The Fraternity of the Stone: An Espionage Thriller - David Morrell

From acclaimed Thriller Master, David Morrell, comes a classic espionage tale that changed the genre, paving the way for the historical/religious thrillers of Dan Brown, Steve Berry, and James Rollins.

In a remote monastery in Vermont, a mysterious man has spent six years alone in a cell, doing penance for unnamed sins that he committed for his government. His only human contact is the hand that delivers his spartan meals through a slot in his door. He allows himself only one small pleasure, the companionship of a mouse. When the mouse dies, nibbling bread, a terrible suspicion makes him finally leave his sanctuary and confront the ruthless enemies that he prayed he had left behind.

Beginning with the Crusades and the origin of the word "assassin," THE FRATERNITY OF THE STONE was the first novel to deal with Opus Dei, the Vatican's civilian intelligence community. If you like to read about ancient conspiracies that threaten the modern world, this is where the genre began.