Beginning with the mysterious occurrence of the spontaneous human combustion of Father Giuseppe Lorenzo's mother in Milan, Italy, a tale of world chaos by evil forces begins as Denis R. Tougas delivers an entertaining mystery-cum-thriller with The Feast of Angels. The Pope disappears in the same way in the Vatican. Across the Mediterranean in Egypt, Anhur, a visionary of sorts, gets a glimpse of the invisible battle of Armageddon raging between angels and devils. Florence Rinna, “Flo”, a Washington Post reporter, is forced reluctantly to accept an assignment to report on the events and uncovers a U.S. government cover-up of the disappearances. As the FBI and the NSA seek to silence her, she is joined by an ex-CIA agent, Trey, to work with Giuseppe to learn the source of the immolations, and the accounts of world-wide disasters and catastrophes occurring. Flo, Giuseppe, Trey, and Anhur are joined by a group of scientists led by the American head of the National Weather Service as they move from one dangerous encounter to another, using science to view the supernatural battle progressing toward Megiddo and the final Battle of Armageddon. Can they stop it? Who will win?

Denis R. Tougas’s The Feast of Angels opens as a promising mystery with the well-developed character of Giuseppe Lorenzo experiencing the mystery of his mother’s immolation and his interacting with the power players of the Church. Then the introduction to the Egyptian Anhur and his mystic experiences added to my developing interest in learning where it would go. The juxtaposition of Flo and Trey with Giuseppe and Anhur adds dimension to the unraveling mystery as they battle the real and the mystical forces. Denis R. Tougas’s style will appeal to the more erudite reader who delves into the underlying dynamic of religion, mysticism, and pragmatism. It will also appeal to the reader of a fast-paced, action-packed mystery story. The story and characters are compelling, and I followed it to the end. All that being said, I recommend The Feast of Angels as an entertaining story, engaging on many levels.

I chose to read this book as the idea of people dying and instantly becoming a pile of ashes was intriguing. The Feast of Angels by Denis R Tougas moves from Milan to the United States to Egypt and Rome. There are unexplained sightings that bring together Flo, a reporter for the Washington Post, a Monsignor, and the Pope with a cast from the top national defense institutions. At the crux of the story is a poor, simple man from a city south of Cairo. There have been worldwide sightings of statues of the Madonna crying tears of blood, and an unearthly depiction in a valley in the east of the Sahara desert. It is time for the End of Days and the final fight between good and evil. This is a real battle between the forces of darkness and light and, due to the decadence in the modern world, the wrong side is winning. Seen in a parallel universe, how can those in the know show the world what is happening and muster up the forces to join in the fight?

I enjoyed the first half of The Feast of Angels by Denis R Tougas as it moved swiftly from one location to the next. The discourses from the Book of Revelation were well-argued and plausible. The trip taken by Anhur the Minor into the desert was great, and the dilemma faced by his son very realistic. I couldn’t fault the author’s extensive research. The characters were well-drawn, although I was unsure why Flo came off the wanted list and was later free to move around. My favorite character has to be Father Guiseppe Lorenzo for his humility, his courage, and his intellect. There were a few loose ends I would have liked to see tied up as I grew to care for the characters. An interesting book to read.