Hang on! Just a minute! When last we checked in with hard-boiled private eye and former muck-raking journalist Max Blake and his intrepid fiancee, Caeli Brown, they were traveling across the entirety of Ireland to find her Uncle Jack, only to see him shockingly cut down in a hail of gunfire on a remote island. But the same postcard that jump-started the sorrowful end to the archbishop’s life, along with his cause, in EMERALD RIDGE shows up again weeks later in Max’s Oregon mailbox. Wait a second, what’s going on here? Is Uncle Jack dead or not?
Max and Caeli are soon on the road to the Vatican’s Secret Archives Building in the heart of Rome, where they meet a mysterious prelate with a fixation for world domination – a man who may well hold the key to determining who actually shot American President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
This gut-wrenching tale will surprise you, and then it will surprise you again as you embrace the eccentric, adventurous, at times humorous and other times deadly serious characters in this edition to the Max Blake Mystery series.
From the Book:
He called himself Father Angelus, accent on the second syllable, and he reminded me of Clemenza from The Godfather– the original film, the one that starred Richard Castellano in the role.
In short, he was a scary guy, despite the familiar priest’s trappings.
How scary? Monsignor LaGuardia, who fancied himself a tough guy, couldn’t (or wouldn’t) look him at him directly, and Don Roberto cowered behind Michael Parker, physically shaking in the man’s presence. We learned later that Father Angelus was thought by some Vatican insiders to be more than a thousand years old. When I scoffed at the notion, our host was quick to reject my skepticism.
“I have proof – from the Secret Archives,” he’d said. “You might doubt the man, but you cannot doubt the word of God.”
Author William Florence
Praise For MELIA RIDGE:
“Fabulous. The book is so fun. It’s heart-stopping and filled with tension. I found myself busting out laughing on several occasions and greatly concerned for the main players minutes later.”
“The characters are believable, and the story is complicated and filled with unexpected twists.”
“Without question the best book yet in the series, and that says a lot because all of the novels are wonderful reads, containing everything that a good story, well told, should tell.”
“William Florence’s latest effort, Melia Ridge, has surpassed his previous works. This time his intrepid protagonists, Max Blake and Caeli Brown, find themselves in Italy fighting against a rogue prelate who works in the Vatican. Florence’s knowledge of the Italian geography as well as the language makes for an exciting read. I can hardly wait for his next!”
“This is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, especially by fans of Max and Caeli. Leonard and Elmore remind us why we love them as characters. The intrigue of the Vatican plays a central role.”
“Without question the best book yet in the series, and that says a lot because all of the novels are wonderful reads, containing everything that a good story, well told, should tell.”
Join our email list
Really enjoyed Emerald Ridge!
Thanks for the kind words, Don. Be sure to check out Melia Ridge, which is the sequel. Salute