The Popes Butcher, Joseph C. Gioconda
The Popes Butcher, Joseph C. Gioconda
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The Pope's Butcher
Based on the True Story of a Serial Killer in the Medieval Vatican

Author: Joseph C. Gioconda

Narrator: Matthew Weilding and Carole Carpenter

Unabridged: 10 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/03/2021


Synopsis

A #1 Amazon best-seller one week after its release, The Pope's Butcher is not only a hair-raising work of suspense and espionage, but an astonishing account of religion and the occult in the Middle Ages.

★ Synopsis ★

Abandoned as a child and raised by the Church, young Sebastian works tirelessly in his pursuit of priesthood. But when a shadowy hooded figure serves him with a summons, his careful plans face a turning point. It appears his name has drawn the attention of the Inquisition and his attendance is commanded at once--for retribution, information, or something else, he does not know.

Father Heinrich Institoris the Grand Inquisitor is lauded as a visionary man, driven by a burning desire to cleanse the world of Eve's original sin by eradicating witches. As Inquisition courts bloom across Europe, he vows to leave no stone unturned, no hovel unexamined, and no woman alive, in his search for justice.

As the Inquisitor's violent mission unfolds, Sebastian embarks on a quest through dank crypts, crumbling abbeys, and the darkest depravities known to man. Torn between duty and love when he encounters the beautiful pagan Brigantia, he fights to uncover the truth: of his past abandonment, the power of the occult, and just how far he'll go to protect the Church he loves. A Church that is harboring deadly secrets.

With an intriguing writing tone and a talent to create suspense and mystery from true events, Joseph C. Gioconda delivers a shocking story of serial murders within the Catholic Church. In writing his first novel, he has interviewed leading scholars in the U.S. and Europe and hired professional researchers to comb through newly discovered source material from Germany and Italy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Deacon Tom on March 06, 2022

I might have to say I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, thoroughly researched – – A spellbinding read. I enjoyed it so much because of the writing. The writing captures the reader and takes one on a journey with one hell of an ending. I must tell leaders in advance that it was a bit bloody......more

Goodreads review by Irene Well Worth A Read on July 14, 2021

Sebastian can barely remember his mother, though he remembers being sent away as a child. Raised by the church he feels duty bound to become a priest, and he reluctantly takes on a mission to search out and retrieve occult books to bring back to the Inquisitor and to learn how deep the "problem" of......more

Goodreads review by Lex on June 15, 2021

"The Pope's Butcher" by Joseph P. Gioconda is a thrilling work of fiction inspired by true historical figures and events in the 15th Century. The story is not only a hair-raising work of suspense and espionage, but an astonishing account of religion and the occult at the beginning of the Roman Inqui......more

Goodreads review by Deana on June 13, 2021

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily. Abandoned at a young age, Sebastian knows only the ways of the Church who took him in, so when he is called before the Inquisition for a job, his path lies clear before him. Father Heinrich Institoris, the Grand Inquisitor, is hot on......more

Goodreads review by Lilly on May 30, 2021

Wonderful writing style for a first novel. A few comments (good first, bad second): First, the author clearly knew his stuff. The locations and dates were spot on. I was very impressed that he had clearly spent time researching. 5 stars for that. Second, I remained interested as the chapters were shor......more