Just when you think that one of the best spy-thriller writers of our time can’t top himself, along comes Daniel Silva with the showstopper, THE ORDER.

Pope Paul VII has died suddenly under suspicious circumstances in his private quarters in the Vatican. Earlier that evening, he was writing at his study desk and mentioned to his private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati, as he was leaving that he had an important personal letter that he wanted Donati to deliver to Gabriel Allon. The director of Israeli intelligence, Gabriel had become friends with the pope and Donati as allies in world affairs.

When Donati receives an urgent call to return immediately to the Vatican, he rushes back to find a cadre of highly placed papal staff standing around the body of the pope. He is on his bed, still dressed in his soutane, hands clasped prayerfully around his rosary. Donati searches for and finds no sign of the letter that the pope had been writing concerning a newly discovered rare book. He immediately calls Gabriel with the news that the pope is dead, and circumstances point to foul play. Gabriel abruptly leaves Tel Aviv on the pretense of a vacation with his family at his wife’s hometown of Venice and meets with Donati.

"This absorbing read offers intrigue, but more than that, it is a remarkable historical treasure, reminiscent of James Michener and Herman Wouk --- all at just over 400 pages."

Upheavals in the Roman Catholic Church date back to the fourth century, the first time that a written history of Christianity appears, but not since 1981 had there been an attempt to assassinate a pope. Any suspicion in the death of a sitting pope must be handled with great delicacy and secrecy. But who among the Vatican staff could Donati trust? Growing unrest among a group of European priests belonging to a right-wing secret society known as the Order of St. Helena becomes the prime target of the investigation.

The centuries-old tradition known as the conclave will commence within the prescribed number of days when the selected cardinals will convene to elect a new pope. Donati convinces Gabriel that he suspects a plot to elect enough bishops and archbishops swayed by the dogmas of the Order to lead the Church down a path not seen since World War II.  

Part two of the book is titled "Ecce Homo," which is Latin for "Behold the Man" (lest you’ve forgotten your Nietzsche), and begins what is perhaps Silva’s most meticulously researched work. Not only is the novel a page-turning thriller, it could serve as the theological and civics instruction I paid only enough attention to in school to barely maintain my grade point average.

Silva states in his foreword that Pope Paul VII is a fictitious figure who has appeared in prior novels and that the missing rare book does not exist. THE ORDER not only is framed around the search for the truth about the demise of a murdered prelate, but also is a fascinating history of the uneasy relationship between Christians and Jews. You will learn much and as a bonus be thoroughly entertained.

As the media is overloaded with nothing but doom and gloom as the pandemic plus an upcoming presidential election flood the airwaves, how can a work of this stature be brought to the attention of the public? Talk shows? Book signings at major stores? Gone. Kaput. If there was a rooftop from which to shout it, I would grab a megaphone and yell, "GET THIS BOOK!" This absorbing read offers intrigue, but more than that, it is a remarkable historical treasure, reminiscent of James Michener and Herman Wouk --- all at just over 400 pages. THE ORDER is the standout novel of the year, despite being overshadowed by current events.

My advice: Turn off the TV and bury your nose in this book. You will feel much better for having done so.