The Road to Gandolfo, Robert Ludlum - 1975

Thousands upon thousands of the faithful waited in hushed anticipation for the pontiff to emerge on the balcony and raise his hands in benediction.

Robert Ludlum describes the scene at St. Peter’s Square creating such a high expectation for the reader. This plot takes us to Rome where a young lawyer, Sam Devereaux, commanded by a very twist-minded ex-militar will attempt what seems a suicide mission.

Are you saying that you are forming a company to broker the acquisition of religious merchandise?

After funded the Shepherd Company leaded by the Hawk, a very detailed and expensive plan is taking from the paper to real, and Ludlum knows how to tell us that kind of action and with his classic style will describe how a very reduce team will be able to kidnap one of the most important and well protected leades of the world: The Pope Francesco I.

Keep and eye on: the retoric of General MacKenzie Hawkins and the way he manipulates the will of the young Devereaux. Finally, let yourself get surprised with the quick chain of events on the last two chapters.
I think this is not the best book of Robert Ludlum, the Bourne Trilogy and The Sigma Protocol still are my favourites. The plots are more elaborated. However, Ludlum was a very gifted author who knew how to put the right word on the right line to grab your attention from the first page.

What the Hawk was bringing to the profession of crime were [...] the leadership of an experienced general officer.

Recommendable
ISBN: 978-1-4091-1864-0
www.orionbooks.co.uk