The Voynich Codex

Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers, Book 11

By: Gary McAvoy

Narrated by: Will Damron

For over five hundred years, the Voynich Manuscript has remained one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the literary world. Its strange botanical drawings, arcane symbols, and cryptic language have defied the best minds of every generation. But when long-lost fragments emerge from the shadows, they point to a secret codex that could unlock not only the manuscript’s meaning but a dangerous truth long buried by history.

Drawn into the chase is Father Michael Dominic, a brilliant Vatican archivist who has dedicated his life to preserving the Church’s most sensitive records. By his side is Hana Sinclair, a determined investigative journalist whose tenacity for the truth knows no bounds. Together, with the help of trusted allies, they must follow a trail stretching across Europe—from cathedral archives and medieval fortresses to the silent chambers of the Vatican itself. Yet with every discovery, their enemies close in, prepared to kill in order to keep the past concealed.

Richly layered with historical detail, The Voynich Codex is more than a high-stakes adventure—it is a meditation on truth, power, and the perilous responsibility of knowledge. Listeners who love the puzzles of Dan Brown, the historical depth of Steve Berry, and the atmospheric suspense of James Rollins will find themselves immersed in a story that asks one profound question: what happens when the world’s most dangerous secret refuses to stay hidden?

©2025 Gary McAvoy (P)2025 Gary McAvoy

Ok

A little too religious for me. Language somewhat stilted. Would not strongly recommend . That’s it for me

I love this series, but…

Gary McAvoy is a great storyteller. Is plots and topics are exciting and interesting, and among the best in the genre that combines history, suspense, action and other qualities.

It’s obvious even from the first time you read or listen to one of his books, however, that the writing is not A-list. The language and dialogue are often an incredibly stilted and didactic, although the stories are so good, and the characters are so likable, that it hasn’t impeded my enjoyment of all of these titles.

This last effort, however, changes that a bit. While the story is excellent, the dialogue is slightly more unbelievable than in the past, and sometimes Michael’s flowery and unbelievable speech spills over into the other main characters, and Hana is almost a hero worshiper at times. It’s like this book is a final draft that needed one more round of editing and adjustment. A particular annoyance, which causes me to write this review even before I finish the book, is the overwhelmingly frequent use of the word “quiet.” their activities but they wouldn’t have to worry about black this word is used so frequently that it’s become positively annoying. My guess is an examination of the text would show that this adjective is used overwhelmingly in place of any other. It makes the less than perfect choice of words in phrases elsewhere in the book all the more noticeable because hearing it spoken relentlessly seems to make you listen for other imperfections without trying to.

In short, I would still recommend this author and this series to anyone who likes a good adventure with a bit of history thrown in, but I’m hoping this is an isolated incident and that the writing of the next title is not so lazy. It’s like McAvoy spent all his effort coming up with a great story outline, and then just allowed ChatGPT to fill in the words.