Secrets of an Evil God

A god buys you a beer in Rome-and explains how he runs the world. On a single day's walk past Pasquino's "talking" statue, beneath Castel Sant'Angelo, and down into the Vatican necropolis and Secret Archives, Alex is guided by Yale, a charming, unnerving voice who may be God...or something worse. Over saltimbocca and smoky espresso, Yale lays out the machinery of control-fear, greed, gullibility-and a secret history that stretches from Templars to central banks, from confessionals to smartphones. There's a device that can replay the past (and possible futures), a procession of locked doors that open, and a dinner bill for two when only one man is at the table. Part travelogue, part philosophical thriller, Secrets of an Evil God: A Roman Dialogue on Power, Faith, and Control peels back the stories we obey and dares readers to do the one thing that breaks the spell: ask the because. If you like Umberto Eco's puzzles, Dan Brown's momentum, and heretical humor with teeth, this novel will change how you look at Rome-and your own consent. Themes & keywords: Rome, Vatican Secret Archives, Knights Templar, central banks, chronovisor, conspiracy thriller, metaphysical fiction, satire of power.