The Magdalene Veil by Gary McAvoy

McAvoy is a master at taking actual historical events, real historical people, legends and traditions, and using them all to create exciting and informative plots. This novel revolves around the legend of Veronica's veil, a veil said to be used to wipe the blood and sweat from Jesus' face as he carried his cross.

McAvoy takes that legend and combines it with Heinrich Himmler's obsession of obtaining valuable archaeological artifacts, including religious relics. A contemporary neo-Nazi group in Argentina is determined to carry out the original Nazi plan of developing a pure Aryan race, using the ancient relic. A Jesuit priest and a journalist are just as determined to deliver the relic to the Vatican.

I really enjoyed this action packed novel. McAvoy has crafted a realistic plot that is full of historical and contemporary details. A great deal of research lays the foundation for the narrative. McAvoy provides amazing descriptions of the settings and does very well with character development. His writing style is captivating. That writing style and the extensive research and attention to detail make this novel engaging as well as informative.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a plot based on actual events and people, then projecting them to possible contemporary events. The neo-Nazi connection is very timely considering recent political turmoil. I really like McAvoy's Author's Note where he informs us what is history and what is fiction.

This is the third in a series but reads rather well on its own. You can read my reviews of the previous books in the series: The Magdalene Deception, The Magdalene Reliquary.  I'm sure there will be a sequel and I'll be looking for it.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Gary McAvoy is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and author of And Every Word is True, a sequel to Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood. The Magdalene Veil is the third novel in The Magdalene Chronicles series. McAvoy lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Literati Editions, 442 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)