"This is an extremely polished novel, easy to read, highly educational, with exacting historical research and a rich and vivid sense of place... Attention to detail in depicting the Miscellanea and the Riserva and the archaic machinations of the Vatican is vastly appealing, offering the readership detailed inner knowledge into a little-known sanctum." (The Magdalene Deception)
The Black List
The Black List
"The narrative clips along, fuelled by great storytelling and well-developed ideas that propel things forward with ease... There are also key learning moments that McAvoy uses to shed light on possible truths and deceptive use of fiction to keep the stories strong and wonderfully entertaining." (The Apostle Conspiracy)
Matt Pechey
Matt PecheyReedsy Discovery
“McAvoy weaves mystery and intellect like few other authors; if you like Dan Brown, you’ll love this. And he is certainly no lesser quality as an author; his attention to detail and writing proficiency are as good as it gets.”
Matt McAvoy (no relation)
Matt McAvoy (no relation)MJV Literary Reviews
"You may not be trying to “evangelize,” but in capturing both the good and bad found in our [Church’s] history you reveal the spirit of the faith in a nonconfrontational manner as you share enjoyment and encourage reseach. I taught high school history for over 30 years and would recommend your books to anyone who found history books boring. You teach as well as entertain.”
Deacon Robert PageSt. Patrick Catholic Church, Independence, Oregon
“This story brims with intrigue, danger, and the fight for a religion’s soul. Steeped in Vatican and WWII intrigue, this history-rich thriller will appeal to readers eager to unravel conspiracies and explore the past.”
Publishers Weekly/BookLife
“I feel that he has plenty of these globetrotting, swashbuckling, academic-based stories left in him; indeed, as many as there are priceless artefacts in the world.”
Matt McAvoy (no relation)
Matt McAvoy (no relation)MJV Literary Reviews
McAvoy's narrative structure is sound, and, true to his genre, he populates his thriller with characters engaging or villainous enough to serve the purposes of the plot . . . Readers looking for an exciting biblical relic hunt colored by historical intrigue will be satisfied with this appealing chase.
Publishers Weekly/BookLife
McAvoy is a tremendously eloquent author of the utmost professionalism. His attention to detail is definitely a strong point, and he clearly carries out a huge amount of research into the technicalities and historical accuracies in his work.
Matt McAvoy (no relation)
Matt McAvoy (no relation)MJV Literary Reviews
“McAvoy has crafted a realistic plot that is full of historical and contemporary details. A great deal of research lays the foundation for the narrative. [The author] provides amazing descriptions of the settings and his writing style is captivating.”
Joan Nienhuis
Joan NienhuisBookWomanJoan Reviews
“I stumbled upon the first book in this series last summer and could not put it down. When Gary McAvoy reached out to me to read the next two novels, I pushed all my other reading commitments to the side so that I could dive right in. I was thrilled and devoured the stories, as they tell such an alluring tale, so much so that I was up well into the night to flip pages and discover what was to come of the protagonists. McAvoy’s ability to spin a tale is second to none.”
Matt Pechey
Matt PecheyReedsy Discovery
“McAvoy’s plot melds art, music, and ciphers into a century-spanning, edge-of-your-seat heist. Historic and modern clues meld together perfectly, and the complex workings of church and mob hierarchies combined with character relationships elevate the story. McAvoy’s prose is both clear and direct, serving the story well. Clever dialogue and unique character voices make the novel shine even brighter.” (The Vivaldi Cipher)
The BookLife Prize
“The key to a strong thriller novel is whether the reader can feel themselves begin a part of the action, rather than a passive bystander. Gary McAvoy creates an electric buzz around his stories and puts the reader right in the middle of everything that is going on. His narrative builds with each passing chapter, developing more mysteries and curiosities, while the plot twists repeatedly to keep anyone from knowing exactly what will happen.”
Matt Pechey
Matt PecheyReedsy Discovery
"I can tell McAvoy has done an immense amount of research to make this novel as accurate as possible...I really like his precise descriptions of the Vatican and other aspects, such as restaurants, foods, gardens, etc. McAvoy also tells readers the historical facts upon which he built his novel. He is an intelligent writer and a stickler for details, from weapons to Vatican finances, and that makes reading his novels both entertaining and informative.”
Joan Nienhuis
Joan NienhuisBook Woman Joan Reviews
“McAvoy is stellar in his delivery and peppers fact and fiction throughout, forcing the reader to pay close attention as they attempt to splice truth from fanciful dream. [He] does a sensational job in yet another thriller that is sure to leave the reader excited to see where things are going and exhausted from the journey found herein. Surely one of his best novels to date, which will keep series fans rushing back for more!” (The Jerusalem Scrolls)
Matt Pechey
Matt PecheyReedsy Discovery
“McAvoy wants to educate and show the reader how much we don’t know, which he does through the guise of using Father Michael Dominic’s curiosities for all things historically Christian. There is nothing like a McAvoy story to leave the reader with many questions, as they flip to the back to see just how much is fact and where McAvoy uses creative freedoms.” (The Jerusalem Scrolls)
Matt Pechey
Matt PecheyReedsy Discovery

Download this FREE informative primer I’ve assembled for prospective readers interested in absorbing, intelligent thrillers, including an overview of the series, character studies, and an excerpt of Book 1, The Magdalene Deception.

GET YOUR FREE INTRO EBOOK HERE

If you like Daniel Silva, Steve Berry, Dan Brown, James Rollins, or Robert Ludlum, you’ll love this new addition to the 
Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers series.

Now Available!

The Devil's Symphony

A Vatican Archaeology Thriller - Book 2

Deep beneath Vatican City, in the labyrinthine chambers of the Secret Archives, archaeologist Marcus Russo, Father Michael Dominic, and investigative journalist Hana Sinclair uncover a chilling relic—a centuries-old music box, its mechanisms engraved with forgotten alchemical sigils and occult symmetries. At first, the artifact seems an academic enigma. But when the box is opened and its haunting melody plays, something begins to stir—something ancient, deliberate, and deeply malevolent.

Linked to the vanished 18th-century composer Vincenzo Malvagio—whose name was stricken from history—the melody is more than music. It is a ritual in disguise, composed to invoke forces that were never meant to be touched by human hands. As reality bends and inexplicable phenomena ripple outward from the Vatican, the trio realize the music isn’t merely echoing through the air—it’s embedding itself into the minds of all who hear it.

Their investigation plunges them into the silent ruins of Swiss monasteries, the guarded chambers of long-dead alchemical societies, and the heart of a Vatican cover-up centuries in the making. Each discovery pulls them closer to an unspeakable truth: Malvagio’s symphony was composed not to inspire, but to awaken—and its performance is already underway.

Time is fracturing. Minds are unraveling. Cathedrals across Europe resonate with the music’s spectral presence, and those touched by its notes are never the same. The deeper they pursue its origins, the more they feel its grip tightening. It is no longer a question of stopping the melody—it is a question of surviving it.

The Devil’s Symphony is a pulse-pounding descent into arcane obsession, sacrilegious power, and the blurred line between genius and madness. As the final movement looms, one question remains: Can the music be silenced—or has it already claimed the world as its stage?

Read the international bestseller that started it all

The Magdalene Deception

Book 1 of The Magdalene Chronicles

Don’t miss the first bestselling book in the series, The Magdalene Deception, where you’ll learn the most about the characters in all books to come—sure to keep readers turning pages through the night.

Jesuit priest Michael Dominic has found a secret within the Vatican that might threaten the very legitimacy of the Church . . . but his discovery also pits him against dangerous enemies willing to do anything for his silence. Can he and investigative reporter Hana Sinclair uncover the truth—and escape with their lives?

“This story brims with intrigue, danger, and the fight for a religion’s soul. Steeped in Vatican and WWII intrigue, this history-rich thriller will appeal to readers eager to unravel conspiracies and explore the past.” — Publishers Weekly/BookLife

May 2025

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

January 2021
#1 HISTORICAL THRILLERS
#1 INTERNATIONAL MYSTERY & CRIME
#1 RELIGIOUS HISTORICAL FICTION
#1 CHRISTIAN SUSPENSE