The Apocalypse Door

by James D. Macdonald

Peter Crossman is a man with a mission . . . and his boss is literally out of this world.

His world is a dangerous place . . . and it’s Peter Crossman’s job to protect it. Men of the cloth can only do so much. Against ancient evils, you need the ancient strength of faith. That’s where Peter Crossman, Knight Templar in modern America, comes in. Crossman’s world is yours and mine. Governments and businesses squabble, people go out for coffee, folks meet and fall in love, and the Red Sox will win the World Series when Hell freezes over. But that last just might happen if Crossman doesn’t get his latest assignment right.

The Apocalypse Door is a spy story with a truly unique twist. On a routine mission from his order to discover the whereabouts of some missing UN peacekeepers, Peter Crossman discovers a plot that points to the uncovering of a very unholy artifact. An object of such power that it might very well open a portal to damnation and beyond, bringing some unsavory people a whole lot of power . . . or bring about the destruction of the universe.

And with the unlooked-for aid of Sister Mary Magdalene of the Special Action Executive of the Poor Clares, Peter Crossman will begin a journey to try and track down just what is being unleashed in the world and try like hell to stop it . . . or maybe stopping Hell here on Earth is more like it.

But, fortunately, demonic magic isn’t the only source of Power in the world . . . and Peter Crossman’s power comes from Above.

The Apocalypse Door is a smart, funny, and sexy spy caper with a touch of the sacred from a very talented writer.

You like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Or want to be her?
Then The Apocalypse Door is for you. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

James D. Macdonald was born in White Plains, New York in 1954, and raised in Bedford, New York, the son of a chemical engineer and an artist. His last significant formal education took place at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, though he passed through the University of Rochester where he learned that a degree in Medieval Studies wouldn't fit him for anything. He went off to sea "to forget," though he's forgotten exactly what. As an enlisted Boatswain's Mate in the Navy, and later as an officer, he saw the world, and discovered that three quarters of it was water. Some time later, tired of the adventure, he decided to get a job.

As Yog Sysop Macdonald ran the Science Fiction and Fantasy RoundTable on GEnie for two years ('91 to '93). He's since moved on to being Yog Sysop at SFF Net. He lives in New Hampshire, where he learned to drink Moxie and writes science fiction and fantasy for children, teenagers, and adults.

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paradoxically, although I've classified this novel as supernatural fiction, I've recommended it for fans of action-adventure/espionage fiction. That's because it actually reads much more like typical fare for the latter genre(s) than for the former. It was also a bit of a head-scratcher for me --as well as for the main characters!-- whether their adventure is actually in the realm of the supernatural or of science fiction. There are definitely elements that could be explained in terms of the latter. But we also have a scenario of supposed would-be supernatural intervention to usher in the end of the present world order, as described in the biblical book of Revelation (given the title, that's hardly a spoiler), which is presumed to be a bad thing. (In books and films with that premise, which make up a sub-genre of their own, it's always presumed to be a bad thing). A valid criticism that could be made of that whole sub-genre is that it's theologically illiterate, regardless of whether you're talking about Christian, Jewish, or Moslem theology. For all the monotheistic faiths of the Western tradition, God's final action at the end of history to deliver the righteous from evil and oppression, lift the curse on the creation, and usher in an eternal order of true peace and justice is NOT a bad thing --it's what we're longing and praying for. And it isn't going to be brought about by demonic or human manipulation; it will happen in God's own good time, which can't be jump-started, circumvented, or scheduled by anybody. A second valid criticism of this particular book, IMO, is that the integration of the supernatural and SF elements here is clunky and unconvincing.

Those criticisms aside, however, this is a very gripping, exciting read, that moves along at a rapid pace right out of the starting gate. We have two distinct narratives here, alternating: a main one set in the author's present (2002), laid out in the numbered chapters, and an earlier one from 1980, interspersed between each chapter in short sections titled "In-Country." How the one strand is related to the other isn't clear until near the end, although one connection comes into focus sooner than that. This is a challenging structure for a novelist to pull off, and to my mind Macdonald does it very well; both strands held my interest, and the rapid cutting between the two made for a constant cliff-hanger effect. I was completely hooked for both of them early on.

"Peter Crossman" is our narrator for the main narrative (he indicates at the outset that this is an alias). He's an ordained Roman Catholic priest --and also a high-ranking Knight Templar, for our premise here is that after they were slandered and suppressed in 1307, the Templars continued to exist underground, and still operate today as a secret agency for fighting evil. Much of their M.O. is similar to secular counterparts such as the CIA or MI6. (Macdonald's Templars are thoroughly orthodox Roman Catholics --there's no attempt here to make them into closeted heretics.) For the particular assignment he's been given, he's assisted by a younger colleague whose performance he's to evaluate, and he also soon gets the unexpected assistance of Franciscan (Poor Clare) nun Sister Mary Magdalene. But Maggie's not your typical nun; she works for the Clare's Special Action Executive Branch --a distaff equivalent of the Templars-- as an assassin. Another quibble here, even if you're prepared to accept the idea that the forces of good can permissibly employ extra-legal lethal force against evil, is that the Clare's leadership don't vet their contracts very well; Peter and Maggie (who've met before) encounter each other here when she's sent to kill him. (That's not much of a spoiler; we learn it in Chapter 2.) Obviously, when she finds out that her mark is one of the good guys, she doesn't carry out the hit; but in her shoes, that would make me seriously aware that something's amiss back at headquarters! But that aspect isn't explored. The ensuing mission, though, proves to be challenging, lethally dangerous, and twisty as a pretzel.

Peter's narrative voice is streetwise and heavily leavened with wisecracking humor, with the perspective of a tough veteran of too many years of rough-and-tumble action that's exposed him to the depths of what evil humans are capable of; he doesn't have any illusions about his fellow men or himself. But his faith rescues him from cynicism, and the reality of the Divine and the spiritual is taken seriously here. (Macdonald was raised as a Roman Catholic, I don't know if he practices now, but he knows the nuances of Catholic belief and practice.) Good use is also made here of Templar history, and the history of their disreputable offshoot, the Teutonic Knights. This is a very quick read, with little bad language (a few vulgarisms, one f-word, and no profanity) and minimal violence; what there is isn't graphic or dwelt on. The one sex scene in the 1980 narrative isn't very explicit, and occupies three short sentences. (Peter finds Maggie sexy, as most males would, in holy orders or not; but that's just a morally neutral quality she happens to have, and both she and he take their celibacy vows seriously.) Our hero and heroine aren't plaster saints, but unlike some reviewers, I didn't find either of them "blasphemous" nor bad representatives of their faith.

This is a stand-alone novel, a fact that has pluses and minuses; I'm not looking to get sucked into another series, but I actually wouldn't mind following Peter and Maggie as series characters! (The author has penned some Peter Crossman short stories, which I might look into.) As a final word, I've taken this title off my "books I own" shelf, not because I wouldn't like to keep it, but because I discovered that it's a "Bookcrossing" book (see www.bookcrossing.com ). So, I'll be putting it on my library's free rack for another reader to find, and hopefully enjoy as much as I did!

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, spy-stuff, religious figures that border blasphemy (guns, booze, lies) - all in all, my kind of book!

This story tells the story (sorry for the redundancy) of Peter Crossman, Warrior Priest with a past. He's on the hunt for missing UN hostages but somehow finds himself on the trail of trying to stop the end of the world.

This book is hard for me because I feel that anything may give it away so I'll do word association.

Fungi. Virgins. Shady underdealings in the world of espionage. Knights of the Templar. Gun-toting sexy nuns, religious order, spies, beatdowns, guns, possible UST and did I mention Fungi?

This books reminds me strongly of Simon R. Green's Nightside series and is the main reason while I will not be reading Just Another Judgement Day. I don't want to take anything away from either book. Peter reminds me a lot of John from the series as Maggie reminds me of Suzy.

There are things at play in Pete's world that are anything but Godly, but then God does move in mysterious ways. Enter in the Assassin Mary Magdalene (a nun), Peter's Inner Templar Knight in training- Simon and an associate from Pete's past known as Joey. The world is about to end and it's up to them to figure out who's lying, who's covering what and how to stop it. Oh and what to do about the brass head named Baphomet that won't stop causing a bunch of trouble?

[Trike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out, initially attracted by the gorgeously intriguing cover. I mean, just look at that thing. Sampling a few pages inside convinced me to buy, and I was not sorry.

Generally speaking, I can pigeonhole any work within a specific genre (that was going to be my doctoral thesis in college, before I dropped out. Twice.) but this book brilliantly rejects any attempt to do so. Is it Science Fiction of Fantasy? I find it impossible to say, because MacDonald presents evidence and speculation for both genres equally. I would've been happy either way because it's a cracking good story with interesting characters and badass action scenes, but the inability to genre-type it makes it all the better.

[Elmer Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ever pick up a salt shaker for a pinch of seasoning on your meal, after barely one shake, the lid comes off, salt completely covers your meal, and you are left with eating it or going hungry? Immediate reaction? What can I do to salvage this? The end result: there is NOTHING you can do! Throw it away and get something else.

This story is much like that scenario. Somewhere underneath was a germ of a Sci-Fi idea, between Fungi spores/Homunculi, Baphomet, Templars, Warrior Nuns, Teuties (ugh) and stealing a page from Terminator time travel. However, the end result is hot garbage.

Obviously, the writer has some experience in religious beliefs and texts, historical conspiracies, and has seen one, or more, of the Bourne/Bond movies.

Ultimately, this book comes across as an inside joke between religious friends. The characters were written as if the reader should have known how cool the protagonists were supposed to be. Way too much tongue in cheek banter, no character development or validation, shoddy dialogue, stereotypical (yet mind numbingly predictable and dry) action sequences, and no guidelines for this world. Clearly, here a so called priest can literally slit a throat and turn around immediately provide absolution (to himself). Even death is not permanent and religion is malleable. Sure, why not. (insert eye roll here)

The dual storyline, as presented, was underwhelming, distracting, and provided no depth or insight to the plot, more like an aside for the main character, just to place him in the stream (mild foreshadowing effort) to access for the finale only. Especially when obviously trying to "trick" the reader into believing these were two different people (although Crossman was called by both names throughout the story.) But the story never built up enough buy-in for any of the participants, so one never really cares whether they live or die, or go to Hell.

The back cover blurb was the introduction between "friends/co-workers" in this story, blatant misdirection for anyone who doesn't know these characters (I for one didn't, and still don't.)

I was left feeling insulted with the time spent for a crap result. Learned nothing new, went nowhere interesting, met no one engaging, just meh.

Skip this one, even if its free. If received, give it back, immediately, without question, then slap the presenter for good measure. Readers have standards.

Thanks for reading.

[F. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berettas and Birettas!

Suppose that the Vatican has its own teams of James Bond-style spies— Templar priests with automatic weapons. This, then, is a “007 of the Vatican” tale.
Heck, not all Mother Church’s operatives are male. Sister Mary Magdalene is a sexy redhead and a member of the Poor Clares (a real life contemplative order!).

The saving grace is that, for all the ridiculousness of the premise and the plot, the author is surprisingly respectful of the actual role of a priest. If the protagonist has to shoot someone, he also gives them Last Rites. His own confession is heard on a regular basis, he celebrates the Mass daily (as must all Catholic priests), and he is very serious about the state of his conscience.

The book came out twenty-plus years ago, so the tech, etc., is a bit dated. That said, I recommend it, especially to Catholics who maintain a sense of humor while still taking their faith seriously.

[Adena Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this book; it messes with my preconceptions so much. A priest who acts like a mix between St. Ignatius of Loyola, James Bond and Matt Bolan - do I call him a hero or an anti-hero? Add in a partner who is a nun who channels St. Joan of Arc crossed with Modesty Blaise and a supernatural demonic conspiracy that threats reality as we know it? This is a new twist on urban fantasy that I would shelve with the St. Tommy of New York series, the Monster Hunter International books, or the Hellequin Chronicles.

[john lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's a summer read. The writing is paced, the action moves on. But it is a silly story. There is minimal character developement. The hero is a contemporary Knight Templar! Yep! He's got powers, etc and he's fighting evil.

It is, however, a fun read! It moves along, there's a pretty woman, almost a boy's adventure story.

No highlights.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, since the short stories featuring the same protagonist are quite enjoyable. However, this novel sadly wasn't as good. Peter Crossman and his companion, Mary Magdalene, are still pretty fun, and the idea of adding an apprentice Templar was a nice one, even if not very much was actual made of the fact that the new guy is, well, new. There's an attempt to delve in Peter's backstory, largely through a short spy story interspersed with the chapters of the main story. The short story's relevance takes some time to become apparent, and even once it was clear how it tied into the story, I didn't find it very interesting. Really, in general, I feel like delving into Peter's backstory makes him somewhat less interesting - he's more fun when he's a mysterious badass warrior priest.

The plot also sadly didn't work out that well. The short stories focus around a specific divine artifact or concept, and though that's still present here, it's somewhat more obscure and takes much longer to get to. There are a lot of different plot threads, and they rapidly grow confusing and disorganized. Worse, the plot can't seem to decide whether this is an urban fantasy in a definitely Christian setting or if it's some sort of modern science fantasy story like Charles Stross's Laundry Files. I'd be fine with either genre, but the inconsistency doesn't work very well. It starts as urban fantasy, introduces sci-fi elements, and then tries to wriggle out of them at the very end. Plus, there's a random time travel bit that really doesn't add anything.

All in all, I'm glad this wasn't my first introduction to urban fantasy, as it could easily been had I found this book when I first read the short stories. I would have come away disappointed in the genre. Instead, I'm simply disappointed by this novel, though I remain hopeful that a subsequent novel or perhaps some more short stories can redeem these characters and launch the quality series the first three short stories seem to promise.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Crossman is a Templar, a Knight of the Inner Temple, defending modern America against ancient evil. You thought the Templars were wiped out by Philip the Fair in the fourteenth century? No, they just went underground, and continued the good work. They now mainly handle threats to world safety of a kind that more mundane intelligence agencies can't touch. On a routine mission to find some kidnapped UN peacekeepers, a mission he expects to be mainly a training exercise for a new Temple recruit, Crossman finds himself in the middle of major trouble: the Order's old enemies the Teutonic Knights, an ancient demonic artifact, an unloved figure out of his own past as a more mundane sort of secret agent, and Sister Mary Magdalene, of the Special Action Executive Branch of the Poor Clares. (That Maggie's actually on his side doesn't make Peter Crossman feel much better about her involvement.) This is a fairly light spy romp, but with the time and care taken to get right all the Catholic background that's so important to the plot and the characters. It appears that this is the start of a series, and I look forward to seeing more of both Peter and Maggie.

Recommended.

[Barbara Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban fantasy with a bit of a twist - the narrator, Peter Crossman, is a Templar (the Knights of the Temple having gone underground to become a secret organisation rather like U.N.C.L.E.) and he partners up with Sister Mary Magdalene of the Poor Clares, leather-clad assassin and Virgin Bride of Christ, to rescue a group of UN peacekeepers. The Head of Baphomet makes its appearance about halfway through, giving Father Peter a crisis of faith about the accusations made against the Templars.

This was a lot of fun, with enough of a serious edge that I didn't feel I was just being fed cotton candy. A sort of prequel, The Confessions of Peter Crossman, (anthology of previous stories) can be bought from Lulu.com. and I read that beforehand, while waiting for Apocalypse Door to show up in the shops.

[Barbara Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In contrast to some of the thick fantasies I've read recently, this moves at a dead run, with black humour gasped out here and there. Not what you'd read for lyrical description or introspective character development--the main character does have a crisis of faith, but he has to keep running while he has it. It's great fun, but I wouldn't describe it as a romp, because there's an edge of seriousness throughout, not so much because of the threatened apocalypse (which is almost a staple of urban fantasy: Buffy stalled it at least once a month) as the questions of faith and purpose that move the characters.

I also read The Confessions of Peter Crossman, ordered from Lulu.com, three stories of the Knight Templar special agent and his rival and occasional sidekick, Sister Mary Magdalene, leather-clad assassin and Bride of Christ. A nice warm-up for the Apocalypse Door.

[Fuzzy Gerdes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Apocalypse Door is a full-length novel featuring Peter Crossman, a hard-boiled detective type who happens to be a Knight Templar, one of 'thirty and three' warrior-priests of the secret Inner Circle of that already secret society. I loved the collection of short stories called The Confessions of Peter Crossman. But I'm sad to say that I think the character might be better suited to punchy short stories. In particular, there are periodic flashbacks that introduce us to a pre-conversion Crossman in his previous life as a spy and I'm not sure that that level of emotional depth and back story is needed nor works for a dark-and-mysterious character like Crossman.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books popular in the 80's, where depending on your choice the book might veer randomly into UFOs or time travel or swashbuckling or attack of the slime etc. with no cohesive thread to the whole thing? This book seems like taking one of those random paths. It careens from supernatural to espionage to religious thriller to action to time travel, never figuring out what it wants to be.

And randomly in the midst of the book, it devotes five sentences to the most perfunctory and soulless sex scene it has ever been my misfortune to read. WTF?

I liked the partially fleshed-out concept of the militant priests that kill people then have the duty to give their victims the last rites.

[Tasula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an action packed book with an uncommon theme- continuation of the Knights Templar organization- warrier priests fighting evil. Nuns are assassins, and there is an offshoot of the Templars that turned to the dark side. Throw in a little "transmatter"- moving from place to place/time to time, and two threads tie together near the end with a flair. I liked the characters and the story. Note: should anyone be concerned about this being a preachy religious book- that is not so. The hero is a sincere believer, but does not foist his beliefs on the reader or other characters.

[Jennifer Connolly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book several months ago and it took me forever to actually get around to finishing it. It's a shame really because it had some potential. Catholic Nun assassins and modern day Knights Templars are right up my alley, but this book just wasn't all that interesting. I only finished it out of guilt :)

I suppose I should maybe give it a one star, but I prefer to save that for books I truly loathed. This one was merely uninteresting.

[Keith Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun high concept adventure about secret agents working for the Catholic Church to save the world from fungus creatures from another dimension. In places it reads like parody and it may be intended as such, but it goes to show how hard it is to write a parody of a genre that borders on self-parody all the time.

[Jrubino · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first word that comes to mind with this novel is lightweight.

200 pages. Shallow characters. By the numbers plot.

Oh, it’s enjoyable enough for an easy carefree read. But still, by the end the whole endeavor seems so rushed and disposable.

If you want something in this same vein but a little more substantial, then I’d suggest “Sandman Slim.”

[Matt Piechocinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was actually page turningly good for about 3/4s of the book, at which point the book suffered from an identity crisis (sci-fi v spy thriller v templer legend), and a morass of unresolved plot threads.

[Lennyriver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, good ideas.

Ending spoilt a little with the time travel and the alien invasion from another dimension that never was. eh?

Any way a good read and would read more of father Peter.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only wish I could give this thing less than one star. So far beyond incredibly bad that it made incredibly bad look AWESOME.

[Janet]

Lots of action and mayhem. The ecclesiastical bent to noir is amusing, but I don't think you can actually drink that much alcohol and still shoot straight.

[Jeremy Preacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently the Knights Templar make excellent secret agents. Who knew? Fluffy but fun.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. A priestly version of James Bond.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

B, pretty good but slight, disappointing after the 3 raves I saw. This is the "fun nun with a gun” book, the one thing I remember now.