The year is 2030. The hunt is on — and the Lord is coming sooner than the world thinks.
Rise of the Antichrist — Book One.
In an America that has outlawed the Catholic Church, Fr. Edmund moves through a hostile world in plain sight — carrying the sacraments to the faithful in basements and back rooms, always one Mass ahead of the men sworn to stop him.
He is being hunted. Topcliffe is cold, methodical, and carries a private grief like a blade — working through a deck of cards bearing the names of the priests he has vowed to destroy. He has never missed. Between the hunted and the hunter stands a third man: one foot in the darkness, one in the light, called out of a comfortable life by an encounter he cannot explain.
It is a near-future what if — not a prediction, but a question every believer will one day face: when they come for the Church, what will you be found doing?
Get It on Amazon → Read the First Chapter FreeKindle ebook available now — $0.99 launch price · paperback arriving on the same page within days · the first novel from Chi Rho Impact Media
The Faith is illegal. Unauthorized religious assembly is a federal crime, and the Mass has gone underground — into root cellars and hidden chapels behind false walls.
The priest who won't run. Fr. Edmund hides in plain sight, bringing absolution and the Eucharist to a Church that meets in the dark.
The hunter who never misses. Topcliffe carries no rifle — only a pistol, an old knife, a pocket watch, and a deck of cards with the priests' names on it.
The man in between. One foot in the world that hunts the Church, one in the light it cannot extinguish — and a choice he can no longer avoid.
The promise they forgot. Surely I am coming soon. A story about courage, cowardice, martyrdom, and mercy — and the Lord who keeps His word.
"He works through a deck of cards bearing the names of the priests he has sworn to destroy — and the names are running out."
Step into Chapter One, Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum — read the whole first chapter free.
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For readers of Robert Hugh Benson's Lord of the World and Michael O'Brien's Father Elijah. If you've ever torn through a Grisham or a Daniel Silva and wished one of them shared the Faith, this is your novel. Specifically, it's for:
The Catholic who loves a thriller — and wants one that finally puts the Church at the center of the fight.
The believer feeling the culture turn — who has wondered, quietly, how far it could really go.
The lapsed friend you've been praying for — hand them a gripping story, and let it do the inviting.
A near-future persecution thriller — tense and unflinching, but written in the service of hope, not despair. A novel a Catholic can hand to anyone, because the story carries the Faith on its back.
Joe McClane has spent more than twenty years in Catholic media — on the radio, behind the microphone, and producing documentary films such as The Other Side of Fear. He Is Coming is his first novel.
"I wanted to write the story I've been warning about on the air for years," Joe says, "—not to frighten anyone, but to ask the question we'll all face: when they come for the Church, what will you be found doing?"
More about JoeTitle: He Is Coming: Rise of the Antichrist (Book One)
Author: Joe McClane
Release: July 7, 2026
Format: Kindle ebook & paperback
Genre: Catholic dystopian thriller
When can I get it? He Is Coming is available now on Amazon — the Kindle ebook is live at a $0.99 launch price, and the paperback appears on the same page within a few days. You can also read Chapter One free before you buy.
Is it just for Catholics? No. It's a thriller first — written so a seeker or a lapsed friend can be gripped by the story and met by the faith inside it.
How intense is it? It's a persecution story, so there is real danger and loss — handled with reverence, never gratuitously. Written for adult readers.
Launch-week orders and honest reviews help the book climb the charts — and every reader who starts with Chapter One is a reader who's already in the story.
Get It on Amazon →Kindle available now · paperback within days.
5.0 out of 5
Based on 9 reader ratings on Amazon
"What the end times likely will look like"
Fantastic - a real good read - I wanted to say "I enjoyed it", but as a Catholic the book has a lot of material to make one think. I look forward to the next 2 in the trilogy. Highly recommend.
Don Schwab
Amazon review · July 15, 2026
"Can't wait for the next book in this trilogy"
Well done. The book is full of intrigue and keeps you wondering what will happen next. Although it is fiction, it gives you a glimpse into where our world may be headed. I appreciate the use of Latin throughout the book.
Paul Breitbach
Amazon review · July 9, 2026
"Thrilling Catholic Page Turner"
The pace of this book is amazing. It is a work of fiction but is also a call to be spiritually prepared for whatever comes our way. I got the paperback version as well.
Brian
Amazon review · July 7, 2026
He Is Coming is available now on Amazon — or read Chapter One free first.
Get It on Amazon → Read the First Chapter Free