David Parish

An Italian seminarian is sent on a mission to East Jerusalem to protect the Catholic Church.

Paolo Venticinque is an Italian seminarian working towards becoming a Jesuit priest. He has been relieved of his teaching duties and sent on a mission to East Jerusalem to investigate a number of hospital reports, where men have been admitted claiming to be Jesus Christ. They are inflicted with a unique psychiatric phenomenon called The Jerusalem Syndrome, where visitors to the city develop a sudden and intense religious psychosis. A twitter account, @ilvangelofinale, is believed to be controlled by one of the hospital patients and has quickly amassed millions of followers. The twitter account represents a significant risk to the Catholic Church and its ‘brand.’ Venticinque’s task is to visit the hospital, question the patients, and identify the creator of the Twitter account. He interviews each patient, but concludes they are unlikely to be behind a coherent social media campaign. But when the tweets lead to mass gatherings across the world, the investigation becomes more intense. One patient named Malcolm Garrity admits to being @ilvangelofinale and claims a hospital orderly managed the Twitter account on his behalf. A deal is done with a Bishop, and the Vatican takes control of the Twitter account. Venticinque is suspicious but agrees to return to Rome to manage the account and tend to its thirteen million followers. Meanwhile, there is an assassination attempt on the Pope, and Venticinque is drafted in to put pressure on the would-be assassin to expose any co-conspirators. As Venticinque learns more about the attempted assassination, he discovers a connection to the Bishop responsible for the Garrity deal. He returns to Jerusalem to uncover the truth about Garrity and the mysterious Twitter account.

The Twitter Gospels by David Parish is a tense and gripping novel, about a social media campaign that threatens the very existence of the Catholic Church. Paolo Venticinque, a dedicated seminarian, is tasked with investigating the case, and unwittingly becomes embroiled in a corruption scandal. Parish presents a compelling novel that blends the traditions of the church with the modern dilemmas of the digital age. He challenges readers to ponder difficult questions about faith, power and corruption.

A must read for fans of thrillers, or anyone interested in faith and the balance of power and integrity.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: An intriguing, twisty, and thought-provoking tale of faith, power and corruption.