This book was not what I expected at all. The title and cover give the impression that it will be "Dennis Wheatleyesque"-I expected satanists, devil worshippers and human sacrifice etc.What you get is something completely different.

The story starts with a nun being pursued by red hooded monks, and she ends up throwing herself from a bell tower. We then learn she has a family, and we start to unravel the story of her life, why she is estranged from her family, what caused her to die and the message she has for her eldest daughter..

I found it a very gripping story, and I couldn't put it down. In fact I became resentful when someone interrupted my reading opportunities!

This is a moral tale of revenge, betrayal and the effects of decisions made in desperation.This is all intertwined with the historical story of the Devil's prayer, an antidote to the birth of the anti-Christ , set in the 13th century, and the potential environmental consequences if the devil is not thwarted- leading to the demise of the human race by it's own hand..

I am no history expert but the historical aspects of the novel seem very well researched.

All in all it makes for very good reading , and it was left in such a way that (hopefully!) a sequel will follow.

There are only two possible explanations for what I just read:
a) it is part of a series and nobody told me
b) netgalley only gave me half the book.

I was expecting something more like THE DA VINCI CODE with this so I am a little disappointed. The action I wanted just isn’t there. Most of this novel seems to just be Siobhan reading her mother’s diarised “confession”, and just as it was starting to get really good, it ended. I’m really hoping there’s a sequel to this or something because I need more. I need to hunt it down in a bookstore somewhere and find out.

Siobhan’s journey in her mothers footsteps is fascinating, as is reading her mother’s confession – the things Denise has done are both amazing and awful to read. I loved the slow burn reveal of the truth of the matter – going from Australia’s Gold Coast to a remote Spanish convent, with many wonderful sights to see in between, and many twists and turns in plot.

I’d pick up the sequel in a heartbeat.

Somewhat naively written and also quite graphic in it's description I enjoyed this book despite the cliffhanger at the end.

I was not thrilled with this book at all!! I actually judged it by its cover

This is a most interesting and well thought out book. It is exciting, a bit gory in places, but it holds your attention right to the end. The ending is a bit abrupt, I hope that means there is to be a sequel, although I cannot imagine how that would turn out.
The book is essentially written in two voices. First the mother Denise, who while celebrating her birthday with friends and her fiancé, discovers that she has won the lottery jackpot. The friends are jealous, and resolve to steal the ticket from her, resulting in a horrific chain of events. The other voice is he eldest daughter Siobhan, who when she finds out that her mother has died after mysteriously vanishing six years previously decides to visit her grave. It is very easy to distinguish between the two voices, and the story soon grabs you and you don't want to put it down.
There is a lot of historical facts included in the story, and assumedly the author has interpreted some of this history to provide an absorbing background and 'reality' to the story. It is in essence a morality tale, where the ends justify the means; but it doesn't end at the point where good can be seen to triumph over evil, there is obviously considerable battle ahead before either side can triumph.
It is well worth reading, and quite unusual.

Don’t judge a book by its cover they say, and often it’s good advice. For this book, not so much.
Firstly, let me say, in my – and the author’s defence – that I read this book through completely, somewhat compulsively, in one day.
But that was more through incredulity than because the story was compelling – it was compelling but in a way where you looked for yet more impossible things to happen; yet more cribs from other stories; and from conspiracy theories; and yet more plot holes. For me, this was wonderful B movie fodder for a very late student night after a few bevies, when your critical faculties are rather blurred. [I wrote this well before I read the final statement by the author, where he admits it was originally a low budget film script before funding collapsed.].
It was difficult for me to rate this book as unlike many, I did finish it right through to the end. So 2 stars for keeping me reading and getting the book published!

A woman has been horrible betrayed by trusted friends, so in order to seek revenge she concludes a pact with the devil.Well, the first half of the book is quick paced ( and although the descriptions and details of the revenge taking are unnecessary gory and after the second killing have lost all their necessity) it reads well.,barring numerous platitudes such as "more people have died in the name of religion than any other disease ".And then, not only is the devil implicated but also a lot of ( not always accurate) historical facts and myths.In this case the Nag Hammadi codices, a 13th century Benedictine manuscript, red monks and to top it off, climate change is brought into the whole lot.The writing doesn't get any better and frankly it feels as if the emphasis lies on writing a blockbuster. And the end is an absolute disaster, as a matter offact there is no "end".This book is often compared to Dan Brown 's work, but unfortunately it has the same flaws and pluses.Not very well written, dubious historical data, a certain artificial flavour and yes,it is fast paced, horror and mystery merge and it is an easy read. But just not good enough...

Despite a slow (but beautifully crafted) start, this story soon took off - and how.
After learning of her mother's death (Denise Russo) in Spain, Siobhan travels from Australia in an attempt to understand why her mum left the family six years without saying goodbye. In the hope of learning the truth and regenerating the bond they had, she visits Spain to pay her respects and is immediately thrown headfirst into a cryptic maze of red-hooded monks and ancient texts.
Her mother bequeaths her a book - the confession - which explains everything. From the most appalling betrayal of her friends which left her in a quadriplegic state for months to her pact with the devil, Siobhan is immersed in a mystery than spans centuries and soon learns the book contains secrets wanted by others - others who are prepared to kill her for them.
This story is a thrilling ride across continents as the confession reveals the devil's handiwork and the prophecies of doom and destruction that face the human race. It's a chilling tale, very appropriate in current times as global warming and climate change wreak havoc on the planet. Was it all planned long ago? Can mankind stop the end of the world or is our greed too big an obstacle? A fascinating read.

A book you will not be able to stop reading until you have completed it. A well researched book mixing fact and imagination to very good effect. Not really a horror story more like an historical novel, that said I will look out for books written by the same author

My apologies for not realising this is historical horror. Not my kind of book. Sorry.

I received this free as an e-book in return for an un-biased review
I didn't mind this book at all, it was an entertaining read.
If I had to compare it to anything I have read previously then Dan Browns novels come to mind, I didn't really enjoy those much, or the movie.
However this was much more entertaining.
Opening a novel with a nun killing herself is sure to get your attention and it did.
Throughout the novel there was plenty of excitement, twists and turns.
There was also a nice melding of actual History and Religious facts mixed in together some some good fiction which made it readable and educational at the same time.
There was some horror and sometimes graphic violence but I feel it suited the novel and did not find it out of place.
I enjoyed the story and if there is another one I would certainly read it.

Luke Gracias' book is an interesting read. The ancient Church order trying to obtain the religious artifact, the friendly society trying to assist the heroine, the historical references - all of these are components of the best religion based thrillers. Gracias cooks up the story, blending in the ingredients and adding historical knowledge to serve up the perfect thriller.

It is quite an intense and disturbing subject matter and some of the injuries suffered are quite dramatic, but none of it felt gratuitous.

Not a writer that I've read before, but certainly one that I will read in the future.

This was atmospheric, thrilling and completely enthralling. I could not put it down!
Thanks to Netgalley for my early copy.

I was caught up in the story the moment I read the description, there was no warm up time needed. Which is good because it doesn't entirely give you time to warm up; from page one it pulls you in and does not let you go.

The way the story is told is just amazing, you never know what's going to happen until you turn the page. The entire story is pretty awesome, totally intense and full of so many unexpected turns you won't be able to read it fast enough.

This is one of those books that makes me wish I could say more and go on and on but there are so few words to describe everything it truly is. It's one of those simply complex stories; done just right. I loved the theme, the plot, the entire point and the entire story. I definitely want more Luke Gracias can easily become a favorite author.

When I first read the blurb of this book I was desperate to read it - Why would a nun commit suicide? Why had a mother abandoned her children? What exactly is The Devil's Prayer?

To be honest I was expecting a mystery thriller with supernatural undertones. I could not have been more wrong.
This book is entirely unexpected. In a very good way though, it far surpassed my expectations. It does start off slowly but wow - you soon find yourself in an incredibly fast paced tale that twists and shocks constantly.

I enjoyed it immensely. The shifting of the voice telling the story is natural, the differences between them enough to make it obvious who was narrating. The two main female protagonists become incredibly sympathetic as the story moves along and the descriptions of various locations were detailed enough that you could easily 'see' them without the minute that bogs down some novels. Some of the scenes are brutal and deal with subject's that are very delicate. I felt that the author dealt with these incredibly well and, as someone who could be labelled 'sensitive' to some, it never felt gratuitous.

So why only four stars? Well, there are a few nagging issues that grew rather tiresome.
The main issue has nothing to do with the story itself - rather it is a huge formatting flaw. Every word that is written in italics, usually the foreign names of things or places, is tiny. About half of the size of the normal font. I do not need glasses but squinting constantly left me with a slight headache and a huge amount of frustration. It's always nice to know the real name of things so I nearly always took the time to look. Unfortunately that meant that the flow of the story was somewhat spoilt.
One other minor niggle was that I felt that some characters deserved much more of a back story than they got. At one point the motivation for one of the later characters is being explained then it suddenly turns into a detailed historical description and then back to one of the main protagonist's again. That was a shame because it would have been very satisfying to have learnt more about the actual character.

Overall I would definitely recommend this novel - I just hope that the migraine inducing formatting is sorted out!

I'm not sure how I would even categorise this book but I did enjoy it. I found the first three-quarters of the book brilliant and the different layers of stories being told within each other was an interesting format. I lost my way a bit with the last part due to all the historical and religious references but those subjects are not my strong point. Would make for a good movie!

3 - 3.5 stars.

A very well written novel with a story that kept me reading. It has obviously been well researched and that adds to the story. I hope that there is a follow up to this book. I would definitely read more of this story.

The Devil's Prayer is a compelling and intriguing novel blending historical fiction with religious treachery and deceit. It is fast-paced and deliciously dark, making for the kind of psychological thriller you don't want to put down. Siobhan's search, and the fearsome truths awaiting her, provide quite the wild ride.

The novel is well-written and edited, though I found some of the writing to be a bit more pragmatic than artistic. For that reason it doesn't flow as well as it could, but the intrigue of the story and the detail more than make up for it.

Someone please tell me a sequel is planned, as it ended too soon with so many questions unanswered!

A fabulously intriguing book, in the vein of The Omen or The Da Vinci Code but with far more connection between past and present.
Fascinating insights into the life of an ordered nun though brutal and frightening, with mystery, intrigue, murder and the battle between good and evil forming the basis for a brilliant piece of literature.

Couldn't put it down and wished I had read this book sooner. Have recommended it to my blog followers.