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Reviewed by Pennell Paugh
June 9, 2022 (San Diego) – The Third Secret by Marco De Sio combines historical fiction and political intrigue. The tale is told through the life of an Italian immigrant, Big Al. His story takes us from a small fishing village in Italy to the United States, through two world wars, and into intrigue within the Vatican that could transform the future of the Catholic Church.
In 1892, Big Al moves from a fishing village in Italy to New York City. There he meets a Camorra leader, is immediately put to work and given a place to live. While Big Al is honest, many of his family members join the Mafia. Later in life, Big Al becomes a U.S. envoy between the US President and the pope. Many papal events are called into question. Was one pope’s death really a murder? Did another pope step down because he had been blackmailed? Was the papacy heavily influenced by the Mafia? And many other mysteries.
Using universal point of view, the author reveals inner thinking and feelings of each character. This makes the telling of events whip past. I found it interesting to discover that the system of landlords overseeing townspeople and businesses had continued to exist from feudal times in Italy. Some of the lords were generous and took individuals under wing, but others were more selfish and even unjust to workers.
In 1917, a group of children in Fatima claimed to have witnessed Mother Mary, who told them three prophesies. Near the end of the story, there is intrigue around the third secret.
The characters are set across a backdrop of historical events accurately depicted, until the early 2000s, when the novel shifts to fictitious events and reads like an action-packed thriller. At the very end, an intriguing future of the Catholic Church, the papacy and the College of Cardinals is revealed.
Author Marco De Sio, an award-winning print journalist, plans to make The Third Secret the first book in a planned trilogy. He lives in Sacramento and is currently the communications director for the California Arts Council. Amazon has rated this book 4.5 out of 5 points.
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