At least once a year you hope if you read a lot of books that you will find a real "winner". This year it is The Last Cato. It was so good that
before I had gotten just about a third through I ordered Asenti only other novel that has been translated on Amazon.
The novel could be called a DaVinci Code imitation EXCEPT it was written several years before Brown wrote his novel. The cover says it was an international
best seller and I could well imagine why. It is exciting-very literate-you probably will learn things -wonderful characters. Some of the reviewers I have
read are hoping for a sequel-so far none. It is sort of a travelogue starting in Rome and moving through places famous in the ancient world.
Pieces of what is supposed to be the True Cross are being stolen around the world The Roman Catholic Church wasnts to know why. The clues lie on the body of one of the relic robbers- an Ethiopian man's corpse -dead as the result of a plane crash. Next to the body are three pieces of the True Cross, the Cross on which Christ was crucified.. On his body are some very odd tattoos of 7 Greek letters and 7 different types of crosses.
Put on the mystery are Dr. Ottavia Salina, a nun from Silicy and a brilliant and highly esteemed paleographer. Helping her is the captain of the Vatican Swiss Guard and a renowned archaelogist from Alexandria. Add clues from Dante's Purgatory and a secret sociey headed by a mysterious figure called Cato and the reader is treated to their adventure of a lifetime. While I was a bit disappointed with the ending-it was not enough to enjoy this wonderfully entertaining and literate story.
I can't wait to read her next novel. Asensi is a well known novelist in Spain but not many of her works are available in English. Hopefully that will change. Sometimes you can find bargains on that bargain table at bookstores. This one is a real find.
