Cóatl

This fast-paced, suspenseful first novel starts with the discovery of a grave at a 16th-century monastery, unleashing a series of adventures in contemporary Mexico. Archaeologists, historians, priests, detectives, and Totonaco Indians join a race in search of Fray Toribio Paredes de Benavente's Memorials, buried for 400 years, and will stop at nothing to find it. The coveted document could call into question Catholic religious beliefs and expose the Church's machinations. Conspiracies and plot twists intensify as loyalties conflict and the identities of several characters are called in to question; the heroes must uncover a crime that has already happened while also tracking down the present-day villains. Guadarrama Collado skillfully intertwines tales of the 16th-century rivalry between Franciscans and Dominicans, historical and current efforts by a corrupted Catholic Church to grasp political power, and beautifully described Indian myths and rituals. References to the Illuminati, an ancient and most powerful underground secret scientific society, remind us of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. This immensely entertaining page-turner keeps the reader wired right up until the final revelation. Highly recommended for all bookstores and libraries.-Liliana Wendorff, Univ. of North Carolina at Pembroke Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.