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Vatican Daughter: A Novel
Set in Rome and Venice - with a brief stop in Magallanes, Chile, and New York City - Vatican Daughter propels the reader deep into the heart of Italy. Ensnared by its vivid descriptive language, you will be transported and immersed in this plausible, suspenseful story as it takes you through various cities, tasting their foods along the way, with different characters. At the same time, you will meander along the medieval palazzos of Rome and Venice, sip the wine, explore the countryside, ride the train, step behind the walls of Vatican City and its papal gardens, and imagine experiencing the loss of a child at the hands of men who would go to any means to avoid the exposure of Vatican corruption, papal indiscretion, and the Vatican’s long-buried secrets. A story of a young woman who relentlessly searches for her child while coming head-to-head with the most powerful entity on earth, Vatican Daughter focuses on serious female-centric issues and the Vatican’s controversial, scandalous, and hypocritical behaviors.
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2025
5 people are currently reading
1479 people want to read
About the author
Joni Marie Iraci
3 books60 followersI am a retired Registered Nurse who raised three children before returning to college in my late fifties to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a writer. I earned a bachelor's degree in liberal studies with a concentration in writing and literature from Sarah Lawrence College before earning an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University at the age of 66. My short stories can be found in the online literary journals: ReviewAmericana.com and BeneaththeRainbow.com.
I recently finished my second novel, "Vatican Daughter." It's about a cardinal in Rome whose indiscretion leads to a love child who is discovered just as he is about to become Supreme Pontiff. It is currently in production for release next year. A second book, "The Women of the 13th Rione," continues the story but can stand alone.
I am working on a continuation of my first novel, "Reinventing Jenna Rose," which is on sale as a second edition with a new format and cover design.
I was delighted to discuss my incarnation as a writer and the joys and angst of attending college in my later years in a speech at the Rotary Club in Rye, New York. I did an in-conversation book talk with author, Tom Santopietro at The Strand in NYC which can be found on Youtube. I live in New York with my husband, two catered to dogs, a diva cat, and four lovable stray cats who wandered into my life. "Reinventing Jenna Rose" is my first novel.
1/20/22 Proud to announce that "Reinventing Jenna Rose" won the Firebird Book Award-first place for coming of age and women's issue category and second place for legal thriller and new adult fiction.
I recently finished my second novel, "Vatican Daughter." It's about a cardinal in Rome whose indiscretion leads to a love child who is discovered just as he is about to become Supreme Pontiff. It is currently in production for release next year. A second book, "The Women of the 13th Rione," continues the story but can stand alone.
I am working on a continuation of my first novel, "Reinventing Jenna Rose," which is on sale as a second edition with a new format and cover design.
I was delighted to discuss my incarnation as a writer and the joys and angst of attending college in my later years in a speech at the Rotary Club in Rye, New York. I did an in-conversation book talk with author, Tom Santopietro at The Strand in NYC which can be found on Youtube. I live in New York with my husband, two catered to dogs, a diva cat, and four lovable stray cats who wandered into my life. "Reinventing Jenna Rose" is my first novel.
1/20/22 Proud to announce that "Reinventing Jenna Rose" won the Firebird Book Award-first place for coming of age and women's issue category and second place for legal thriller and new adult fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 20, 2025
Five stars!! An impressive fast paced novel packed with scandal, mystery, and rich culture. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! Immersive writing that leaves you feeling you are in Italy through every chapter. I loved the main characters and found the story to be very engaging. The main female characters were well developed and inspiring. They were extremely strong characters and I loved that. I think Iraci writes about important, tough topics that need to be talked about. I highly recommend this book!
January 8, 2025
I feel like this needs editing more. Whilst relatively fast in pace and easy to read the story was incredibly disjointed, suffered badly from lack of accurate timeline and I know I was meant to feel tense and nervous for the main character but it never came across that way.
Naming a character in a book on Catholicism 'Nevaeh' is so on the nose and even worse she's meant to be 12 but speaks as if she's taken several university level theology classes. At 12.
The main character is very much devoid of personality and none of the other characters really came across as anything other than plot points. The emotional maturity is difficult to understand as she flies between emotions exceptionally quick. I understand this is due to the trauma she suffered but it wasn't put across well.
The ending was also extremely abrupt and whilst the main plot point was 'solved' absolutely nothing else was. I'm sad about this as the plot was intriguing and I enjoy learning about the Catholic church and their history of covering up for criminal activity. It just suffers a lot from feeling rushed and unedited.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. Would also like to state that the author reported my review because it wasn't favourable and that is unbelievable behaviour and severely off putting.
Naming a character in a book on Catholicism 'Nevaeh' is so on the nose and even worse she's meant to be 12 but speaks as if she's taken several university level theology classes. At 12.
The main character is very much devoid of personality and none of the other characters really came across as anything other than plot points. The emotional maturity is difficult to understand as she flies between emotions exceptionally quick. I understand this is due to the trauma she suffered but it wasn't put across well.
The ending was also extremely abrupt and whilst the main plot point was 'solved' absolutely nothing else was. I'm sad about this as the plot was intriguing and I enjoy learning about the Catholic church and their history of covering up for criminal activity. It just suffers a lot from feeling rushed and unedited.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. Would also like to state that the author reported my review because it wasn't favourable and that is unbelievable behaviour and severely off putting.
April 25, 2025
Joni Marie Iraci’s impeccable storytelling deeply immerses the reader into Italian culture, beginning with the water city of Venice, Italy and its striking vistas.
The immediate tension of a new Pope’s hidden sins will draw the reader into a gripping drama which scrutinizes the hypocrisies of the Catholic church and the powerful men in charge who will stop at nothing to bury their unsavory pasts, including the assault of a young woman and the kidnapping of her child.
With concisely written chapters, the plot moves forward effortlessly, with all the moving pieces necessary to entice the reader through this page-turning drama.
—Kent Priore, author of The Monsters Among Us
The immediate tension of a new Pope’s hidden sins will draw the reader into a gripping drama which scrutinizes the hypocrisies of the Catholic church and the powerful men in charge who will stop at nothing to bury their unsavory pasts, including the assault of a young woman and the kidnapping of her child.
With concisely written chapters, the plot moves forward effortlessly, with all the moving pieces necessary to entice the reader through this page-turning drama.
—Kent Priore, author of The Monsters Among Us
October 18, 2025
This is a page turner. Well developed characters and plot. Author must have done a lot of research to develop vivid and accurate details on Rome and Venice Great read!
September 7, 2025
A Vatican Thriller that feels startlingly plausible, delivering propulsive suspense while confronting the church’s darkest secrets with unflinching clarity. Highly recommended for fans of Daniel Silva and Steve Berry.
The novel begins in Vatican City, where newly elected Pope Joseph Morris slips into the papal garments. Just before stepping out to greet the adoring throngs in St. Peter’s Square, he asks one of the assisting clergy, Cardinal Roselli, to hear his confession. And much to Roselli’s surprise, the Pope discloses a potentially crippling secret – an affair with a young journalist has led to pregnancy. The woman is about to bear the pope’s child.
Twelve years on, we learn that the pope’s secret lover, Sophia, is living with the Benedictine nuns at a clandestine convent in Venice. She has no recollection of her past life, nor of the child. But a chance moment – a mother asks Sophia to hold her baby – triggers a sensory flashback of her past trauma. Soon, Sophia becomes convinced that she has a daughter who has been taken from her. A perilous search for a child who may or may not be dead ensues.
In the past 30 years, the abundance of Vatican thrillers has created genre unto itself in literature, film and even television. Here, within just a few pages, author Joni Marie Iraci creates one of the most compelling setups in the canon. Along the way, Iraci chooses to reveal the fate of the child, the pope and Roselli, putting readers a few steps ahead of Sophia as she embarks on her quest for truth.
Through the lens of an engrossing work of fiction, Iraci also tells the story of real-life families losing their children to the Vatican. Sophia’s confidant, Lauretta, who is Jewish, delivers firsthand exposition about the grim realities of Jewish families living under papal authority, especially under Pope Pius IX. Because Sophia is Catholic and not Jewish, the parallels between her predicament and those conveyed by Lauretta feel more like an echo of a similar situation than history repeating itself. Nevertheless, the theme of Vatican abuse repeating itself across time is strong. Even as bodies fall and plots unravel, the true tension lies in whether love and truth can survive in the face of such overwhelming power. Elsewhere, supporting characters like Cardinal Alfonso symbolize integrity, humility, compassion and what the church could become. Even the seemingly minor details, such as internal concern over the fact that the pope chose to keep his birth name, add intrigue and serve to illustrate how hard it is for individuals to change powerful institutions.
Fans of Steve Berry and Daniel Silva will love Vatican Daughter, though Iraci pushes deeper into emotional territory than either. The novel is equal parts conspiracy thriller, historical fiction and heartbreaking family drama. Iraci manages to ask hard questions about faith in the context of a propulsive, cinematic story that lingers long after the final page.
The novel begins in Vatican City, where newly elected Pope Joseph Morris slips into the papal garments. Just before stepping out to greet the adoring throngs in St. Peter’s Square, he asks one of the assisting clergy, Cardinal Roselli, to hear his confession. And much to Roselli’s surprise, the Pope discloses a potentially crippling secret – an affair with a young journalist has led to pregnancy. The woman is about to bear the pope’s child.
Twelve years on, we learn that the pope’s secret lover, Sophia, is living with the Benedictine nuns at a clandestine convent in Venice. She has no recollection of her past life, nor of the child. But a chance moment – a mother asks Sophia to hold her baby – triggers a sensory flashback of her past trauma. Soon, Sophia becomes convinced that she has a daughter who has been taken from her. A perilous search for a child who may or may not be dead ensues.
In the past 30 years, the abundance of Vatican thrillers has created genre unto itself in literature, film and even television. Here, within just a few pages, author Joni Marie Iraci creates one of the most compelling setups in the canon. Along the way, Iraci chooses to reveal the fate of the child, the pope and Roselli, putting readers a few steps ahead of Sophia as she embarks on her quest for truth.
Through the lens of an engrossing work of fiction, Iraci also tells the story of real-life families losing their children to the Vatican. Sophia’s confidant, Lauretta, who is Jewish, delivers firsthand exposition about the grim realities of Jewish families living under papal authority, especially under Pope Pius IX. Because Sophia is Catholic and not Jewish, the parallels between her predicament and those conveyed by Lauretta feel more like an echo of a similar situation than history repeating itself. Nevertheless, the theme of Vatican abuse repeating itself across time is strong. Even as bodies fall and plots unravel, the true tension lies in whether love and truth can survive in the face of such overwhelming power. Elsewhere, supporting characters like Cardinal Alfonso symbolize integrity, humility, compassion and what the church could become. Even the seemingly minor details, such as internal concern over the fact that the pope chose to keep his birth name, add intrigue and serve to illustrate how hard it is for individuals to change powerful institutions.
Fans of Steve Berry and Daniel Silva will love Vatican Daughter, though Iraci pushes deeper into emotional territory than either. The novel is equal parts conspiracy thriller, historical fiction and heartbreaking family drama. Iraci manages to ask hard questions about faith in the context of a propulsive, cinematic story that lingers long after the final page.
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February 3, 2025Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
Vatican Daughter by Joni Marie Iraci is a captivating novel that dives into the secretive and often scandalous corridors of the Vatican. Iraci skillfully combines history, mystery, and suspense, blending authentic historical insights with imaginative storytelling. It offers readers a powerful narrative with intricate plots and well-developed characters, ensuring a riveting read from start to finish. The story centers on a complex web of secrets within the Vatican walls, exploring themes of power, betrayal, and redemption. It follows multiple characters whose lives intertwine around a series of mysterious events that reveal deep-seated corruption within the Church. Iraci’s portrayal of the Vatican’s internal politics is provocative and eye-opening, shedding light on the potential dark sides of religious institutions.
The pacing is perfect, with Joni Marie Iraci balancing the suspense and depth of character development. Each chapter ends with a hook that drives the story forward, making it hard to put down. Vatican Daughter questions the intersection between faith and moral integrity. Iraci challenges readers to think about the complexities of human nature and the moral dilemmas that can arise in the search for power and control. The book invites reflection on the implications of corruption and the quest for redemption within one of the world’s most influential religious institutions. Vatican Daughter would make an excellent and engaging movie. The intensity of this novel is difficult to describe. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy stories that make readers think as much as they enjoy the thrills. It’s worthy of more than five stars.
Vatican Daughter by Joni Marie Iraci is a captivating novel that dives into the secretive and often scandalous corridors of the Vatican. Iraci skillfully combines history, mystery, and suspense, blending authentic historical insights with imaginative storytelling. It offers readers a powerful narrative with intricate plots and well-developed characters, ensuring a riveting read from start to finish. The story centers on a complex web of secrets within the Vatican walls, exploring themes of power, betrayal, and redemption. It follows multiple characters whose lives intertwine around a series of mysterious events that reveal deep-seated corruption within the Church. Iraci’s portrayal of the Vatican’s internal politics is provocative and eye-opening, shedding light on the potential dark sides of religious institutions.
The pacing is perfect, with Joni Marie Iraci balancing the suspense and depth of character development. Each chapter ends with a hook that drives the story forward, making it hard to put down. Vatican Daughter questions the intersection between faith and moral integrity. Iraci challenges readers to think about the complexities of human nature and the moral dilemmas that can arise in the search for power and control. The book invites reflection on the implications of corruption and the quest for redemption within one of the world’s most influential religious institutions. Vatican Daughter would make an excellent and engaging movie. The intensity of this novel is difficult to describe. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy stories that make readers think as much as they enjoy the thrills. It’s worthy of more than five stars.
April 21, 2025
Vatican Daughter had me so enthralled I couldn’t put the book down, and I read the first fifty chapters in one sitting. The next day, the subterfuges and complicated plot kept creeping into my thoughts, so I had to sit down to read through to the end.
Joni Iraci does a masterful job of introducing a myriad of characters and balancing their stories. As each character develops, the reader begins to understand their backgrounds and why they play the roles they do in the novel.
The author’s love for Venice shines through as she brings the city to life for the reader. She obviously has done thorough research into the story’s locations and into church scandals and intrigues. The result is an interesting page-turner that both educates and appalls the reader if, as the writer indicates in her notes, there have been similar incidents in the true history of the church in Rome.
Joni Iraci does a masterful job of introducing a myriad of characters and balancing their stories. As each character develops, the reader begins to understand their backgrounds and why they play the roles they do in the novel.
The author’s love for Venice shines through as she brings the city to life for the reader. She obviously has done thorough research into the story’s locations and into church scandals and intrigues. The result is an interesting page-turner that both educates and appalls the reader if, as the writer indicates in her notes, there have been similar incidents in the true history of the church in Rome.
April 29, 2025
Vatican Daughter feels like a very timely and interesting read these days, as the hidden world of the Vatican has been on my mind since seeing Conclave—and even more so following the recent death of the Pope. The author crafts a suspenseful story based on the true events surrounding the 1859 kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, a young child abducted from his Jewish family by Pope Pius IX. This novel does a great job of balancing the significance of that history with the author’s own unique characters, storytelling ability, and narrative voice. I have a personal relationship with Venice, so it was especially wonderful to spend some time there thanks to the author’s immersive descriptions and world-building. I admired the descriptions of Rome and Chile as well. This is a fast-paced, satisfying read for readers of historical fiction and thriller/suspense novels!
June 13, 2025
Vatican Daughter definitely left a lasting impression. It was certainly thrilling with each chapter leaving you wanting more. Including great historical facts mixed with spine tingling fiction. Without giving to much away you get to see what even the Popes people are willing to do and hide and a mother desperately wanting the truth.
September 25, 2024
Fast paced, engaging action, with a few plot twists kept me turning the pages past bedtime. Characters were well-developed, and the action was nicely balanced with scenes and scents of some of my favorite places (especially Rome and Venice). A worthy read!
October 3, 2024
What a great book (especially if you like Italy and Intrigue!) I loved the fast-paced story and the all the main characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. It was really 'unputdownable' and well researched.
April 25, 2025
💯💯💯💯💯💯
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 21, 2025 I didn't finish this book. Got bored, because the story was a bit too slow for my liking. I got bored, and when I get bored with a book, I quickly lose interest.
April 27, 2025
Excellent! Could not put down.
The terraces and beautiful gardens I could smell the sweetness of the flowers. Great summer read. Sunglasses and Vatican Daughter the perfect summer pairing.
The terraces and beautiful gardens I could smell the sweetness of the flowers. Great summer read. Sunglasses and Vatican Daughter the perfect summer pairing.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews