Advance Title Information: Upon This Rock
Advance Title Information
Upon This Rock
by David Eugene Perry
Coming in Autumn 2020
An American couple in Italy investigate the suicide of a cleric in the picturesque city of Orvieto — and find themselves plunged into a conspiracy that may destroy the Catholic Church — in the stunning debut novel Upon This Rock, by David Eugene Perry, to be published in the autumn of 2020 by Pace Press.
A Dan Brown–esque tale of intrigue, history, art, the secrets of the Church, and the conspiracies of the powerful, Upon This Rock is a relentless page turner that will keep readers on edge from its original premise to its startling denouement, set in the stunning background of one of Europe’s most captivating cities.
San Francisco public relations executive Lee Maury and his husband Adriano come to the historic and beautiful Italian city of Orvieto to rejuvenate following the death of a close friend. Lee and Adriano immediately fall in love with Orvieto’s beauty, history, and tight-knit community, but Lee becomes most fascinated by a local tragedy.
One year earlier, Deacon Andrea, a much-loved candidate for the priesthood, was denied ordination and committed suicide by flinging himself off the cliffs of Orvieto. Lee is struck by the parallels between his life and Andrea’s — both are the same age, both were candidates for the priesthood, and both attempted suicide. Growing obsessed with learning the truth about Andrea’s life and death, Lee can’t resist playing amateur detective.
Everyone Lee and Adriano meet in Orvieto has some connection to Andrea and some responsibility for his death: the handsome former Swiss Guard and bisexual prostitute Grigori; the kindly elderly priest Don Bello; the gossipy American expat blogger Lady Peg; the secretive young German doctor Luka; the irascible nonagenarian baker La Dona Volsini and her USA-loving grandson Marco; African immigrant street musician Dawud and his sister Maryam, who is en route to Italy with black market smugglers; the former Episcopal priest Rev. Vicki; Orvieto’s new bishop, Arnauld, a sexually conflicted member of Opus Dei; the powerful head of the Vatican press office Cardinal Maltoni; and the mysterious and beautiful bureaucrat Magda.
As Lee and Adriano struggle to make sense of the relationships tying all these people to Andrea’s suicide, they stumble upon a conspiracy of terrorism, human trafficking, and a plot to plant a nuclear dirty bomb in the tomb of St. Peter. Before they know it, Lee and Adriano’s sabbatical becomes a race to save innocent lives — and not get killed in the process.
About the Author: David Eugene Perry is the founder and CEO of the public relations firm David Perry & Associates, Inc. Perry is also the host/producer for the weekly LGBT TV Show, 10 Percent, and a journalist who has contributed to several national publications. Perry and his husband make their home in San Francisco and Palm Springs.
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