Here's what they're saying about The Pope's Hitman!
" Berger (Optimal), a senior research fellow at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, puts his background to good use in this riveting action thriller. ... . Berger makes it surprisingly easy to suspend disbelief about Father Loyola’s biography, keeping the focus squarely on the plot’s breakneck action and giddy twists. Fans of Frederick Forsyth’s conspiracy novels will enjoy themselves."
"C'mon, this project had you — as it did me — at John Wick meets Conclave, right? Though I'd add “…with the paranoid conspiracy intrigue of The Da Vinci Code” to top it off. It's got a great title, a ridiculously fun premise — the Vatican has secret assassin black ops teams — fantastic settings and a killer (literally!) opening. ... This is ridiculously over-the-top and I loved every second of it. These are great characters dealing with a fun premise that stirs the conspiracy theorist in all of us and fighting their way through crazy situations."
Testimonials:
"Father Frank Loyola is here to restore your faith in action heroes. Just remember to duck once the bullets start to fly. A wild, heart-pounding, roller-coaster ride to the very end. Beyond a doubt the best thriller I’ve read in years."
-- John Horgan, author of Terrorist Minds
"The Pope's Hitman takes an outlandish scenario and grounds it just enough with a smart, compelling, and accessible main character. Father Francis Loyola navigates personal history, assassination plots, thorny moral quandaries, international cabals, and his own past mistakes with the deadly professionalism and compartmentalization of a military special operative and the careful thought and ethical consideration of a Jesuit. Starting with a bang that pulls you right into the mystery, full of high-voltage, cinematic action sequences, with a pace that just keeps ramping up to the final spectacular set piece, anchored by a main character you'd be happy to follow from mission to mission all over the world, The Pope's Hitman is the most fun I've had reading an action thriller in years."
-- Caitlin Fitzgerald, author of The Children’s Illustrated Clausewitz
"From the pews of Boston to the forest near Medjugorje to the Confessio of Saint Peter, Father Loyola's mission to confront a secret betrayal from his past makes for a gripping thriller that can't be missed."
-- Sam Jackson, author of Oath Keepers
More soon!
Praise for J.M. Berger's Optimal: A Novel
"Optimal is a brilliant exploration of the implications of ceding our personal responsibility and relying on algorithms to teach us how to live. But more than that, it’s great storytelling." -- Linda Nagata, author of Inverted Frontier
"The characters are charismatic and will keep readers invested. Jack’s journey of self-discovery and quest for individualism as he learns to let go of controlling technology is compelling. Stanton Lime, with his love for outdated technology and old-world wines, is a delightfully appealing revolutionary figure. Berger compellingly explores the predicaments of a globally networked civilization in this stimulating, immersive book." -- Booklife
"A sharp, gripping story of a bleak future." -- Kirkus Reviews
"I was hooked from the first chapter - not because it's so deep, but in spite of that. ... In other words, it's fun to read. You barely notice how terrifying the implications are until you're too far in to care..." -- Amazon Vine Voice reviewer