The Messiah Secret
"The Messiah Secret stands alone among its contemporaries for one simple reason. It breaks new ground and hypothesizes new ideas."
Synopsis:
A band of warriors march across a mountainous wasteland in AD 72.
AD 2010: A piece of an ancient parchment is found in a crumbling mansion deep in the English countryside. Written in arcane code is the answer to a mystery which has momentous implications.
Enter Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis. Determined to solve a puzzle which has mystified scholars and theologians for almost two millennia, they embark on a journey to one of the most remote and inhospitable places in the world. Yet they are not alone in their quest, as there are forces who want to protect the secret and others who want to claim the prize for themselves.
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Review:
This is a superbly crafted novel which follows in the footsteps of The Da Vinci Code and many others in the sub genre of the biblical quest/ancient mystery/action adventure/crime thriller (If anybody knows the correct title for this sub genre – if there is one - then please let ume know!) However, The Messiah Secret stands alone among its contemporaries for one simple reason. It breaks new ground and hypothesizes new ideas. Are they true or false? It is not for me to pass judgement, I was merely entertained, enlightened and made to think by the ideas and evidence put in front of me. Becker has written a tightly worded, sharply written thriller in which a pair of intrepid ex's set out to catch a thief and end up globe trotting in a search for the Ark of the Covenant. The action ranges across three continents before a final stand off between the three different bands of treasure hunters. There is only one major twist in the plot, which admittedly I didn't see coming, but there are many little turns as the story unfolds, with one excellent “oh sh*t, what now?” moment. The characters are all as you would expect from this type of novel with no real surprises in the cast list. You have Chris Bronson and his Ex-wife Angela Lewis who have remained very good friends after their divorce. The relationship between the pair was a little too twee for my taste but The Messiah Secret was more about action and intrigue than tangled lives. JJ Donovan the ruthless businessman; and the sinister Priest, Father Michael Killian who had his unique weapon recouped any perceived shortfall from the two lead characters. This is the third novel by James Becker to feature Chris Bronson and I hope that one day, I'll have time to read the first two as I thoroughly enjoyed The Messiah Secret.