.

A thrilling summer read.

[Luke Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of my disappointment may have to do with built up expectations. But who can blame me? Vampires and Jesuits roaming through the art of sundry Roman Churches to find clues to puzzle out the whereabouts of a centuries long missing document had pricked my interest on multiple levels. There were certainly parts I enjoyed and if you are looking for a Da Vinci Code with a little Vampiric intrigue then here you go. I’ll summarize with things I appreciated and things I did not.

Pros
- Excellently fleshed out Jesuit protagonist
- Vampire intrigue and politics
- The history, art, and actual “treasure hunt” that carries the main force of the narrative is well written and interesting
- an actually realistic crisis of faith arc that is immediately undermined because of the…

Cons
- Inane bizarro ending that ruins the arc of the main character and undercuts the entire background of the narrative
- Bumbling antagonists
- Not remotely scary (this is personal but there were vampires so I got my hopes up)
- over-biologizing vampires sounds goofy instead of grounded (viruses just don’t do that)
- Almost a full quarter seemingly dedicated to various levels of Italian police that are exclusively misdirected from the plot or a lecture about how law enforcement interacts in Rome
- Jorge Ocampo
- this book taught me that I have a writing pet peeve. At least once every chapter (there are 110) someone would almost react, behave, or think something if something that wasn’t the case was the case. It is as jarring and weird as it sounds.
- if there still was an Index Liborum Prohibitorum, this probably would have been added to it

[Billie's Not So Secret Diary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood of the Lamb
by Sam Cabot
Fantasy Supernatural Vampire
Scribd Audio

American priest Thomas Kelly is asked by a friend and mentor who is now working at the Vatican to locate a missing centuries-old document stolen in the 19th century by a poet during a war. This document is rumored that in the wrong hands would/could destroy the church. (Those easily offended by religious contradiction should not read this.)

Just as he started his research Livia Pietro, an Italian art historian, 'joins' him in the Vatican library when she 'sees' him looking at the works of this poet. Unknowingly to him, she was sent there by another party to help him search for this document, to prevent it from coming to light. But there are other factions who want this document to become known so that those of Livia's kind, (vampires) can walk free.

The chapters were split up between different characters in the story, but most were of Thomas and Livia, but some of the plot/mystery was given away when the chapters focused on the other characters and what they were doing.

Just as the blurb said, this book reminded me so much of 'The Da Vinci Code', with a lot of religion theory and history, and at times it was irritatingly repetitive. But it was a good story overall, most of the story taking place over a two or three-day span, so there was a lot of running around.

It wasn't a bad story, other than the religious/history lectures that became so monotonous I wanted to fast-forward to the story. Some of it was needed, but some were just to add words.

Not your typical vampire story. Not scary, with only a little blood, and a few deaths, but not too overly described. I think it would be acceptable for readers as young as 16 to read.

This is the first of a two-book series, and while I read the 2nd book in 2014 as an ARC, I might revisit it.

3 Stars

[Lisa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts

I remember when The Da Vinci Code first came out. Some of my more religious friends would not read it because they were told it was sacreligious and too controversial. I remember thinking - really? It’s just a story.

Well - for those of you out there that thought the Da Vinci code crossed some sort of line - wait until you read Blood of the Lamb!

I actually liked this story. While Thomas Kelly and Livia Pietro share the same cause and must work together to achieve it, they each start out thinking they have nothing in common because of their different backgrounds. The longer they are together, the more they come to understand that they share similarities - a love of history, a commitment to community and a responsibility to friends.
This was fast paced and entertaining. I thought it was well written. The end provided quite a different spin on the story of Mary Magdalene and Jesus. All in all - a pretty creative premise!

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Blue Rider Press, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Robert J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on! "Blood of the Lamb" is a sizzling paranormal thriller that takes you exactly where you never thought you'd be going. Yes, it's a travelogue - like many of the best thrillers - but it's also a puzzle mystery, à la Dan Brown (though much better written).
Rome holds secrets, but what secrets! To say too much would be to spoil the surprises here - and there are many - but you'll want to pace yourself - and do not look ahead. The final 50 pages are tremendous fun. They're filled with jaw-dropping surprises and the denouement will have you shaking your head in wonder at the cleverness of it all.
I'm delighted this is the first of a planned series, because Sam Cabot demonstrates a cunning talent for plotting, pacing and effervescent suspense.

[Patricia Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood of the Lamb should be a best seller in a very short time.
It is filled with many surprises and mysteries. The historical
accounts of the early Vatican and its schism were captivating.
Action was on going. Even readers who aren't fond of vampire books
would like this book. The book even had an acceptable ending.

[Bondama · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. It's a rip -off of Dan Brown, (and WHAT a writer to rip off!!!) I cannot even begin to describe the historical and canonical errors within this book - dates are off by centuries, literally - and the author apparently knows absolutely nothing about the workings of Vatican City!

[Nicole (Reading Books With Coffee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood Of The Lamb...I definitely liked it, but I didn't really pick the best time to read it. I did finish Inferno (the latest Dan Brown book) recently, so the whole conspiracy theory, missing document with interesting, life-changing information was still fresh on my mind.

I was definitely reminded of a Dan Brown novel, so the comparison to The Da Vinci Code is pretty spot-on, as is the comparison to The Historian. The Catholic Church making a pact with vampires was unexpected, but also interesting. And here's the weird thing: it was pretty believable.

One thing that I didn't particularly like was the multiple perspectives. While I liked seeing the different groups involved in hunting down this document, it also made the book seemed more convoluted and complicated than the book really was. There were only a few times when it felt like too much was going on, which may have added to the book seeming complicated.

It also took me while to get into Blood Of The Lamb, especially because you learn of the agreement between the Noantri and the Catholic Church early on, and all that's left of the mystery is where it is. And maybe a couple of other things, including the ending which was unexpected, and certainly a story in and of itself. I also found these vampires pretty interesting. They can eat, go out into the sun, and are spread all over the world, but have a few areas where they are heavily concentrated. I also found the structure and "rules" pretty interesting. In some ways, it seemed to mirror the Catholic Church, which makes sense given the agreement.

Livia and Thomas figuring out where the agreement was hidden wasn't always interesting, and it made the book seem a little slow in places. But overall, it was a pretty interesting read, with two things that don't seem like they'd work well together...but they do! I also thought Livia and Thomas were a little bit on the unforgettable side, but they also did what you'd expect from this kind of story. Which isn't a bad thing, even though their actions were pretty predictable.

It wasn't as dark as I was expecting, considering there's a document floating around that could prove to be very dangerous in the wrong hands. There is a certain element of darkness, but definitely not to the degree that I was hoping for, given the cover and the summary.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed Blood Of The Lamb but found that the multiple narrators made the book seem much more complicated than it really was. The scenes where Livia and Thomas were in different churches felt a little repetitive but it wasn't repetitive enough to be annoying. Blood Of The Lamb gets 3 stars.

*Blood Of The Lamb is from netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review*

[Vanessa Delamare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed walking through the streets of Trasteverde near Rome. The descriptions are not too long and fairly well written so I can imagine all the places. One appreciate the sweetness of Rome, the Italian life, the churches and their timeless beauty. The descriptions are very well done, Livia and Thomas are friendly and the characters in general are well written.

There's without doubt a small Da Vinci Code side in this novel, this time through hidden poems that will ultimately enable Livia and Thomas to discover a very important and amazing document. This document, the heart of the novel, is sought by different groups for completely opposite grounds. Between those who want to disclose it and those who want to leave it hidden, followers of pros and cons have very different reasons to do so. Livia and Thomas are sent by their respective groups to find the document and must work together, to the chagrin of Thomas when he discovers what Livia is.

I enjoyed the the authors's view about vampires. It's far from Twilight or Interview with the vampire. Not too bloody or too watered down. The nature of vampires is scientifically explained which makes it almost plausible. Known elements (garlic, mirror and other anti-vampire weapons) are presented here as a folklore maintained by the vampires themselves to enable them to better hide among non- vampires. It is very well done.

What I like least about the book is the religious aspect. I skipped several passages a little too much like an essay on religion for my taste and that's rarely a good thing! One of Elmore Leonard's 10 writing rules is to remove passages that readers tend to skip. The concern of these passages is that they tend to make less dynamic narrative. This novel is not a page-turner, even if the action is always present.

Another flaw but much less serious concerns the similarity of names of some characters. The three police orders team up to arrest what they think are religious relics thieves. However, two investigators from two police orders have somewhat similar names. As a result, it took me some time to understand who was who. This is certainly not a big deal but it hinders the flow of reading when you have to stop to ask " but who is this one already? "

In a nutshell

The writers have written a fantasy novel with a vision of vampires quite new and credible, which in itself makes it a very cool book. The Italian atmosphere is very nice and there's well-made characters. The small weak point remains the religious aspect too far present for my taste. This is a 3.5 / 5 for me.
(Originally posted at vanessa-s-bookshelves.blogspot.ca)

[Jessika Dantas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tô procurando O Sangue do Cordeiro até agora…¬¬ Todo um mistério, curiosidade e empolgação pra absolutamente NADA!
"Tramas que envolvem a Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana e o Vaticano, mesmo que sejam na ficção, sempre causam polêmica. É necessário muita coragem para seguir por um caminho que desafia aquele que conhecemos como o da verdade, ao menos para quem acredita nele.

Lembro bem da época em que a adaptação cinematográfica do livro O Código Da Vinci estreou nos cinemas causando uma enorme polêmica. O padre da igreja que eu frequentava chegou a proibir aqueles que estavam assistindo à missa de assistir ao filme e de ler o livro com a justificativa de que não valia a pena, que aquela história não era verdadeira, entre outras coisas.

Claro que a primeira coisa que fizemos foi assistir ao filme e eu amei. Não vi nada demais, afinal, era uma ficção, não? Porque minha fé iria mudar? E mesmo que fosse um documentário ou um filme baseado em fatos reais, não vi problema algum. Naquela época, na média de idade em que Cristo morreu, era super normal um homem ter esposa e filhos. E se ele tivesse casado, tido filhos e os descendentes deles, mesmo após dois mil anos da morte dele tivessem chegado até o século XXI, isso teria mudado tudo o que dizem que Jesus fez? Tudo o que ele ensinou? Faria diferença pra você? Pra mim, na época do filme não fez e hoje também não faz, continuo achando uma boa história.

O Sangue do Cordeiro é assim: um livro ousado e polêmico que desafia aquilo que conhecemos como verdade sobre Jesus de Nazaré e a Igreja Católica e, assim como o livro de Dan Brown, não é algo relevante o suficiente para padres e cristãos em geral se preocuparem, é só mais uma obra de ficção com personagens históricos e alguns são apenas citados. Todo escritor precisa se basear, se inspirar em algo para criar a sua obra não? E já indico, pois a leitura vale muito a pena.

Carlos Dews e S. J. Rozan escreveram esta obra em conjunto sob o pseudônimo de Sam Cabot. A história é super original e interessante e a narrativa é muito prazerosa de ler, ou seja, o livro te prende do início ao fim. Mesmo sendo possível decifrar algumas coisas antes da hora, isso não desanima, na verdade fomenta mais a curiosidade do leitor para continuar a leitura e descobrir se suas suspeitas ou certezas realmente procedem.

A trama leva o leitor a conhecer Roma, o Vaticano e o bairro de Trastevere e suas icônicas igrejas. É uma bela viagem arquitetônica com foco na beleza interna das igrejas e suas capelas, detalhando desde os afrescos nas paredes e tetos a estátuas e ornamentos, assim como alguns relicários importantíssimos para a história da Igreja.

A descrição das cenas é tão simples e bem feita que fica fácil usar a imaginação para visualizar esses lugares. Também é legal pesquisar algumas imagens na internet pra saber se o que é descrito pelos autores bate com a realidade e com a sua imaginação, até para conferir que parte é fato histórico e que parte pertence à ficção.

O conceito da espécie Noantri (vampiro) é levemente diferente, mas ainda assim mantém uma ligação forte com o do vampirismo clássico, porém, trazendo-o para o século XXI com justificativas baseadas na ciência e sem elementos de fantasia. Um ponto forte e certeiro, pois concede mais veracidade à existência do povo Noantri dentro da história.

Eu ainda não havia lido um livro sobre a Igreja que tivesse vampiros no meio. Já li histórias de vampiros e seus problemas com Igrejas, solo sagrado, etc, mas nada desta forma. Inclusive, aceito sugestões de leitura com esse tipo de mistura. ^^

Classifiquei o livro no Skoob como bom (3 estrelas), porque tudo o que li, até mais ou menos uns 90% de leitura concluída foi bom e por isso recomendo a leitura.

Aliás, é um livro que eu repetiria a leitura facilmente pois é fluida e gostosa, dá para ler entre um à três dias ou uma semana dependendo do seu ritmo de leitura. Eu demorei quase dois meses por falta de tempo mesmo e também porque tive que reler alguns trechos várias vezes por tê-la interrompido e não lembrar mais em que ponto da história eu havia parado.

Entretanto, eu não gostei do livro por causa dos 10% restantes da leitura. O livro tinha tudo para ser excelente (5 estrelas), mas o final “deixou a desejar”. E porque a conclusão do livro é um problema? Por que depois de ler o final da história cheguei a conclusão que:

A parte policial e 90% humana da história foi insignificante e irrelevante para o enredo, não havendo necessidade de terem o seu próprio capítulo. Eles não dificultaram a vida dos protagonistas o suficiente e suas investigações nem chegaram perto do que realmente estava acontecendo. Podia muito bem nem ter existido porque não fez diferença alguma.
Vilões ou Antagonistas: eram quatro, 3 vampiros e 1 humano. Idem ao item 1.
As cenas da comunidade vampira são pequenas demais e não geram tensão, medo, suspense e, nem de longe, terror.
Adendo:

No final, quando a questão da concordata é resolvida, você descobre que a parte mais importante da história e que iria fazer um barulho muito maior nem estava no conteúdo da concordata. Aí você para pra pensar que tudo o que leu até ali foi meio que pra nada porque esse desfecho poderia ter sido incrivelmente foda e ainda mais chocante, mas parece que os autores ficaram com medo de chocar e incomodar tanto.
2. Tô procurando O Sangue do Cordeiro até agora… acho que o título do livro poderia ser A Concordata, pois faz mais sentido com a grande problemática do livro ou então O Cordeiro que tem tudo a ver com o final do livro.

Esses são os 5 principais motivos do porque mesmo achando bom, eu não gostei do livro.

Para concluir a resenha só tenho mais uma coisa a dizer: não posso comparar a narrativa de Sam Cabot com a de Dan Brown porque nunca li um livro do Dan, portanto, não posso dizer se essa informação da sinopse procede. Porém, posso afirmar com toda certeza que a narrativa deste livro não remete ao terror sobrenatural de Anne Rice nem aqui ou em qualquer lugar da Galáxia ou além. Inclusive, estou procurando o terror sobrenatural até agora… ¬¬

Sobre a continuação… sim, tem um segundo livro. O Sangue do Cordeiro é o volume I da série A Novel of Secrets (Um Romance de Segredos, em uma tradução livre), o volume II é A Pele do Lobo e eu estou curiosíssima para ler e saber se certas coisas do primeiro livro são melhores explicadas no segundo. O problema é que a publicação em português do volume I foi em 2015 e até agora nada do volume II, sendo que ambos foram publicados nos Estados Unidos em 2013 e 2014, respectivamente. Como não houve continuações, imagino que ambos os livros não devam ter emplacado lá fora do mesmo jeito que o primeiro não emplacou aqui.

Ah! Se você gosta de ficções religiosas e que, segundo a crítica, tem o estilo de narrativa que remete ao de Dan Brown, mas que não tem vampiros no meio, eu recomendo o livro O Revelador, do autor brasileiro Celso Possas Júnior."

Fiz essa resenha para o blog do portal Geeker.

[Amy Lignor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a title to place in the category of ‘coolest religious puzzles ever’.

Beginning in Rome, a variety of groups are searching for an ancient document that was stolen from the vaults of the Vatican. At this time, everything was under the control of a very unpopular Pope.

Seems that a poet by the name of Mario Damiani is the culprit behind the disappearance of the Concordat - an odd document signed by Pope Martin and his nefarious group, the Noantri. The Concordat basically states that the Church will not persecute the Noantri in exchange for the Noantri’s support of Martin at the time he was in contention for the Pope’s seat. The Noantri, of course, are not your ordinary group of thugs. They are, in fact, vampires who’ve been around since ancient times.

Skip ahead to modern day where a young American Jesuit Priest, Thomas Kelly, is asked to come to Rome and work for Cardinal Cossa, the head of the Vatican Library. The Cardinal has just learned that this Concordat was once real and is now missing. He wants to find it and believes that Father Kelly, an expert in the study of Italian matters, can help him in his quest.

An art expert, Livia Pietro, is also looking for the document while - you guessed it - the Noantri vamps attempt to track it down.

Father Kelly and Livia meet while they’re looking through old papers and join together to find the Concordat. There are clues that have been left behind as to its whereabouts, and as the humans meet up with the fanged ones readers are whisked away on a merry chase through the streets of Rome.

Plenty of intrigue and secrets with a little bit of romance thrown in for the ‘Twilight’ aficionados; the author has created a whole lot of fun and a highly memorable read.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Historian meets The Da Vinci Code.” Those words resulted in some conflicted feelings in me about whether or not I wanted to read this book. I loved The Historian but couldn’t stand The Da Vinci Code. As you can see, I broke down and read Blood of the Lamb. The result: not as good as The Historian but certainly better than The Da Vinci Code.

Blood of the Lamb is another example of a biblio-mystery that promises to reveal a particularly damning secret of the Roman Catholic Church. Also, there are vampires. One vampire must team up with a priest in order to uncover where the important document is hidden. Church by church, they solve clues in a scavenger hunt for the truth.

I had fun reading Blood of the Lamb, probably because I didn’t go into it with high expectations. Characters fall into stereotypical roles, and there are no real surprises throughout the plot or with the characters. There is one unfortunately one-dimensional bad guy who trails our heroes like a single-minded bloodhound, and I found myself trying hard not to just roll my eyes every time he appeared. He is laughably bad, and fulfills a bit of the albino’s role from The Da Vinci Code.

The best part of this book was how it takes place in Rome, at various churches, and made me really want to visit the city. As somebody who has art historical training, the descriptions made me long to go and check out the architecture, sculptures, and reliquaries for myself. Also, vampires.

If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you should give this book a try. You’ll probably like it. I found it satisfying as genre fiction and as a light, fun adventure.

[Jaime Boler · Rating 1 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion cannot save this meandering monstrosity. I was so excited to read what looked to be a most promising historical thriller, especially when Blood of the Lamb has been compared to one of my favorite tales, The Historian. Alas, my time would have been better spent re-reading Elizabeth Kostova’s 2005 page-turner.

Sam Cabot does not actually exist, and to call him the author is a bit misleading. The name is a pseudonym for two writers, S.J. Rozan and Carlos Dews. I am almost willing to bet that Rozan would take a section and then Dews would take a section. That would explain why some parts are highly engrossing and others fall short. At times, the story even loses focus.

Especially given its bulky cast of narrators. Good writers know that not every character should be a narrator. There are main characters and then there are bit parts. Sam Cabot seems not to know the difference. Every single character in Blood of the Lamb functions as a narrator at some point in the story. And that’s a big mistake. Many of these individuals are simply not significant enough to the tale to serve as storytellers. They bring nothing to the account and do not add a single thing to the book.

My best advice is to skip this novel altogether. It’s a shame really, because I love stories that weave history with a thriller. If that is what you are looking for, why not pick up Steve Berry’s The King’s Deception instead?

[Adi Teodoru · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jesus H. Christ! And I don't mean that in a good way. This book could easily have been fifty chapters shorter and made me happy. I bought this as an audio book to help with the terrible traffic I have to drive in every day and I spent 13 hours listening to a very bad voice actor interpret every female in the novel as a breathy bimbo and every male as a cartoon Italian. The entire introduction of the police department (three of them complete with complex back stories of their own) was a waste of time as they never took any real part in the plot. Anna, a character I imagined would become the main villain, never even did anything other than lounge on Roman lawns writing in her notebook. Her relationship to Gorge did not make her more redeemable but it did not make her seem interesting either. And Spencer George was a complete waste of time in this novel though his character did have some redeeming qualities. I had hoped to know more about him.
Whoever advertised this as comparable to Dan Brown should be run out of town with pitchforks. I truly feel like I wasted 13 hours of my time on a "twist" I figured out when I read the back flap.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! If I didn’t have a job and other responsibilities, I would have DEVOURED this book in one sitting. I loved the team of Father Kelly and Livia and their mad searches through the churches of Rome trying to find a hidden document, crucial to both of their beliefs. With only a notebook of poems written in the 1800s, and crucial missing pages, I was fascinated at the way the author had the theologian and art historian work together, all the while dodging the police and “bad guys” on their quest for the stolen document. Being Catholic, the information on the churches, saints, and basis of the religion was especially interesting, as well as the questions raised. This is a fast-paced, page-turner that should be on everyone’s “got to read” list.

I received a free copy of Blood of the Lamb from Penguin. Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 5 out of 5]

So other than the similarities to Dan Brown's works, this book really told a fresh story, with an intriguing concept. The writing is excellent, and each character remains true to their beliefs (so the hero and heroine don't have sex!), though their actions are sometimes startling.

I've read most/all of SJ's books, so I was not surprised by the quality. I understand that her writing partner did much of the research (there is a youtube interview out there somewhere), which provided the detailed plot. The story is not very complex, with few surprises until the very end.

I've read most of the reviews and no one has yet mentioned the similarity to "Men In Black"...

And no one has commented on the "Showgirls" riff for the cover.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began this book I thought I was in for a Da Vinci Code sort of experience, but it wasn't. This is a really good book that has mystery, history, and the supernatural all tied into one. The characters were all believable, and each given depth by the author so that you felt you knew them and understood them. The under current of tension between the main characters, Father Thomas Kelly (human) and Livia Petrio (Noantri) adds to the story. Whilst the Noantri are vampires, this is no Twilight or Dracula novel. The story takes you through the streets and churches of Rome and delivers an unexpected ending. No spoilers here. High recommended reading.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything The DaVinci Code was not. It was tense, suspenseful, and extremely well-written, with a twist at the end that was logical in the context of the story, but was a complete and delightful (to me, anyway) surprise.

Sam Cabot is a collaboration between SJ Rozan, one of my favorite mystery writers, and Carlos Dews. Their writing styles integrate so seamlessly that I can't tell who wrote what. I'm starting Skin of the Wolf, the second book in the series, immediately. I expect that I'll be disappointed when I finish it because I'll have to wait for the next one in the series.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Received through Goodreads first reads giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. I have waived between giving it a 3.5 and a solid 4. I went with the 4 as it was very original and well written. This is a paranormal mystery/thriller novel. There is history, secrets, secret societies, conspiracies, religion, etc . It is hard to give a description without giving a certain element away. There is the paranormal element but it does not come across as over the top or unbelievable. This was a very entertaining read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Pick one: Adventure, Travelogue, History, Philosophy, VAMPIRE! novel. Or pick all five. This was a terrific fast moving story with the enormous back story of Catholicism and Church hierarchy. It is a technicolor movie of the grandeur of Rome, and the dark, gritty whisper of intrigue and the supernatural. This is what Dan Brown might have written if he had the skill and intellect. And wow, what a surprise at the end.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a fan of vampire stories but I do enjoy books on the history and corruption and untold wealth of the Catholic Church. The two combined in this case made for an interesting read. I found the ending to be very powerful in terms of faith and I was even leaning towards wondering if vampires do indeed exist. The relationship and dialogue between Father Thomas Kelly and Livia Pietro was charming and well written making this a warmer and more enjoyable read.

[Stephen Serwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great combination of thrilling, supernatural and a tour through Roman history. I love novels that make me want to go to a place after reading about it, and this novel had me on kayak.com searching for a ticket to Italy. I can't wait to read the second book.

[Diane Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and while the whole idea of it is sketchy and delves into fantasy I did find the book enjoyable. I had just finished another book concerning the Vatican and different levels of the priesthood so this was along the same lines, but much more Non-real and therefore just a fun read.

It does seem to be decently researched as to the area where it is set and the various churches visited with their "claim to fame" relics, etc. That for me is the reality of the book, the rest is pure enjoyable fiction. I would give it a PG rating due to some graphic violence that is discussed. Its a bit darker than some things I read so I would not take this on a beach vacation. But a light distraction with religious overtones that cause people to question faith, truth, and who is really in control... its a decent distraction.

[David Wingert · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Blood of the Lamb : a novel of secrets" by Sam Cabot is a good paranormal thriller. Think Charlaine Harris meets Dan Brown, yes, vampires and a secret that would rock the world and the Catholic church. The story follows a Jesuit and a vampire art historian as they work together to find a document missing for 600 years from the Vatican vaults. They have a deadline to recover it before other forces leak it to the world. The action comes in waves and some of the vampire mythology is interesting. I could have done without the ending. It's not a great book ,and should be avoided by those who don't like their religious beliefs visited with a paranormal twist, but it was a good read.

[Emma Palacios · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book I feel like most of the thrill comes from having some preknowledge of religious relics and locations. I personally was only able to recognize the historical characters but looking up the details from the story made the experience so much more immersive and thought-provoking.
The ending was the largest testament to that and I enjoyed the bombshells that were dropped very much along with the story being amply wrapped up. Around the 350 pg mark, I really wasn't sure if there was going to be a sequel but I really enjoyed that the authors kept it to one book and tied up all the loose character arcs, not in sloppy or lazy ways.
Loved this book !!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. This book's storyline reminded me of The Davinci Code...with vampires. I enjoyed the banter between the main characters - a Jesuit priest and a historian vampire having to work together against the clock to disccover a lost document that could change the religious world as we all know it. Most of the story flowed well, however, there were are few parts that I felt could have been shortened or just deleted altogether. Overall, this was an interesting read and I am planning on reading the next book in this series/duology.

[Rickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun premise, awful layout. I wish they would've left the reveal of vampires working with the church off of the book description and had it reveal later in the book. Let the characters guess what was going on. I think the interest in the scroll would've been more impactful on the reader and explained hints throughout the book. Revealing the info in 1st several chapters just made the book slightly boring. I will say the final reveal of the vampires origin was really cool but I kinda wish that the reveals could've been stacked. Halfway through the book, reveal the vampires, then reveal origin.