I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Luke Gracias, and the publisher for this opportunity. 
 What does a suicidal nun, a winning lottery ticket, a paraplegic and a centuries-old missing prayer book have in common? This sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but is actually the start of this queer and extraordinary tale. 
 I was initially a little disappointed with this book. The knowledge the author imparted was phenomenal and the author was clearly well-versed in the history of the subjects covered. However interesting this was, it read more like a non-fiction than a thrilling tale, which I wasn't anticipating. But once this initially dense first section had concluded the thrills and suspense began to take hold of the plot. 
 This became a dark and gory read and the author held nothing back in his portrayal of the immoral and the traitorous. This raw depiction of each horrifying scene is what made this come to life, in all its grim glory. The geographical settings and the historical fact were also written of so evocatively and sublimely that I felt I re-lived this book, rather than read it. 
 This is a superb and original book but is definitely not one for the faint-hearted, due to some of the brutal and possibly triggering topics covered. The cliffhanger ending had me eager for a conclusion to this epic tale. With none yet announced I am struggling to see how this ending is fair on the poor nerve-wracked readers!