The Absolution

From the author of the #1 international bestseller The Abomination

The no-holds-barred conclusion to Jonathan Holt''s revolutionary Carnivia Trilogy (preceded by The Abomination and The Abduction), The Absolution follows Venetian police captain Kat Tapo and U.S. Army intelligence analyst Holly Boland on their most dangerous and disturbing journey yet

On Venice''s crowded Lido beach, a man is found lying half in and half out of the sea with his throat cut open and his tongue torn out by the roots. On his face is a curious antique mask.

Kat Tapo of the Venice Carabinieri is pleased to be running her first murder investigation. But when she learns that the mask is a piece of Masonic paraphernalia known as a "hoodwink," she starts to wonder if she''s been put in charge because, as a woman, she''s unable to penetrate the closed world of Italian freemasonry.

The dead man turns out to be a senior partner in a small Catholic bank, currently engaged in negotiations with one of Italy''s richest men. But Kat soon discovers that money isn''t the only motive for murder.

Meanwhile, intelligence analyst Second Lieutenant Holly Boland has found a document among her father''s belongings that indicates a Cold War cover-up. As she tracks down exactly what he knew, she is forced to ask herself: was her father prepared to become a whistleblower? And was he silenced for it?

And reclusive genius Daniele Barbo, owner of anonymous website Carnivia.com, has discovered that his site has been contaminated by a virus-one that will unleash a wave of destruction across Italy unless he can break his own encryption and prevent an atrocity from taking place.

As the three of them join together to track down the truth, they discover a powerful conspiracy involving the security services, the Church, and the CIA-a conspiracy with roots stretching back many decades. Nobody involved will surrender without a fight . . .

PRAISE FOR THE CARNIVIA TRILOGY

"A genuinely thrilling thriller. . . . A terrific book by any standard. . . . Outstanding." -LITERARY REVIEW

"Fascinating. . . . The Abomination leaves you hungry for more." -CHICAGO TRIBUNE