Conspiracy! ACLU vs Catholic Church. Murder, deceit, and more. The blurb sounded like an interesting story. But be warned, this tale doesn't just lean Right...it is heavily planted on the Far Right. Personally, I'm more of a Centrist/Libertarian, so I cackled at the political/religious punches and diatribes. But, I also have a warped sense of humor. The reason why this is a solid three-star read for me has nothing to do with the politics, though. The story really is interesting, but there is some heavy-handed narrative throughout. I'd prefer more action and less character revealing the story. Also, I really didn't connect with all the key players. I found Dolezal's editing to be pretty good, but I didn't need a lesson on the three branches of the United States government or the Vatican. The book took some effort to plow through as it 'reads slow'. The last 50 or so pages wrap up everything and I think thinning the ramp-up would make this a quicker read. My Lefty friends would probably not finish this one. The author's views are pretty transparent. But, I did almost laugh out loud at the slam on Anderson Cooper (implied). Publisher/Author provided paperback ARC.
3 of 5 stars. From the Publisher:
It was a chance discovery, but now the Catholic Church has irrefutable proof that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is executing a decades-long strategy to destroy Christianity in America. Pope John Paul II retains famed trial lawyer Carson Elliott to confront the ACLU.
The ACLU responds by having Elliott killed. And so it begins.
Three years later, a tactical nuclear explosion vaporizes four hundred people at a holiday ACLU fundraiser in San Francisco. The private war escalates between those who want to keep America a Christian nation and those who do not. Hanging in the balance is the future of America.
When the president orders his attorney general, Tom Owens, to spearhead the investigation of the explosion, Tom asks his good friend Blake Elliott to assist him. As soon as Blake is involved, dead bodies pile up and casualties mount as the investigation takes bizarre and dangerous twists and turns, reaching all the way to the Supreme Court.
The Fourth Vow inventively imagines a world where people of faith and conviction strive to take back their country from a wicked infection of incremental evil. Written with precision and passion, this book will hold up a mirror to current events, stir the emotions, and excite readers all the way to its riveting conclusion.
