The words of a dying man, dated 1890. Some monks, murdered in a gruesome manner in modern-day Greece. An agent in Russia, stuck in the crosshairs of some hitman.

It's a plot that seems to have all the makings of a crackling development. After reading it, I can say something more without falling into spoilers. I expected more: there are few salient moments and on several occasions I noted some turn of phrases on facts of little importance, not very functional to the main thread of the novel. It's not a book to avoid, it can be an acceptable read. To my taste, it is a bit too long compared to what is narrated.

A stylistic opinion. I was annoyed by the omniscient narrator's view which sometimes became annoying, I don't know if this was a voluntary narrative choice or the result of some oversight. The example I give is the description of interior details about all the characters involved within the same paragraph. This clashes and makes the reading jammed, for me an unnatural perceived context. For the remaining parts, a simple novel-like narrative that made me satisfied.

One final note: at first glance, the book left me with the impression of an esoteric atmosphere. However, I didn't find much as I read further. You can sense a Mystery atmosphere, but there is very little that is esoteric.