• ASIN: ‎ B0BDCT1DY4
• Publisher: ‎ Telemachus Press, LLC (6 Sept. 2022)
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 356 pages
• Genre: Occult Fiction Series

The BookViral Review:

For readers who enjoyed Gods In The Ruins, the first book in E R Barr’s Vatican Archives Thriller series, Beneath The Bishop’s Bones will be enthusiastically received and prove another outstanding read. 

With some opening shockers to keep readers on tenterhooks few novels in the genre deliver such vivid and persuasive narratives but once again Barr has pitched it just right. He’s invested well in establishing his characters so that it not only matters what they do in battle but how they do it.

As with Gods in The Ruins, Beneath The Bishop’s Bones has all the right ingredients: a smart plot, a likeable protagonist, a dash of humour and a lot of fast-paced action deftly veiled in a sense of mystical wonder that makes it all the easier for viewers to suspend disbelief and settle back for the fun. And although the subject matter is ultimately supernatural, the treatment is very realistic.

In the main, this is down to Barr’s impeccable plot structure and tonal flourishes aided by a strong cast of characters, especially Daniel and Luca who give the more reverent proceedings just the right amount of jolt. To this end a stratum of evil underlies the whole of Barr’s narrative and is dramatized in the character of John Nance and whose nefarious dealings provide for plenty of shock or gore.

Readers would be disappointed if Barr’s historical references weren’t underpinned by extensive research and he definitely doesn’t let them down as once again he masterfully modulates the histrionic rhythms of his narrative. The prevailing sense of danger continuing to accelerate as Daniel, Luca and the eclectic members of the VERITAS team are drawn ever deeper into an age-old celestial battle between the forces of light and dark in scenes reminiscent of William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”.

Here, Barr’s command of genre technique is masterful as he teases his readers with frissons of terror and demonic manifestations that are wholly chilling and for readers who got hooked on Gods In The Ruins, Beneath The Bishop’s Bones will likely exceed their expectations and leave them eagerly anticipating book three. A must-read for Occult Horror and edgy Thriller fans it is unreservedly recommended.