Sep 12, 2026
Tommy shaking things up in Rome.
I have read 11 books by Declan Finn in the last few months. And I had read 1 a few years back. I have absolutely loved what I have read to date. I have plans to read all that I can lay my hands on. This is another great story in an excellent series. These books just keep getting better and better. Often when writing reviews in a series I open the previous review and modify it. But this is a fresh review from scratch. This story in some ways reminded me of Tom Clancy’s Clear and Present Danger, in that there are several different subplots that start out separately and come together in the end. Tommy and his partner Alex are investigating a murder of a military man. They son find out there is a link to the Triple D’s and a newly reactivated military base. We also have the CPS threatening to take Tommy’s kids, with both his precinct and the Church helping to hide his wife and children. An epic battle underground in the subway featuring vampires, werewolves, hell hound’s, people in body armour, ghouls, and “something that was one part crab (the legs), one part scorpion (the claws), and one part Abrams tank. Its head nearly scraped the tunnel wall, and its width took up over half the width of the passage. The head was misplaced on the body—that of a praying mantis.” And that is just some of the action. In this story we find out more about Tommy’s time in Rome, and the training that he and his family received. But when we get to the climatic battle a mystic artefact is used against Tommy and he finds out his ring has even more power than he had expected. The action in this story was nearly non-stop. It is part mystery, part action, and part thriller. It is an excellent read in a great series. Definitely not for all readers. But it is Catholic fiction writ large. Finn does a good job of walking the line. And this story is a much better read than a lot of what I read in high school or university. I absolutely love Tommy’s example of faith and living out that faith. I really appreciate how Tommy prays his way through battles, fights, and to be honest most situations. Finn has written incorporating a lot of truths of the Catholic Faith into these stories. The incident in the court room was confirmed from different source just the day after I finished read this book. It is one of the thinks I love most about these books. This is a great story in a highly entertaining series. I have read books from three different series by Finn and can say I enjoyed them all. The books in this series should be read in order as they are a continuous story. I can easily recommend this book and these stories to mature readers. Finn does a masterful job of blending faith and fiction and thereby crafting excellent stories!
