The Priest of Santa Maria

The Beginning of the End #1

by Alexandra Kleanthous

A Catholic priest fresh out of the seminary. A mysterious woman running from a dangerous past. A secret they must protect at all costs.

Christiano is obliged to act as the temporary minister of a small town convent. There he meets the captivating Angelica who, unknown to him, has been seeking refuge at the convent under the supervision of the abbess. Within a month, sparks ignite between them, but the abbess intervenes, demanding Christiano leave the convent before she reports his conduct to the Monsignor. Little do they know his timely arrival is about to clash with Angelica’s dangerous past. This leads to catastrophic events that shatter the very foundations of the convent and change the lives of all involved.

Forced to flee the abbey, destiny throws them together on a journey they cannot refuse. Pursued by a malevolent alliance intent on capturing Angelica, dead or alive, they face insurmountable danger as they race across Italy to keep her and the secret safe.

The Priest of Santa Maria is the first in the upmarket thriller trilogy by Alexandra Kleanthous. If you like fast-paced action and a gripping tale, then you’ll love this original and exciting debut novel that’s filled with page-turning suspense, plus a little romance thrown in for good measure.

Download The Priest of Santa Maria today and join Christiano and Angelica on their momentous chase across Italy!

Genres: Fiction

427 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2019

Reviews

[Michelle]

Review to follow!

[Jane]

I was asked to review this novel by Lovereading.co.uk

I was really glad I have read this - please note this is book one of a trilogy so if the ending is a little abrupt, readers are in for a treat in the next two books of this religious thriller - I cannot wait to continue this suspense of this story. I had to keep reading on till the end.

the story starts with a ancient parchment and a secret that could rock the foundations of the church.
There is Father Christiano who tours this church admiring the ecclesiastical art and the tranquillity of this church. Paths are crossed when he meets Angelica a mysterious lady and thus begins a journey and quest across Italy to keep the secret safe, faced by insurmountable danger along the way. The reader races along with them on this journey too with suspense along the way.

The author writes well and descriptions ensure the reader is enthralled along the way. There is also a bit of romance thrown into the mix also.

Well recommended and am now looking out for possible dates for the second book release.

[Mille]

Finished this book in 2 sittings! Very good thriller. Nice cat and mouse action; there is history, mystery, intrigue, and revenge, In the first in this religious thriller trilogy. Definitely enjoyed the book. You will root for Father Cristiano, you will get wrapped up in the biblical references, in the believable and unbelievable, the faith and the fury, the corruption, The who can I trust factor, those willing to help, and those that are out to hurt. Can’t wait to see what happens in book 2 and. book 3. The ending definitely was a cliffhanger. Travel through Italy, the Catholic Church, the Italian mafia, and those that found themselves unwittingly ensnared in a life they did not expect.

[Barry Palmer]

An entertaining read

I saw this book advertised and was intrigued by the plot so I downloaded the sample and was hooked. I bought the book but didn't read it straight away as I was reading a book for the book club I am in. For varying reasons some months passed before I got around to reading it so I started from the beginning again and was drawn by the plot and the characters. I found it a really good read and will be looking out for the next book by this author. Well done on your cracking debut novel.

[FRED GARTNER]

A good read

This book is an exciting and nice story. The characters are beyond any that I have come across from other books. The one thing that is outrageous is the central characters of the priest, Christiano, and the pregnant Angelica. The author should have been advised that a priest will always be one till he dies. I do not understand why all authors seem to think that a cardinal from the church makes a good nefarious character in their books. There have been women who have conceived like Angelica in the book without the aid of conceiving without a man in the process.
I did not like the ending. I would have preferred a more kinder one.
Yet when you consider all the book in its entirety, I recommend it and not look for anything but a pleasurable and entertaining story .

[Richard Brulotte]

Any fiction book having to deal with anything Catholic Church related gets my attention. Needless to say I was hooked as soon as I saw the word "Priest" in the title. In spite of wordiness and often over dramatic descriptions of what was happening in a scene and some stilted dialogue, I kept reading to discover what new twists the author was going to add in the development of the plot. Characters were well defined and I liked them all. Yes, the plot is a little far fetched, but that is definitely the norm of any book trying to develop a story line using the bible as source material. The plot is definitely different from most books dealing with the Catholic Church and I will look forward to volume 2 of the series with hopes that the second book's writing will improve that much more with the author having her first book out of the way.

[AtomicBooks]

I didn’t realise when I started this book that it was the first one in a trilogy so when I got to the end I was quite disappointed as it ended quite abruptly, which was something I wasn’t ready for. Now I understand that there will be a further two books, I feel better about the ending. As is it part of a trilogy though I find it quite hard to write a fair review because I feel that the story hasn’t finished and I’d be commenting on only part of the book. What I can say though this is a fast paced well written religious thriller, and I think it will be enjoyed by readers of this particular genre.

[gillian]

Loved it.

If I'm being honest I felt the start of the book was a bit disjointed. The author was obviously laying the groundwork of the characters and story but it did not flow very well in my opinion. However stick with it she certainly finds her rhythm and produces an amazing story, brilliant characters and historical reference. I love that she is not scared to go the full hog with her idea and takes it to the next level. All too often authors of this genre leave you with, maybe, could be, possibly, whereas Ms Kleanthous lays it out and delivers. So looking forward to the next instalment.

[Annette Mordec]

Interesting....

What to say, this story surprised me to say the least. It is not how I would imagine the second coming.
One thing I agree with is too many corrupted people in high positions inside the church.
Another is you can believe in God but don't have to believe in the church.
As for the story it is not a bad read, bit far fetched , but written well.
Let's see how part 2 goes with a girl messiah.

[Colleen Maclennan]

The book started off quite intriguingly and then became convoluted. The mafia characters seemed more like the Keystone cops with all their careless mistakes. The priest was also either a super human or showed his incompetency in some of his actions. The plot became far fetched at times . I finished as I wanted to see how this cat and mouse ended .

[gj indieBRAG]

We are proud to announce that THE PRIEST OF SANTA MARIA (The Beginning of the End # 1) by Alexandra Kleanthous has been honored with the B.R.A.G. Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.

[Mailmanr5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Didn't know what to expect. Pretty good characters and a can't-miss plot. Dialogue reasonably realistic.

[Eileen]

Well written and god plot. Loved this book would recommend.