The Vivaldi Cipher

Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers

By: Gary McAvoy

Narrated by: Will Damron

During the election of a new Pope in the mid-18th century, famed violinist Antonio Vivaldi learns of a ring of art forgers who are replacing the Vatican’s priceless treasures with expertly-painted fakes. Desperate, the composer hides a message in a special melody, hoping someone, someday, will take down the culprits....

Nearly 300 years later, the confession of a dying Mafia Don alerts a Venetian priest to a wealth of forged paintings in the Vatican Museum, and the key to their identities lies hidden in a puzzling piece of music. Father Michael Dominic, prefect of the Secret Archives, investigates, and is mystified when he finds a cipher in an old composition from Vivaldi. Desperate to stop this centuries-long conspiracy, he calls on fellow sleuth Hana Sinclair and Dr. Livia Gallo, a music cryptologist, to help him crack the code and learn the truth.

But the Camorra, a centuries-old Italian Mafia clan, won’t stand by while some interfering priest ruins their most lucrative operation. Along with a French commando and two valiant Swiss Guards, Dominic explores the dark canals and grand palazzos of Venice to uncover the evidence he needs to stop the sinister plot. Can he unearth it in time, or will the Church’s most valuable artworks fall prey to this massive conspiracy?

If you love James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Lee Child, you may lose sleep over this impossible to put down thriller! Packed with historical events and non-stop action, listeners will be listening late into the night. McAvoy’s fans say his “attention to detail makes the story utterly believable, leaving the reader wondering what is real and what is fiction”.

©2021 Gary McAvoy (P)2021 Gary McAvoy

Very engaging

The next generation of Dan Brown. Or close. Will read more of his books, for sure.

Nice connections.

Good listen! Exciting action and love connections that take you into Venice and the Vatican.

Entertaining and enjoyable

The only regret is that i found this book after I visited Venice, Florence and Vatican last year ! However I am happy to have found another series worthy to follow. Highly recommended if you enjoy Daniel Silva, Dan Brown, Lee Child, John Sandford, Stephen Hunter, Baldacci. Page turning, not too heavy, not too light, just al dente.

awesome

loved this book. and all the books by the author. they are light and fun

Fun and fast paced throughout, good narration as well.

Fun and fast paced throughout, good narration as well.
Would recommend without reservation. Would make a great movie!

A romp through a well-crafted storyline

This adventure offers readers a romp through a well-crafted storyline. The characters are both relatable and likable, adding depth to the narrative. While 'The Vivaldi Ciphers' may not deliver groundbreaking revelations, its blend of intrigue and entertainment makes for an engaging listen.

Fans of 'The Da Vinci Code' are sure to find similar enjoyment in this novel.

This is book one in a series. I am not sure I'll pick up book 2, but I might when I want something easy to digest that is enjoyable.

Outstanding plot and characters and well read

I loved EVERYTHING except the fact after discussing never be alone and always protecting each other they still did things they were too smart to do. That was the only flaw of the entire book. If you know you're in danger you wouldn't realistically take those chances.

Vive’ Vivaldi!

A gripping adventure as usual from Gary McAvoy. I enjoyed this tale of life and death defending truth and sacred honor, devolving a long-term evil within the church. Couldn’t stop listening, except for a few hours of sleep. Paused my own compositions, immersed in the realistic fact-based intrigue of the Vatican and the dichotomy of holiness vs greed manifested in the hierarchy. Some rare insights into the sacred purity of the gifted renowned composer and musician Antonio Vivaldi supports the plot in a beautiful fabric comprising mystery and an astonishing revelation hidden in one of his compositions!

Great story!

I enjoyed all of it. Great characters and storyline. I loved Hannah and Dominick. Well done!

Getting Better and Better

I read the Magdalen series and they were okay. What I enjoyed most was the history McAvoy shared about the Vatican and different departments of the Vatican. I admit I have always been a bit curious about the fact that everyone seems to be okay with the Catholic Church claiming rights to all of the history they are holding. Documents dating back centuries that share stories that are pertinent to world history and art that is worth millions and millions of dollars are under their thumb, and yet they maintain the right to allow someone to see or study. It is nice to know that they have the money to do such things, but I don’t believe they have the right to be the gatekeeper of everything they have. When one doesn’t allow access to things that touch the world community, it seems that they are trying to hide things from everyone. McAvoy does give some good reasoning as to why they are so protective of these treasures, and I understand that if there are things that pertain only to personal documents of the people who are part of the Vatican household, then I might be more amenable to that. But I still believe that when one puts one’s self in a position of public works, then that’s kinda what it is - public. Anyway, it’s a bit of a sore subject for me as I feel that I should have a right to study those articles of history the same as anyone else. But, back to the book. I have learned so much about the history of Venice and Italy and the Vatican. And I love that part. It saddens me to think that some of the people who are “in charge” of the goings on in the Vatican, that there are still the corruptions and facts that are kept hidden about some of the highest offices in the church. I am curious to see what happens with Michael and Hannah. She has moved on with her life in the romance department in this book, so I’m hoping that she and Marcos find lots to do in Paris and have less time to partake of the mysteries with which Michael becomes involved. I’m just not comfortable with that relationship. The narration is great. Nice soothing voice and well spoken. Story is interesting even more so that there is so much that has gone into research and that knowledge is shared with the readers. It has helped me to understand a lot about the times, and about some of the reasons that things turn out the way they do. Good book. Good mystery. Love the info given on the Swiss Guard, and the two representatives of that organization that are pulled into the adventures with Michael. I had no idea that they were so well trained. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to know some good historical information on several different areas.