The Empress Holds the Key (Jack Rogan Mysteries, #2) by Gabriel Farago

The Empress Holds the Key
(Jack Rogan Mysteries, #2)
By: Gabriel Farago

Published: May 2016

Published By: Bear & King Publishing 

Format Read: Kindle for PC

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: 4/5

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I was sent a copy of The Empress Holds the Key (Jack Rogan Mysteries, #2) by Gabriel Farago, from the author in exchange for an honest review.

An old war-time picture is discovered in a burned down cabin depicting a Nazi officer uncovers a trail connecting a violin to a Vatican cover-up that could change the fate of Christianity. Due to the immense details of this books description, I will refer to the Goodreads synopsis as I believe it will give a better understanding to what the story is about:

Journalist Jack Rogan knows a great story when he finds one. A charred old photograph found in the ruins of a burnt-out Blue Mountains cottage hints at dark secrets and unwittingly reignites an ancient and deadly quest for a holy relic mysteriously erased from the pages of history.
Federal Police officer Jana Gonski in pursuit of a suspected Nazi war criminal joins forces with Rogan, barrister and amateur archaeologist Marcus Carrington QC, and celebrated composer Benjamin Krakowski. Together they uncover a murky web of intrigue and greed, hoards of Nazi gold and hidden Swiss bank accounts. All implicate wealthy banker Sir Eric Newman. When Newman goes on trial, unexpected clues are discovered pointing the way to a mystery that has haunted the Catholic Church for centuries.
On a dangerous journey to find the relic, Rogan and his companions trace links back as far as the reign of Akhenaten, the heretic pharaoh of ancient Egypt, and King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. What is this dark secret guarded by the Knights Templar, and so feared by the Vatican? Will religious fanatics foil the quest which could destroy the very foundations of their Church and challenge Christianity itself? 

The Empress Holds the Key is a very faced paced suspense-thriller that keeps the reader intrigued from start to finish. The amount of research that must have gone into the writing of this novel is quite impressive. To be able to tie in so many different time periods (from biblical times, ancient Egypt, to the Knights of the Templar, World War II and finally present day) shows the true dedication and knowledge of the author.

Even though this is said to be the second book in the Jack Rogan Mysteries, it can be read as a standalone novel. In fact the plot follows other characters more than it does investigative journalist Jack Rogan. Most specifically Officer Jana Gonski and lawyer Marcus Carrington. However Jack does play an important role in uncovering the mystery.

Apart from the World War II era storyline, I must admit that the other time periods aren’t something I would generally read about. However I became so drawn into this story and the suspense of it all, that I often had a hard time putting it down.

I would recommend Gabriel Farago’s The Empress Holds the Key to fans of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series and those who enjoy suspense novels.