God’s Banker by Chris Malburg

Cardinal David Caneman took just three years to engineer his ascension into the CEO’s office of Vatican Bancorp. His cabal of fundamentalist zealots now quickly moves to seize the world’s largest institution. First by publicly assassinating the Pope. Next by replacing him with Caneman. Finally by giving the masses a common, everyday object—unquestionably used by their savior—to rally behind. For centuries, folklore has claimed the sacred item laid in wait sealed within the Church’s lost treasury vault. Caneman races to unearth the vault—if it exists. He has bet everything that he can find the blessed object, surely buried within. He intends using it to sweep the faithful from their ungodly ways and into his personal standards of piety.

The Taliban took just two years to overthrow Kabul. Armed with over a billion faithful worldwide and a $200 billion war chest—and the sacred Broom Of Formia—Cardinal David Caneman figures it will take him just half that time to conscript the hearts and minds first of Europe, then…

Jackson Schilling enjoys his happy, early retirement. He attends minor league ball games near his home in Elkhart, Indiana. He’s an amateur chef. And Jackson Schilling is a hunter. Then the SEC drafts him. Come on, Jack. One last audit. It’s mandatory after an attempt on the Vatican Bank Chairman’s life. But Jackson Schilling is no ordinary auditor. And it was his Commander in Chief who personally ordered him drafted. Schilling exhaustively uncovers Caneman’s deadly purpose. First he must stop a professional assassin from completing his mission against the Pope. Now the hard part—derail a fundamentalist faction led by a brilliant, ruthless [and some would say] saint to over a billion faithful. Jackson Schilling battles a force growing faster and more deadly than the Crusades, the Inquisition or the Taliban ever were. Legitimate governments will surely topple, becoming answerable to one man and his band of strict fundamentalists if Schilling fails.

GOD’S BANKER is available from Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.

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“I happened to pick up this e-book on the fly as I have always been intrigued with the Vatican and the Vatican Bank (I actually met Archbishop Marcinkus – “God’s Banker” – in 1981). The book was a real page-turner and I simply could not put it down. Lots of action and enough intrigue to keep you glued to the pages. I look forward to reading more of his fiction.”  ~ Amazon review

“Intrigue in the Vatican. This book has it all. Jack Schilling is an amazing hero. I first “met” him in Malburg’s Deadly Acceleration so I couldn’t wait to see how he would save the day in God’s Banker. Sister mary Pat and the Pope are teated with terrific humor. And of course, there is a villain. Cardinal David Canement is a force to be reckoned with. As an avid reader of Vince Flynn, David Baldacci and Brad Thor, I was delighted that God’s Banker was a page turner.” ~ Amazon review

“I highly recommend it, great read. I purchased this book and could not put it down, well done Chris. Please let us know when the next one is coming out.” ~ Amazon review

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Chris Malburg is a widely published author, with over 4 million words published over 12 popular business books–including How to Fire Your Boss (Berkley)and Surviving the Bond Bear Market (Wiley, March 2011). Simon & Schuster, Putnam, Wiley and McGraw Hill all publish Chris’ work. That’s the professional side of his career. The fun side is that he has transitioned into a serious novelist. A CPA/MBA and former investment banker, Chris certainly has the business chops to weaponize an industrial WMD. He has crossed the chasm from biz-speak into fiction with his second installment in Chris’ Enforcement Division series, God’s Banker, again featuring Jackson Schilling. See God’s Banker trailer.