The Galileo Gambit

Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers, Book 6

By: Gary McAvoy, Ronald L. Moore

Narrated by: Will Damron

Father Michael Dominic, prefect of the Vatican Secret Archives in Rome, is entrusted with the mission of transporting the original 17th century trial documents of Galileo to Loyola Law School in Chicago. The stage is set for a modern historical mock trial of Galileo’s original heresy charges, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the legendary event.

In this riveting re-enactment, Galileo’s fate lies in the hands of the Vatican’s current chief prosecutor—a cunning bishop from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith—and his defense, a distinguished law professor harboring a mysterious past. All the while, the Pope’s deteriorating health has the Roman Curia on edge, as ambitious contenders jockey for position in the anticipated papal election.

But the plot thickens when priceless historical exhibits vanish the night before the trial! With no time to lose, Father Michael’s team is forced to divide and conquer, pursuing every lead to recover the stolen treasures. As they face perilous twists and turns, they must also contend with shadowy plots from rival factions.

The stakes are high as Father Michael and his team race against time to uncover the truth behind this pulse-pounding mystery. With hidden agendas emerging from the shadows and help materializing from the most unexpected sources, loyalties are put to the ultimate test.

Hold onto your seats and prepare for a tense ride as Father Michael courageously battles to unravel the enigmatic conspiracy known as The Galileo Gambit.

©2023 Gary McAvoy (P)2023 Gary McAvoy

Five stars

love his stories. keeps me interested. not boring as I find some authors can be

Intrigue

Great listening read, did not disappoint what adventures! Very realistic thank you. Highly recommend complete series,

Well Done!

I have always enjoyed every book in this series. This is as good as the others. Very suspenseful, well developed plot. The characters were all well fleshed out in the plot development. Worried about the pope’s health and what it will do to Michael’s future in the Vatican. To be continued!

The narration was excellent!

Galileo

This is not as good as his previous books ,but still worth reading. Not convincing.

Excellent addition to the Vatican Archives series

I listened to McAvoy's books all at once, like one long novel. This one has excellent twists I didn't see coming. Father Dominic and his squad of helpers plus Kat, a Roma specializing in forgeries, head to Chicago. Since I'm, a Chicago native, I enjoyed the local color McAvoy gave us. I encourage newcomers to the Vatican series to start with the Magdalene trilogy when these characters are introduced.

One question: How do the 2 Vatican Guards get so much time off? They can jet around the world as each mystery unfolds.

Anyway, this is an excellent thriller that kept me guessing. Will the slimy TV evangelist get the documents for his museum? Are they forgeries after all?

Righteous Reprise

With some wild twists and turns this story takes you on a roller coaster ride with a mock trial replay of the Vatican’s inquisition of Galileo. Internal Church conflicts with serious subterfuge threatens to reverse Galileo’s former exoneration in a criminal escapade by renegade clergy attempting a coup d’etat of the Papacy in an attempt to replace the empathic and humanistic Pope and his son the Vatican Archive Precept. Truth is revealed so the adventure ends safely with Galileo’s reputation and good standing retained in the modern court trial in Chicago run by the Vatican. A riveting story, especially for me a Galileo admirer.

Exhilarating, Intense, and Heart pounding

I have read every book this author has written. This one took my pulse, and blood pressure to a whole new level of intensity!

I wish this were a continuing series, as the characters have become close literary companions.

As for any negative or critical reviews, pick a different hill. This is not the one to die on!

A grown man who has never seen his birth certificate???

This was one of the best stories in this series except for one thing. Michael is how old and has never seen his birth certificate??? The excuse that his mother always took care of sending it to schools, etc might have worked when he was a kid, but not as an adult. And there would have been all kinds of problems if there was a different name on his birth certificate than the name he actually used. And if they were trying to keep the identity of his father secret, why put it on his birth certificate??? This was a small thing but it made no sense and brought me out of the story. Otherwise it was a really good story and I liked it.

Another Enjoyable Adventure

Marvelous to see “hear” characters from previous books. Will Damron does a superb job making each character unique in his narration. I never get confused about who is talking. Lends a smooth telling of the story. Spoiler Alert: Loved the “rosey” ending🥀

Another great story

Following in the foot steps of his earlier books, Gary McAvoy sends Michael Dominic and his gang on another adventure on behalf of the Catholic Church. It’s well written, well narrated and thoroughly entertaining.