Cathedral is absolutely one of the top ten best books that I have ever read. DeMille gives the reader a great history lesson on the struggles of Northern Ireland, an indepth look into the psyche of the people who know no other world than one of violence begetting violence, and a glimpse at what our government officials will do to further their own careers no matter the cost.
This is my fourth Nelson DeMille novel, and I find it interesting, having read some of is later works first,how his style has evolved over the years. I found that Cathedral read much like The Charm School as far as the writing syle went, and possibly Burke's character in Cathedral laid the groundwork for John Corey in DeMille's later works, Plum Island and The Lion's Game.
With each novel I have a greater appreciation for DeMille. He may not pump out books every 6 months like some of constituents, but the time in between each novel is obviously spent doing painstaking research. He leaves no stone unturned.
Keep 'em coming Mr. Demille