THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE (PAPERBACK EDITION)

Winner of the William Henry, National Brotherhood, and James Tait Memorial Prizes, THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE established Australian author Morris West as one of the best and most popular writers of his generation. Published in 1959, a critical and commercial success, the novel earned its place among the classics of English-language literature of the second half of the 20th century. In the rocky and desolate landscape of Calabria, in southern Italy, an unofficial cult arose around the memory of a man named Giacomo Nerone. A mysterious figure with a dark past, he appeared there in the final years of World War II. The spontaneous devotion of the Calabrians caught the attention of the Vatican, which was considering the possibility of canonization. But to initiate the process, it was crucial to learn more about Nerone. Was he truly a saint? To clarify this question, the Holy See sent the English priest Blaise Meredith. This investigator's role was that of a true devil's advocate. He must find and expose all the facts that contradict Nerone's sainthood. Meredith is a scholar who becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and deception woven by those who knew Giacomo, the only people with the answers to all the Vatican's questions: his lover, with whom he had a son; a serious priest; a disillusioned Jewish doctor; and a beautiful and wealthy English countess with something to hide in her past. Each of these four holds a piece of the puzzle that has formed around Giacomo's enigmatic life and suspicious death. But they seem to be involved in a conspiracy of silence, and Father Meredith will have to use all his wisdom to unravel both the mystery and the meaning of Nerone's life itself. A classic of Australian literature now available to Brazilian readers in a new revised edition. An opportunity for younger readers to discover this unforgettable writer. And for his longtime admirers to rediscover the plots and vibrant characters that have become legendary and captivated readers from all corners of the world.