The Order

This gripping new novel from internationally famous #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva stars renowned spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon.

By the time he crawled into bed, it was almost one in the morning. Chiara was lost in a book and didn't notice the muted television. There was a live image of St. Peter's Basilica on the television. After turning up the music, Gabriel discovered that an old buddy had passed away.

Gabriel Allon, together with his spouse and two small children, has stealthily entered Venice for a much-needed vacation. However, Archbishop Luigi Donati, the devoted private secretary of the Holy Father, calls Gabriel to Rome after the unexpected death of Pope Paul VII. It has been announced to a billion Catholics that the pope passed away from a heart attack. Nonetheless, Donati has two solid grounds for believing his teacher was killed. On the eve of the pope's death, the Swiss Guard was stationed outside the papal apartments and is now AWOL. This also applies to the letter that the Holy Father was composing in the last moments of his life. A letter written with Gabriel in mind.

During my investigation at the Vatican Secret Archives, I discovered an incredible book.

This long-suppressed gospel casts doubt on the veracity of the New Testament's account of one of the most significant historical events in human history. The Order of St. Helena will do everything it takes to keep it out of Gabriel's hands just because of that. The Order is a mysterious Catholic organization that has connections to the far-right movement in Europe and is attempting to take over the pope. And that's only the start.

Gabriel begins a desperate hunt for evidence of the Order's plot and a long-lost gospel that has the ability to end two millennia of deadly animosity as the cardinals assemble in Rome for the beginning of the conclave. He will travel to several locations on his journey, including the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, an Assassin monastery, the Secret Archives' hidden depths, and the Sistine Chapel, where he will see a sacred ceremony that no outsider has ever witnessed: the handing of the Keys of St. Peter to a freshly elected pope.

The Order is a fast-paced, beautifully portrayed book that will captivate readers from the very beginning to the shocking conclusion. It's a book about faith and camaraderie in a dangerous and unsettling world. And it is further evidence that Daniel Silva is the best suspense and international intrigue writer of his generation.