The Cardinal's Shadow (The Gus Harper K9 Thrillers)

A conspiracy that reaches from a dead village in El Salvador to the highest corridors of power at the Vatican. Gus Harper, a military veteran, wanted the quiet life — just him, his boat, and Arty, his fiercely loyal retired war dog. Three times that plan has gone sideways. This time, it may not survive at all. When Cardinal Santoro travels to South America on Church business, he finds evidence that a man at the heart of the Vatican is not who he claims to be. Within days, Santoro is missing. By the time a desperate message arrives on Gozo, Gus knows powerful people are involved, and nothing about this is what it appears to be. To find answers, he must do something no sane man would consider - drive to the front door of a Sicilian crime family and confront them. What follows takes them into the mountains of Sicily. Into the dark. But they are not alone. Across continents, old friends drop what they're carrying and come — because Gus Harper never asked for help he didn't need, and he's asking now. And a buried secret is fighting its way to the surface - unless those who profit from the lie can bury it forever. Some shadows follow you home. This one came from Rome