The Avignon Affair by Gary McAvoy and Ronald Moore

About the Book:

A corpse cloaked in secrets rests in an ancient tomb deep beneath Notre-Dame Cathedral, but its identity remains elusive. One priest is determined to find out who the dead man is and what he’s hiding…

Father Michael Dominic is called to France for an unusual assignment. A fourteenth-century bishop was found in a crypt buried under the burnt remnants of Notre-Dame—but he’s wearing the ring of a cardinal, and two parchment scrolls had been hidden in his garment sleeve. Who was this 700-year-old custodian of carefully guarded secrets?

Once Father Dominic decodes the rolled scrolls, long-hidden confessions are exposed that throw France into political turmoil while creating havoc within Dominic’s own team of friends. Relationships are tested and shocking new revelations emerge in The Avignon Affair.

You can watch the book trailer here.

My Review:

McAvoy and Moore have provided readers with another entertaining novel combining historical religious events with current political unrest. Some of the basis for the intrigue in this book goes back to the times when the Church and kings were intertwined in their influence and power. Documents from the past could have influence on the present political situation in France. The current political events seem all too possible in that unrest might be planned as a way to initiate a coup.

The authors do a fine job of combining the lives of the characters with adventures to religious sites in France. Tensions rise between Hana and Michael and Marco as growing affections are dealt with. Michael is dedicated to unraveling the puzzle of recently discovered religious documents. We learn about document recovery and new technology available to read especially fragile ones.

I appreciate the identification of fact and fiction at the end of the book. I find it amazing how a fictional plot can be woven around an actual event. In this case it is the 2022 discovery of a previously unknown sarcophagus at the Notre-Dame Cathedral. One aspect of the novel that intrigued me was the possible use of DNA testing to determine whether religious relics in the form of remains of saints were actually what they were claimed to be.

This is another informative and engaging novel of religious and political intrigue that could be out of today's headlines.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of his earlier novels. The Magdalene Chronicles: The Magdalene Deception, The Magdalene Reliquary, The Magdalene Veil. Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers: The Vivaldi Cipher, The Opus Dictum and The Petrus Prophecy. 

About the Authors:

Gary McAvoy began his writing career writing columns for a small town weekly newspaper and articles for a regional Southern California magazine. That laid the foundation for corporate communications work supporting his own and clients' businesses. He was fascinated with cryptology and intelligence during his U.S. Army tour in Germany. Following his military service, he built a number of successful ventures in Southern California and then moved to the Pacific Northwest. You can find out more about him and his books at https://www.garymcavoy.com/.

Ron Moore has an undergraduate degree in biology from University of California Riverside and a JD from Western State University College of Law, a master's in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida, and an AA in culinary arts from Saddleback College. He also obtained a Catholic Lay Ecclesial Minister certificate. He worked for over 18 years in forensics and CSI, the practiced law for 8 years before returning to forensics as a toxicology consultant. He was also an EMT for four years. He was a reserve deputy sheriff for over 14 years, assigned to the Search and Rescue unit. He was also a Sergeant in the Bloodhound Team. He holds a black belt in Judo and a brown belt in Aikido. Moore and his wife live in Southern California where he enjoys outdoor activities. You can find out more at https://www.ronaldlmoore.com/.

Literati Editions, 320 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.)