NEW BOOK!
Pre-order the book today!
"This one is brimming with history, reality, and intensity — a story that will keep you on your toes all the way to the end."
- Steve Berry, New York Times
best-selling author
Inspired by the 1859 kidnappings of Jewish children by Pope Pius IX, Vatican Daughter (78,939 words) tells the story of JOSEPH MORRIS, the first American Pope, who as he’s about to ascend the papal throne is driven by guilt to confess an indiscretion to traditionalist CARDINAL GUILO ROSELLI. News of the pope’s affair with journalist, SOPHIA TRAVATO, and the birth of the pope’s child, unleashes a crime spree starting with the kidnapping of the baby, Nevaeh. After Morris confesses his sin to a fellow cardinal, GUILO ROSELLI, Roselli plots to kidnap the baby and protect Morris’ career and the church’s reputation at all costs. It’s the story of a young woman who relentlessly searches for her child against impossible odds. Vatican Daughter focuses on serious female-centric issues and the controversial Vatican's scandalous hypocritical behaviors.
Vatican Daughter is set in Rome and Venice with a brief stop in Magallanes, Chile, and New York City. The sights, sounds, smells and ambiance of Italy are infused within the story and serve to immerse the reader not only in the plausible, suspenseful plot, but in the landscape as well. Available December 2024.
What people are saying about Vatican Daughter:
"Fast paced, engaging action, with a few plot twists kept me turning the pages past bedtime. Characters were well-developed, and the action was nicely balanced with scenes and scents of some of my favorite places (especially Rome and Venice). A worthy read!" Heidi Jones (Reviewer)
"What a great book (especially if you like Italy and Intrigue!). I loved the fast-paced story and all the main characters. It was really 'unputdownable' and well-researched." Kimberly Hakkenberg (Reviewer)
"This book was phenomenal. The only way I can describe it is The Thorn Birds meets The DaVinci Code meets book club fiction. Having been raised Catholic I have a fascination with books like these. The plot was fresh and had a bit of everything: twisty thriller, historical fiction, family drama, romance." Sierra Burns Lamadore (Reviewer)
What People Are Saying About Vatican Daughter
"So many skeletons bang on the closet doors, wanting to be set free, from this troubling tale of fiction based on disturbing, little known facts. This one is brimming with history, reality, and intensity — a story that will keep you on your toes all the way to the end."
Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author with 25 million copies sold
"VATICAN DAUGHTER is vibrant! Blending speculative storytelling and daring fact, Iraci compels, questions, and captivates — with all of Italy as her mighty backdrop. Told with the pace and verve of a feature film, this novel offers a deep dive into the world of a mother and daughter threatened by the secrets of the Church and the lengths men will go to silence their own mortal sins."
Afia Atakora, award-winning author of Conjure Women
"A fascinating multilayered story about family, intrigue, love, and murder — with all of it set in and around the Vatican! Slick and exciting, Vatican Daughter races along at a breakneck pace that will keep you happily turning pages."
Tom Santopietro, author of the best-selling The Sound of Music Story
Joni Marie Iraci's debut novel:
Reinventing Jenna Rose
Left alone after her parent's divorce, Jenna uncovers evidence of a grandmother living in New York City. Jenna resourcefully takes herself across the country and lands on the Upper West Side of Manhattan doorstep of her affluent maternal grandmother. A street-smart New York neighbor girl, a quirky therapist, a white German Shepherd, and a story-telling grandmother join forces to help Jenna overcome the hardships of her past and the shattering family secrets that soon come to light. This moving, funny, quirky novel, is infused with humor and literary references while relating a multi-generational family saga and legal thriller in the voice of a courageous young woman.
"An astute, respectful treatment of a serious issue, featuring a strong protagonist." Kirkus Reviews