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A Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction Book of 2013A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013AnEdgar Award for Best Fact Crime NomineeAn explosive, sweeping account of the scandal that has sent the Catholic Church into a tailspin -- and the brave few who fought for justiceIn the mid-1980s a dynamic young monsignor assigned to the Vaticans embassy in Washington set out to investigate the problem ofsexually abusivepriests. He found a scandal in the making, confirmed by secret files revealing complaints that had been hidden from police and covered up by the Church hierarchy.He also understood that the United States judicial system was eager to punish offenders and those who aided them. He presented all of this to the American bishops, warning that the Church could be devastated by negative publicity and bankrupted by its legal liability.