Book Review: The Last Pope by Luis Miguel Rocha

“If you knew just half of what happens in [your country], or anywhere else in the world, you’d be horrified.”

Luis Miguel Rocha, The Last Pope

Review:

Well… I feel a bit strange writing this review now in light of Pope Francis’ passing (although I finished the book earlier this month). While this book is set before his Papacy, it’s strange timing on my part as I’ve had this book on my shelf for a little while now. 

This book is set around conspiracies surrounding the death of Pope John Paul I. In the present day (now the mid-2000s), Sarah finds herself entangled in the decades-long mystery. Her life is in danger as well as the reputation of the people whose names are on the list in her possession. 

Summarizing this book is a struggle. There is no clear timeline and the chapters aren’t dated. They jump from past to present, not always with a discernible narrator. The book draws from different events in the Church in the 20th century, such as the Third Secret of Fatima and Vatican 2. There is also an emphasis on secret societies. 

While this book covers a range of common conspiracies, which was initially exciting to read about, without a consistent structure and persistent ambiguity, everything fell flat. By the end, I found it difficult to figure out whether the author was probing legitimate questions and mysteries or poking fun at the Church. Some of the terminology used, for example, in a scene featuring Sister Lucia, it was said she was in a ‘trance’ and was portrayed as a channeler. I found this extremely strange given there was an evident amount of deep research done by the author. 

I enjoyed the first quarter of the book, but I was lost by the end. If nothing else, it was an interesting exploration of conspiracies. As a thriller, it needed fine-tuning.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Exploration of conspiracies.
• A lot of action.

What I didn’t like:

• Too much ambiguity. Someone unfamiliar with figures in the Catholic Church would be lost. Even with a decent grasp on certain names, I struggled.
• Unclear motive.

Afterthoughts:

I purchased the second book in the series when I was still in the early pages of this book. I may or may not continue. If I do, it will be out of sheer curiosity rather than a genuine interest. However, I realized that the last two books in this series have not been translated to English. I’m not sure I want to risk getting deeper into a series I won’t be able to finish.

Where to buy the book: