The Fifth Gospel, by Ian Caldwell

This is a fantastic novel. It is a mystery, but really more than that. Mr. Caldwell's writing is exemplary, his plot line entirely believable, and his character development is outstanding.

The hero, Father Alex Andreou, is a Greek Catholic priest who works at the Vatican. Greek Catholic means that he can be married (and was, and has a child, and is a single parent as his wife left him) and still be follower of the Pope. (Unlike Greek Orthodox priests who can be married but who have disdain for the Pope.)

His brother Father Simon is a Roman Catholic priest, and gets into trouble as he reported the death of his friend Ugo Nogara in a dark unused park. Why was Nogara killed? Who did it? Why is Simon investigated by the Vatican (in a civil proceeding) for the murder?

The story is narrated by Alex. His role as a single parent is never abandoned as he pursues the mystery both on physical and also intellectual terms (as in, what secrets did Nogara discover in his reading of the Diatessaron gospel and his investigation of the Shroud of Turin).

You needn't be Catholic nor Greek Orthodox to appreciate this novel. It is simply great literature.


The Fifth Gospel: A Novel