Customer Reviews

Book of Nathan

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Former advertising executive Rick Bullock runs a homeless shelter in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His late wife who succumbed to cancer had a passion to help the homeless and now he does. He is taken aback when the police arrest someone he knows former East Jersey State prisoner and a frequent guest of Rick's facility, Zeus for the murder of a famous televangelist in Florida. Bullock refuses to believe that Zeus who would not hurt a fly killed anyone especially this gruesome homicide.

Bullock heads to Florida to determine what he can do. He is taken aback further when his amateur inquiry leads to a lost book of the Bible that contains a definitive answer to a disturbing question and the evidence that his friend is innocent. However, someone does not want the out of state person intruding on a slam dunk case and that unknown adversary is willing to kill to achieve Zeus' conviction.

Filled with numerous surprising spins, the Book of Nathan is an enjoyable incredibly fast-paced mystery as Rick's discovery of a manuscript has the mob, pro-lifers, pro-choicers and others demanding he hand over his find or else. Over the top of High Point, readers who appreciate a twisting story line faster than a speeding bullet and will want to join Rick on his odyssey.

Harriet Klausner

Weeden and Marek have written a spellbinder that will be the next religious mystery movie. Mixing the politics of right to life with a fascinating inquiry into "ensoulment" and when life begins, the authors have created a first class thriller which I couldn't put down. If you want a fast read that is enjoyable with some great one-liners and simultaneously thought provoking and serious, this is one that shouldn't be missed.

I received an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of the BOOK OF NATHAN that was distributed at Thrillerfest, the annual convention of the International Thriller Writers which I attended. (The conference is great fun, and open to readers - I suggest that you consider attending it next year.) I enjoyed the story, although find it difficult to classify - it has elements of a thriller, but there is substantial comedic relief - bordering on farce at times. Part of the plot line also involves a very controversial social and political issue, although it is presented in a neutral way and does not involve the preachiness concerning their obvious agendas that some authors insert into their plots.

As the book opens, we meet Rick Bullock, the former ad executive who is now a director of a NJ homeless shelter. His initial encounter with a new client, Miklos (Zeus) Zeusenoerdorf both sets the stage for the main plot and generates the memories of Annie, his deceased wife, which are a crucial element of his current job and desire to help Zeus. Zeus is soon accused of committing a murder in Florida, and Bullock recruits his friend Doug Kool to help him visit Zeus in jail in order to attempt to overcome Zeus' limited communication skills and piece together what happened. Immediately Doug recruits Manny Maglio (the king of the strip clubs) as a benefactor if Bullet will aid in chaperoning his niece, Twyla Tharp (not the well known Twyla Tharp, but a stripper who has taken her name). And while the characters are very entertaining, they get even weirder, including Yigal Rosenblatt, Abraham Arcontius, Maurice Tyson, and Doc Waters.

There are multiple attempts apparently meant to distract and even kill Bullet (Doug's nickname for him), but after returning to NJ he perseveres and gradually uncovers the underlying cause for the murder of Benjamin Kurios, the "prince of evangelists" and supposed key to the wisdom in THE BOOK OF NATHAN. This title refers to one of the "missing books of the Bible", to which there are references elsewhere in the text. The BOOK OF NATHAN is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 9:29 (incorrectly identified in this first printing as 1 Chronicles, a fact amazingly not mentioned by any of the previous reviewers who rushed to get their reviews posted and couldn't even bother to check the reference in the text). The story is a wild ride, literally and figuratively. While the plot is very clever, I find it impossible to outline further without including spoilers.

The action is very fast paced, but the frequent injections of humor and weirdness kept the tension intermittent rather than letting it consistently build. In many ways the story was as much a mystery for Bullet to unravel as it was a real thriller. This is not a story to be skimmed, since much of the enjoyment and cleverness is in the details including the character development and humorous touches, particularly the Kielbasavan episode. In my view, the authors attempted to do too much, and my rating of what I view as a generous four stars is an attempt to balance the many diverse plusses and minuses of the book.

First, the plot had five star potential but I believe that the authors should have decided whether they wanted to write a mystery with comedic overtones or a thriller; I do not believe that they were totally successful in attempting to straddle those genres. They definitely deserve credit for the clever use of a unique Biblical anchor to the story.

Second, as I have mentioned, the contentious subject matter was handled in an informational and neutral way, and the outcome was not at all definitive regarding the conflicting viewpoints that were at the center of the story. Extremists on both sides were not painted in a very favorable light, and there was no attempt to influence the reader regarding the issue involved. This is not a book about religion; rather the religious beliefs of some characters are a central element of the plot.

Third, while most of the characters were relatively undeveloped, and in fact the majority could be described as caricatures and stereotypes, this treatment was in keeping with the overall style of the narrative. In opposition, the complexity of Bullet's motivation and the impact of his wife's death on his life's trajectory made his actions quite believable.

Fourth, the humor was really well done, even if jarring at times. It is a difficult feat to juxtapose scenes involving Weiner Man with the meaningful use of Latin references, yet somehow that was done in a manner that did not seem contrived.

Finally, the story is relatively short and an easy read; the authors did not attempt to pad it with extraneous characters or irrelevant plot additions.

So, the flaws and somewhat uneven writing (perhaps a function of co-authors) clearly kept if from being a five star novel in my estimation, but after considering my rating I decided that I had enjoyed it more than the books which I have rated three stars - so I settled on four stars.

Tucker Andersen 8/9/2010

Smart, witty, funny, page turner are some of the words that describe Book of Nathan. A must read, kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page!

Rick left his high-paying job to run a homeless shelter. One of his regular clients, a mentally-off giant of a man, is accused of killing a television evangelist. Rick does not think he is guilty. He sets out to prove it.

During his escapade, he discovers a big controversy. A pro-life group is keeping secret a long-lost book of the Bible that blows their idea of life at conception out of the water. They think Zeus has the lost book, the Book of Nathan.

The characters of this book are quirky and fun. They are just as entertaining as the plot. This is an awesome book!

Rick Bullock left his ad job to become director of a New Jersey homeless shelter to honor his late wife. Although going from a six-figure salary to the considerably lower pay of his current position was a tough transition, the lack of respect he received seemed to come with the territory. Now he finds himself on a strange road trip to prove that one of his long-time shelter residents (Zeus) has been falsely accused of killing Benjamin Kurios, a Bible-thumping evangelist.

Rick gets in touch with Doug Kool, an old friend and contributor to the shelter, for the funds to travel to Orlando. Going along on this trip is Maurice Tyson (the only person who can understand what Zeus says) and Doc Waters, who has not endured himself with the mob. Kool said he would back Rick's trip on one condition - he take Twyla Tharp (not the dancer) along with him. Twyla is the niece of Manny Maglio who runs a string of strip clubs in the NJ/NY area. She is also a stripper, and Manny is trying to get her to take an honest job. He is sending her to Universal Studios in Orlando for a job interview.

Rick reluctantly agrees and off the group goes to see if they can get Zeus released. Along the way they run across a transcript of the Book of Nathan that supposedly reveals at what point during pregnancy a human inherits a soul.

This comedic mystery is full of humorous twists and turns that will keep the reader smiling, if not laughing out loud. The eclectic travel companions not only have their own quirky conversations with each other, but they run into some very interesting people along the way.

The authors have written an entertaining story that will keep readers engaged. There really is a mystery story that touches on a sensitive topic involving pro-life and pro-choice groups, while the gang dodges a sinister New Jersey mobster and deals with a devious billionaire.

Join Rick and his quirky band of travelers on a road trip like no other in Book of Nathan. The story will keep you enthralled to the very end!

Book of Nathan

This book keeps your interest to the very end with plots and sub plots weaving throughout every chapter. You find yourself trying to guess where the writers are going and to solve the mystery yourself. It truly draws you into the story of this relegious intrigue. There certainly a movie within the covers of this book.

Tough and funny, this story grabs you fast and won't let go. A team of misfits assembled in the New Brunswick slums stumbles its way through bizarre, yet all too real machinations of church, cops, corporations and the mob to try to free an unlovable and obviously guilty killer. Look for wildly drawn characters to develop depth and dimension as the story winds its way up through the airways and down on I-95 to the deadly streets of Orlando and back. Crime, lies, passion, betrayal and potential redemption await the reader.

This book details the adventures of a good samaritan, Rick Bullock, the director of a homeless shelter and soup kitchen called the Gateway. One of his charges follows an inspirational speaker all the way to Orlando, Florida, only to be accused of that speaker's murder and imprisoned and awaiting trial. His defense is difficult because he doesn't speak intelligibly, except to one of his homeless friends. From there, an adventure begins, starting with a desire to clear his homeless friend for the murder he knew he didn't commit, through a motley crew of people who come on the adventure with Rick and help in his quest to try to clear their friend and help Rick find the missing book of the Bible called the Book of Nathan.

The writing was fairly skillful. Characterization was slim, while the narrative was extra heavy on plot. You are drawn into the factions for and against abortion - not a spoiler, you find this out early on. I was a bit taken aback by it, but it did have its merit as the plot developed further. I hit a snag in the middle of the book due to a highly implausible plot point that nearly caused me to cast the book aside in search of the next book in my huge to-be-read pile, but I persevered and ended up finishing the last half of the book well after bedtime.

Though I do recommend this book, some people may be insulted by either view on abortion, even though the book itself doesn't take a heavy stance either way. The race to find the book of Nathan is an interesting one and the plot twists are plenty. It was a fun book to read, but not quite five star material.

When high-profile evangelist Benjamin Kuros is murdered, it is a child-like homeless man named Zeus who is charged and thrown into a Florida jail cell. All too quickly the public turns on Zeus and bays for blood in a familiar snapshot of society today, one that all too quickly condemns the mentally disabled as dangerous and violent.

And if Zeus is a thumbnail sketch of the forgotten homeless, then Rick Bullock (ex Madison Avenue advertising man turned homeless shelter Director) represents those who work silently to support these people. The extent of Rick's support is limited by the nature of his work, minimum wages, lip-service support from philanthropists and his own internal battle following the death of his wife. None-the-less, Rick undertakes to go to Florida, confident of Zeus's innocence and ready to prove it with the assistance of two of his centre's residents in tow.

The trip is only made possible through the begrudging assistance of old friend and professional fund-raiser Doug Kool, born into money and privilege and doing all he can to make sure it stays that way. Doug fixes Rick up with plane tickets and accommodation to get him and his cohorts to Florida, but of course there is a catch. The means for the trip will only be provided if Rick also escorts local mobster Manny Maglio's niece, Twyla Tharp - dancer and prostitute, to an interview at Universal Studios. It is this tight group of travellers who take us through the book, with Twyla providing most of the comic relief.
At the centre of this story, and the reason for the death of Benjamin Kuros, is a newly discovered Bible text, the titular Book of Nathan. Purporting to disclose the moment when a foetus obtains a soul it is set to escalate the debate over abortion; unfortunately the book went missing from Kuros's murder site. Understandably the pro-life and pro-choice factions are equally keen to get their hands on it and there are people who believe that Rick is the key to finding the book.

The Book of Nathan is set up as a comedy/mystery and it stumbles slightly but doesn't fail in this aim. The plot is well developed, the main characters likeable and certainly worth cheering for, some of the dialogue could have been tightened and in some cases shortened for sharper effect. But at the end of the day this was an enjoyable read with enough twists to keep any mystery fan interested.