They stole it. He’s going to take it back—by force.
In October 1943, Hitler’s SS troops surrounded Rome’s Jewish Ghetto and plundered the Jews’ most precious heritage: two ancient libraries containing unique books and manuscripts dating from before the birth of Christ, from the time of the Caesars, the emperors, and the early popes.
The Nazi ambassador to the Vatican reported to his masters in … popes.
The Nazi ambassador to the Vatican reported to his masters in Berlin that the looting and deportations took place ‘under the Pope’s windows’.
Now, Rex Dalton and his wife, Catia, and Digger, their military dog, set out on a quest to find the stolen libraries and return them to the Jewish community of Rome.
But before long, they cross paths with modern-day Nazi diehards, anti-Semites, and a secret organization of super-rich elite who will kill to keep the past a secret.
more
In Donna Teresa, Rex and Catia, and Chris and Melissa become couples and, at the end, it left us wondering what the future has in store for them. In the opening scenes of Under The Pope’s Window, we find both couples have become engaged and Rex and Catia are planning their wedding. Things are moving too slowly for Rex, so he changes the game plan with a surprise wedding aboard the TOMATS. In the eight months following their wedding day, which included a bliss filled seven week honeymoon touring Europe on their motorbikes, no trouble requiring Rex and Digger’s help crossed their path. Rex thought and believe that he had finally found the life of peace that he had wanted. Of course, we know that it’s only a matter of time before trouble finds them. This time it was Catia’s desire to locate the Jewish books stolen by the Nazis during World War Two and returning them to their rightful place that leads them into harm’s way.
Like all Rex Dalton Thrillers, Under The Popes Window is an action packed read, but, mostly, the action is more cerebral than physical. None-the-less, like all the books in the series leading up to this one, it’s a fast-paced, page-turning read. They say that truth is stranger than fiction, which may or may not be true. What is true is that I have never read historical truths presented in a more interesting and entertaining fashion. The action that we expect from a Rex Dalton thriller happens during the last third of this read where it starts with the torture and murder of two people playing key roles in helping Rex and Catia in locating the stolen Jewish libraries.
In the last third of Under The Popes Window, the action carries the story to its ultimate climax like a run-away freight train on a downhill slope. Rex and Catia recover the stolen libraries and return them to their rightful owners. Their success didn’t come easy. It seemed like all the cards were stacked against them and they would fail. To find out how they pulled it off, read the book. As we leave Rex and Catia this time, they are planning a trip to America to attend Josh and Melissa’s wedding. I’m headed to the next book in this dynamite series, The Shanghai Strain, to find out what lies in store for Rex, Catia, Josh, and Melissa.
This book in the series had a lot of background and history but it was very interesting and I loved it.
Under The Pope’s Windows (a Rex Dalton Thriller) is a non-stop roller coaster ride from the first page. Newlyweds Rex and Catia, along with Digger, an exceptional dog, are trying to find the two lost libraries, The Biblioteca della Communita Israelitica (Library of the Jewish community of Rome) and the Biblioteca del Collegio Rabbinico Italiano, (Italian Rabbinical College Library). Both were taken by the Nazis during WWII. As they search for them, the Dalton’s will have to enlist the help of the CRC and the Mossad to assist them. Follow along on their journey through Europe on their search for these libraries. If you like historical fiction and thrillers, you will love this fascinating read. I highly recommend this book. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
High energy adventure
This was like reading a very active historical adventure. There was so much energy in the writing, I was totally engaged in this story that was an ‘on the go’ hunt for historical artifacts. There also was plenty of suspense with unknown bad guys and I loved the counter surveillance that was going on to figure out who the bad guys were.
The writing had an excellent flow to it, the characters had great dialogue with plenty of witty banter to give it that realistic feel. Characters were hard core, but down to earth. There were a lot of people involved from present day to the past so the reader needs to pay attention to keep track of everyone. The descriptions throughout the book of their locations were great, the details were very well done and painted a great picture for the reader. This is a stand alone story but there are prior books in the series that the author did a good job of getting the reader caught up with who is who.
Highly recommend, I am looking forward to going back and reading the series from the start. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed.
Another great book by this author. I’ve read a few by him and each one has been great. Fast paced full of suspense and the characters are really great!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love this series of books!!
Very well written.