The Mystery of Julia Episcopa

The Vatican Chronicles #1

by John I. Rigoli, Diane Cummings

In ancient Rome, a woman flees for her life. Her enemies are those she once called 'brother'. Hidden beneath her blue cloak are secrets men will kill for - forgeries that prove the newly self-appointed bishops are not followers of the way, but pretenders who have seized power and will stop at nothing to shape this new religion to their own ends. Now, Julia - a woman who had once walked with Mary Magdalene and taught alongside Paul must preserve the legacy of the apostles in the face of terrifying danger.

Two thousand years later, classical archaeologists Valentina Vella and Erika Simone are tasked with advising the newly-elected Pope on the historical legacy of women in the early Christian period. The women stumble across an ancient parchment buried deep in the Vatican archives, a document that has clearly been altered. They find themselves on the trail of a woman who may have been the first woman Bishop in the Catholic faith. To reveal Julia's legacy will put them in the cross-hairs of a venomous Vatican battle for power and supremacy; to stay silent would make them complicit in an ancient heresy and would betray the teachings that Julia sacrificed her life to defend.

'The Mystery of Julia Episcopa' weaves seamlessly between modern day Rome and the politics of the Catholic church, and the times and life of a 1st century Roman noblewoman who rose to be a dominant force in the early Christian movement.

"An inventive--and highlybelievable--biblical revisionist tale." - Kirkus Reviews

"...well written, intriguing and inspiring...The Mystery of Julia Episcopa is a great beginning to a promising conspiracy series." - ReadersFavorite (5 star review)

"...an unexpectedly moving mystery." - AudioBookReviewer (ABR Reviewer's Choice Award Winner)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Religion, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Amazon, Historical Mystery

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2018

About the author

Diane Cummings is a California girl, a UCLA alum, and is currently sweating in Atlanta, Georgia, with the world’s smallest Persian cat. Diane has worked as a reporter and news director. Deciding that truth was too much stranger than fiction, she turned in her microphone and press pass and set about applying her passion for writing and editing to the world of literature. Diane has edited or ghostwritten more than fifty titles – and now she wants her name on the cover. The Vatican Chronicle Trilogy has encompassed six years of research, writing, and polishing and she hopes you enjoy Book 1 – The Mystery of Julia Episcopa as much as she has enjoyed writing it.

John Ignatius Rigoli’s experiences as both a cradle Catholic and former US Naval officer informed his world view in a rather unexpected manner, opening his eyes to the proposition that those who seek power are the last people who should hold it. John is an unabashed social justice advocate, outspoken liberal, and a patriot – and sees no dichotomy in this. As a talented and inquisitive amateur historian, John became interested in the stories of the earliest women in the catholic church, and how they have been erased. Though a work of historical fiction, The Vatican Chronicles takes its inspiration from the real women throughout history who toiled unacknowledged alongside their brothers.

Reviews

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! As a retired professional archaeologist, I was afraid this book would make archaeologists into yet another Indiana Jones. I found instead an interesting read into the workings of real life Biblical/classical archaeologists and an even better story of the early Christian church and Rome. I can't wait for the second book!

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this to be nonsensical. It turns out to be more like a mean girls adventure rather than serious attempt to uncover church history that included women in bishopric but now hidden.
I will have to find a better book for Good Friday.
I did like the premise of book and expected something better.

[Kath B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really surprised about the rave reviews for this book. Whilst it is a great idea for a story, I felt the writing and the plot left a lot to be desired. I liked the way in which the book was played out in two parts i.e. the first century AD (Herculaneum, Rome and Ephesus) and the present day (Ostia and Rome) but, for me it felt like reading a quick chic lit novel. What could have been the key parts of the book i.e. the introduction of major biblical figures - St Peter, St Paul and Mary Magdalene - were, frustratingly, skated over without any depth of plot or description. It was almost as though the authors had decided to play it easy with the text rather than develop the story the way it should have been developed. The tension was raised in the last few chapters as some of the characters had to make decisions that could impact on the future of the Church, but again, I felt the authors deliberately avoided the best possible plot line in order to take the story forward in future books. Overall very disappointing.

[Kay D. Deely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be missed

I loved this book. History fascinates me and the 'fictionalization' of history especially fascinates me. Who's to say it's all fiction?

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if I'll ever get tired of Vatican-skulduggery stories. I hope not. Archaeology plus ancient history equaling a black eye for one of the greatest forces for evil ever devised by man...christianity as a whole is what I mean...in a present hag-ridden by its rotting zombie corpse never palls.

Two modern archaeologists, Erika and Valentina, discover suppressed evidence of a woman bishop's existence in early christian days. Setting out to discover what they can about her is obviously going to be fraught...the catholic church is hostile to the merest whisper of women in positions of power, triply so in its own hierarchy...and more dangerous than even that baseline because their funding comes from a mustachio-twirling baddie in the form of Cardinal Ricci, a Central Casting Villain of the most amusingly OTT sort.

The generally christian-positive message of Julia Lucinia Aquiliana coming to be Julia Episcopa is tied up with the most famous moment in Roman history: Vesuvius erupting and burying Pompeii in 79CE. It acts as the major, defining moment of the past timeline in the novel, and in the present as the moment these two woman archaeologists understand what they have on their hands: The literal smoking...gun, you should forgive, in the quest to prove women have been calculatedly written out of church history.

This being my own assumption about history more broadly, I'm all invested and on board.

Still and all, this is a literary pleasure for me, and its positive religious overtones put me off.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise is intriguing: what if a WOMAN was a bishop in the early Christian Church? What if this fact had been erased by the male hierarchy?

It is a fact that the Catholic Church, present and past, is a sexist organization. In this book, two female present-day archeologists discover a scroll in the Vatican archives whose tag has been altered to read “Julius Episcopus.” The archeologists discover that it actually says “Julia Episcopa.” Have they found evidence of a FEMALE early church leader? As the two archeologists ask for funding from a high-ranking church official to find out more about this early church leader, they have to omit the fact that they are actually hunting for a woman.

The alternate storyline begins w/ Julia Lucinia Aquilliana, her two daughters, and her steward fleeing Herculaneum in AD 79 b/c Mt. Vesuvius is about to blow, which it does. We learn about Julia’s life: how her marriage begins, then unravels, and how she becomes involved w/ the new Christian sect, and then becomes a leader. I prefer the chapters about Julia to the current-day ones, b/c Cardinal Ricci, The financier of the archeological dig to find Julia, is just such a menacing character.

The archeologists find Julia, but all does not end happily, for either the archeologists or Julia herself. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to its sequel. 4.4 stars, round down to 4.

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

History seems to have a way of being rewritten to fit what those seeking it wishes us to read for there own gains. In this historical fiction surrounding one of the biggest taboo's still to this day is the history of women and their roles as religious leaders in the Catholic religion. In this story we find two women archeologist tasked with finding any reference to females in the Church hierarchy. When they discover a corrected scroll mislabeled in the Vatican archives, they find themselves on the trail of a young roman woman who could be the first women bishop in the Catholic faith. Can they share their findings with the world without being labeled a man-hating feminist or have their careers destroyed by those who refuse to believe their conclusions? In this fantastic tale of Julia, we follow her life from pampered daughter in Rome to her unfulfilling marriage and her desire to spread the word of Jesus. #Netgalley #Goodreads

[John Rigoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author, I think it's fabulous!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredible book!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Mystery of Julia Episcopa" takes place in both modern-day and ancient Rome. Two researchers have found evidence of a female bishop in the early Christian church, and they want to learn more about her. Of course, the modern-day Catholic church doesn't want this information to get out, so Valentina and Erika are at odds with the very organization funding their project.

This book was pretty good in terms of historical detail, as well as how modern archaeology is conducted. However, the dialogue was somewhat stilted in the modern portions (dropping Italian phrases in when it was understood they were speaking Italian was another oddity) -- and I was jolted right out of the book when one of the ancient characters, a Gallic slave named Milo, said "Okay." This term was not even coined until the 19th C., and no ancient Roman would have used it.

Of course, there's also the typical "Christian redemption story," in which pagan noblewoman Julia Lucinia is led to the new religion by her modest slave.

Four stars for good research, all the same.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A woman flees Vesuvius. Two thousand years later, three female archaeologists discover her writings that could change the history of the Catholic church.

Dan Brown lite.

[Beth Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

I read this in one sitting and found it to be a fascinating theory. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.

[Don Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rollicking good read.
Fabulous insights into 1st century culture, travel, behavior and concerns.
Not being an archaeologically-literate historian, I must assume that much of the finer details are accurately portrayed - they seemed genuine!
What comes across clearly is the belief that human intrigue, greed and self-serving behavior was part of the Roman Catholic church's legacy from the very beginning.
While strongly supporting the Scriptural belief that we are all one in Christ and that gifted women have equal abilities to those of gifted men, I'm not quite as convinced that the suppression of women leaders in the Catholic church happened quite like this.
I was particularly saddened at the false portrayal of the true message of the Gospel preached by Paul and Peter and others in the first century. It is unlikely - dare say impossible - for people who were merely following the words of a dead prophet and who were full of greed, intrigue and a bit of philanthropy to stay true to their beliefs through the persecution of the Romans.
Their faith was rooted - unshakably - in the sure knowledge of the resurrected Christ who died for their sins, rose again, ascended to heaven and sent His Spirit to indwell them and empower them to preach that Jesus Christ was - and is - the only way to God.

[Amber - Eat, Tan, Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fantastic Read!!

I truly enjoyed every part of this book! I really liked the back and forth between going into the first century with Julia and back to today with the archeologists discovering her. Getting drawn into Julia's life and her struggles. You just want to fight right along with her. I love archeology and this did not disappoint. I left the Catholic church many years ago because I felt that organized religion is full of corruption and I didn't feel right belonging to a church that puts women subsurvient to men. I always felt that was not what it was meant to become. This book really played along on those lines and I just ate it up like candy and didn't want to stop reading. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

[Renee Yancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting. And I like the idea of two time periods, such as The Plague Tales by Ann Benson, an amazing read.

Unfortunately, I think this book was published too early. The authors weren't ready. There are so many "beginning writer" errors. Use of passive voice. Too many weasel words, e.g. "just." Stilted dialogue. Weak characterization. The manuscript needed a professional editor. Writing a novel is hard work. As a writer myself, I applaud the authors for actually finishing a manuscript. But that is only the first step. I hope the authors will continue to work on honing their craft.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down. The book presents two intermittent stories. One is of a Roman woman (AD 79) who started following Christianity and rose to an important religious role during the early days. The second story is of two female archeologists (present day) who find this woman's tomb and evidence of her role in the church. The latter part of the book also tells the story of how the Roman Catholic church tried to cover up their find fearing that women would demand entrance to the priesthood. There is much more to this book than my review covers but I did not want to spoil it for anyone.

[Adriana Barroso Bartholo Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. I was expecting a Historical Novel but the research of the time period proposed as part of the setting seemed lacking, degrading the story from a historical perspective. Present time dialogs and introduction of characters and their relationships was shallow and confused, which made difficult to relate or even like any of the characters. It was a good idea. The execution could have been a lot better.

[Kat Starwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling Read

Lots of great historical information, interwoven with a mostly believable narrative. I say ‘mostly’, because, in my opinion, at least some of the narrative was anachronistic. In other words, although the chronology alternated between the present day and 2,000 years ago, there was terminology, several idioms, and phrases that were utilized by the authors for that time period that were not coined until much later.

Still, compelling read.

[Shelly Lincoln · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a better book - the premise is interesting and there is enough historical accuracy to beg the question, what is fiction and what is real? But the writing is juvenile and most of the characters are two dimensional stereotypes. The idea of a female bishop in the Church is intriguing but the conspiracy to hide the truth plot is overdone in general and not well done here.

[Connie Willegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much we can only speculate

Grabbed me right from the start. Historical fiction with Biblical history...so interesting. As a Catholic I was further intrigued by the involvement and leadership of women in the development of our Church. Provocative ideas....there is so much we can only speculate.

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing book

The story was incomplete and poorly written. The ending came too abruptly but the book overall did not leave me with enough interest to signup for a sequel. This had potential but was a sad waste of time.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting idea and story. Transition between timelines was smooth.

[Penny Cipolone · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rather banal story about the search for a female Catholic bishop during the first century. A quick read by littered with mistakes and side stories that go nowhere. Not highly recommended.

[Valerie Campbell Ackroyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing and thought provoking

As a feminist who has belonged to two of the most patriarchal churches in history—one of which is the Roman Catholic Church—this book brought me close to tears. Although it is fiction, so much of its story, about a Roman noblewoman in the first century who follows the teachings of Paul and ultimately becomes Christianity’s first woman bishop, resonated very strongly with me. I have been studying the New Testament this year and pondering women’s roles in it. Feeling that things have been tampered with, suppressed.
As I said, this work is “fiction” and therefore not prove able. And some of it is impossible to substantiate. It would have been stronger if "real" things could have been added. I fact checked a few things, like a reference to a painting, "The Ecstasy of St. Monica" and could find no such painting. And then a reference to wills being stored in "Vestal Virgins." I looked up the Vestal Virgins and it was a temple in the first century, I don't think it was a place to store legal documents. Small things but it would have been so much better to put real paintings in and real buildings (I am happy to be proven wrong if someone else CAN find a website that proves these two references are real.) Because of so much fiction in the book, some will say it is a good story, nothing more. But, for me, I believe that there WAS a cover up in the early Christian Church that essentially cut women off from leadership roles and enshrined men and only men as leaders.
I read the last 200 pages in a day, having put the book on my Kindle shelf for a few weeks while I read other books for book clubs and to fulfill library due date expectations :)

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

79 AD, Herculaneum, Italy, Julia Lucinia Episcopa & her 2 daughters: Livia & Flavia were going to the markets.
“Scribe” (scribe, old man) is going to accompany them.
The volcano Vesuvius was spewing again.
Herculaneum (small community) could be in grave danger now.
Neapolis (house steward) & Yarrow (family dog) climbed aboard the boat also.

The explosion was deafening.
Modern day, Rome, Italy. Vatican. Valentina Vella (f, PhD, scientist, archeologist, linguistics) & Erika Simone (BFF/colleague, PhD, scientist, archeologist) were reading some of the Ancient Manuscripts.
Each scroll had a tag attached signifying the writer.
96 AD, Herculaneum villa. Julia Episcopa (upper class Roman, District of Trastevere) had written the majority of the documents.
Cardinal Antonio Ricci had hired Valentina & Erika to transcribe in a climate controlled underground facility.
The 2 girls later founded Valeri Laboratorio di Conservazione.
Augustine had raised hell that woman were not qualified to be Bishops or any other clergy for that matter.
Le Châble (mountainside village), Switzerland. Luca Pallavicini & Valentina had met & quickly fell in love.
Over dinner Valentina shared with Luca her newest venture.
57 AD, Rome, Italy. Vesia Lucinia was trying to calm her 2 daughter Julia down.
Julia was hoping she would be able to please Marcus Aquillius (30, suitor).
Gavius (father) had arranged the marriage for her.

Marcos announced on the alter he had more important things to tend to.
Gavius intervened & the 2 got married.
Draco (house steward) was going to show Julia around the house.
Jerusalem (capital), Israel. 13 yrs. ago Yigael Dorian (Jewish, widower, PhD Cambridge U; archaeology/linguistics, former Israel Defense Forces) wife Ruth, & son Abel were killed in a café bomb explosion.
Joining up with Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) & the Kidon counter-terrorist unit he became a covert operative.
Paris, France. Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center (St. Jacques Boulevard) Valentina greeted Yigael.
Lasserre restaurant. The maître d’ took their orders.
The IAA had given Yigael the postion of Deputy Director, & Sr. Excavating & Research Archaeologist.
Professor Jacques Ignatius who joined the group was also a Mossad intelligence operative.
57 AD, Rome, Italy. What happened to Quintus (slave, Cassia’s lover)?
Anna-Marie Mannes, Philippe Gaston, & Carol Connors were going to help with the manuscripts.
59 AD, Ostia. Julia told Marcus he was going to be a father.
Marcus had some news for her that he was a proconsul & governor of a Roman province in Asia.
Livia was the toddler.
Placidia helped deliver the baby Flavia Marca.
Julia was not doing well.
59 AD, Ephesus. Julia’s mom had died, &her father soon passed away of a broken heart.
Giuseppe Benoni (developmentally disabled) had watched over the ruins of the old synagogue at Ostia Antica for yrs./yrs.

Giuseppe had something he wanted to show Anna-Marie.
Herculaneum, Rome, Italy, Milo (servant) was taking Julia Lucinia Aquillius (Marcus’ wife), to see Marcus Aquillius (Julia’s husband, Imperial Council magistrate).
She caught him with Scribonia (whore).
Gaius Fabii (Marcus’ legal representative) & Julia’s conversation did not go well for her/2 daughters: Livia (21), & Flavia (20).
Lucinia v Aquillius the judge presided over the matter of property rights.
Admilius Paullus Julia’s attorney gave the opening statement.
97 AD, Rome, Italy. What was Bishop Porcius (Esquiline district) upset about?

Will Valentina & Erika solve the riddle for Cardinal Antonio Ricci?
1 of my top 25 books for 2018.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written dual timeline (historical fiction) book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Diego Palomino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great topic

The moral of this story reminds us that very little change has happened in the Catholic Church for two millennia. It is no wonder that many Catholics are flocking to other religions. It’s hard to believe that women who have always played a central role since it’s inception still remain relegated to second class citizens within the power structure of the church. Well written book, looking forward to the next installment.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book thru Goodreads giveaway and with an apology to the writers for waiting so long for a review (Library books were coming at me quite quickly and those had a specific return time table attached to them) This book is essentially about two time periods and three women. One is Julia, a Roman noblewoman who finds faith with a new religion and is persecuted by her old one. She shares her story with two women Valentina Vella and Erika Simone who have found a mysterious scroll of a woman who might have served as a bishop in the new religion. It is a discovery that plays against powerful men in the Vatican who do not want anything to upset the status quo of the Catholic church as it is today.
This book gives a glimpse into both worlds as women fight to have their words heard and their actions acknowledged by a church and the mystery around a scroll that may have indicated that women were very much an active voice in the new Christian movement. As each group tries to bring voice to women in religion there are those who oppose and will do what is necessary to maintain the church as it has been in 2,000 years. Since this is listed as Book 1 - I can only assume that another will come out to flesh out the characters and their fight to bring voices from the past. There is intrigue, deception, murder played out in both eras.
I would agree that fans of The Da Vinci Code will enjoy this historical novel that spans from the days of the Roman Empire through to the present day of the Vatican. There is too much to include that might give away the story. So I say read it and decide for yourself if women should be recognized for their contributions to the church. And what the cost is to bring these voices forward.

[Sue Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

I love history and I love a good mystery. This puts those together in a wonderful way, moving from the early Church to present day, from science to religion. The characters are compelling, the writing is clear. There were some typos in the Kindle edition, but most were just a letter here or there. I'll be interested to see what happens next.

[Linda Himmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Carefully researched, plausible plot, and definitely thought provoking. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[Elles Lohuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject is just so intriguing! The authors did a great job switching between the ages and women - am looking forward to the sequels - with hopefully a little more depth to the characters.