Cal Donovan Series by Glenn Cooper

Introducing Harvard professor Cal Donovan in the first of an intriguing new series of religious conspiracy thrillers. Responding to an urgent summons from the Vatican, Harvard professor of religion and archaeology, Cal Donovan, flies to Italy to interview a young priest who has developed the stigmata of the crucifixion. Stunned to discover that the priest's condition may be genuine, Cal determines to uncover the cause of the mysterious wounds.But Cal is not the only one... moreIntroducing Harvard professor Cal Donovan in the first of an intriguing new series of religious conspiracy thrillers. Responding to an urgent summons from the Vatican, Harvard professor of religion and archaeology, Cal Donovan, flies to Italy to interview a young priest who has developed the stigmata of the crucifixion. Stunned to discover that the priest's condition may be genuine, Cal determines to uncover the cause of the mysterious wounds.But Cal is not the only one. When Giovanni is kidnapped from his church at dead of night, Cal comes to realize that the priest holds the key to an earth-shattering secret: a secret which a shadowy nationalist organization is desperate to control. Teaming up with Giovanni's sister Irene, Cal must unravel the mystery and track down Giovanni in a perilous race against the clock ... before an apocalyptic catastrophe is unleashed. less

A beloved professor of theology and archaeology at Harvard, Cal Donovan has achieved renown – but he drops everything when he is called by his friend Pope Celestine to investigate the potential existence of a mysterious prophecy. And it soon becomes clear that another party is desperate and willing to kill for the same information... moreA beloved professor of theology and archaeology at Harvard, Cal Donovan has achieved renown – but he drops everything when he is called by his friend Pope Celestine to investigate the potential existence of a mysterious prophecy. And it soon becomes clear that another party is desperate and willing to kill for the same information. In a race against time that will lead him from Lisbon to Rome and to London and Paris, Donovan will become the only person standing in the way of unspeakable destruction. Now his only hope for survival is to outwit, outrun, and outlast his enemies long enough to get to the truth behind the Fourth Prophecy. less

A shocking message on an ancient papyrus. A man intent on destroying it. And a forgotten pope that could be lost to history.   Cal Donovan, a theology professor at Harvard, receives an urgent message from a former graduate student, Samia Tedros. Now a museum conservator in Cairo, Samia has discovered a miraculous fragment of papyrus with three unknown lines from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene so explosive that a wealthy man is willing to kill to ensure no one ever sees it... moreA shocking message on an ancient papyrus. A man intent on destroying it. And a forgotten pope that could be lost to history.   Cal Donovan, a theology professor at Harvard, receives an urgent message from a former graduate student, Samia Tedros. Now a museum conservator in Cairo, Samia has discovered a miraculous fragment of papyrus with three unknown lines from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene so explosive that a wealthy man is willing to kill to ensure no one ever sees it.   At the Vatican, another drama is developing. The new Pope has defied centuries of tradition and appointed a nun, Sister Elisabetta Celestino, as his secretary of state. Powerful insiders are outraged that a woman now sits as the second most influential person at the Vatican, and they plot to destroy her.   When Samia shows up at Cal’s doorstep in the dead of night, he is drawn into a deadly competition to possess a papyrus with the power to rescue Sister Elisabetta and change the course of Christianity. less