A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago.

In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul.

As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors.

And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it.

Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction?

Explicit Content Warning: “The Devil’s Prayer” is a historical horror thriller that contains brutality, rape, sex, drug abuse and murder. Readers may find its content offensive and confronting.

Luke Gracias was born in Mumbai. He works in the field of Environmental Engineering since migrating to Australia in 1992. He also has love for films & runs a small company – Instinct India which produces infomercials and corporate videos. It has also produced the Australian shoot of the Bollywood movie “Singh is King”. An avid photographer, he travelled to Europe & documented the 13th century conspiracy between the Mongols and the Papal Inquisition which is the main backdrop of this story.

I was elated when the author approached me for a review for his blurb was mind-blowing. It is something that not only piques my interest but also makes me want to grab the book and read it. Unlike my usual habit I didn’t finish this book in one reading not because it was boring but because it was so well written that I had to give myself a break to stop my mind from over thinking.

After I was done reading it the first thought that came to my mind was WOW, that was so well written. Though the over all tone of the book has religion at its core because of which a lot of readers might not be able to connect with it. But believe me when I say this book is immensely powerful not only in its words but also in the plot that holds it all completely. It speaks volumes of the author’s research and also of the fact that imagination merged with reality can give birth to mind boggling fantasy fiction.

As you can guess from the blurb it is a historical fiction and promises of an exciting treasure hunt to every reader making sure that you are glued to it till the last page. There is not a single dull moment in the book and the ending was like the cherry on the top. I had not imagined such an ending and now that I have read it, I cannot imagine it ending it in any other fashion. The author deserves full marks to giving such a perfect ending to an enthralling ride. The most beautiful part of the book has to be the way the author has brought out  a woman’s pain, ethos and trauma so well along with her journey of going through trauma and betrayal. His story makes you think and question a lot of pertinent facts surrounding us.

Strongly recommended to readers who love this genre and also to non-readers who are looking at starting to read this genre. You will be hooked would be wrong to say, you will be addicted!