The King James Conspiracy [Paperback]

Phillip DePoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2010

The turning of the wheel by the tilling of the wheat.

With these cryptic words, a conspiracy is set into motion that threatens the new translation of the Bible ordered by King James I, and the lives of the scholars working on it.

In 1605, in Cambridge England, a group of scholars brought together to create a definitive English translation of the Bible finds one of its members savagely murdered by unknown hands. Deacon Marbury, the man in charge of this group, seeks outside help to find the murderer, to protect the innocents and their work. But the people who offer to help are not who they claim to be and the man they send to Marbury—Brother Timon—has a secret past, much blood on his hands, and is an agent for those forces that wish to halt the translation itself.

But as the hidden killer continues his gruesome work, the body count among the scholars continues to rise. Brother Timon is torn between his loyalties and believes an even greater crisis looms as ancient and alarming secrets are revealed—secrets dating back to the earliest days of Christianity that threaten the most basic of its closely held beliefs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1605, one gory slaying after another disrupts the team of Cambridge scholars James I has assembled to prepare a new English translation of the Bible in this feverish historical thriller from DePoy (Dead Easy). Deacon Francis Marbury, the project's local supervisor, thinks he's been sent a trustworthy aide to help solve the murders, but the enigmatic Brother Timon is actually an agent of Pope Clement bent on sabotage. The Catholic church fears the group's study of ancient texts may be uncovering dire secrets that question the basis of all branches of organized Christianity. Much more blood is spilled before Timon can decide where his soul's allegiance really belongs. Clearly, both the king and the pope are insane, but personal obsessions dog many other characters, who spend excessive time skulking through chilly corridors and slashing at dark shadows. Fans of theological melodrama should enjoy this, but others may tire of the bloody hugger-mugger. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

What if, in the original Hebrew gospels, there were secrets so shocking that revealing them could be disastrous for the Church of England? And what if there had been a fiendish conspiracy to prevent the creation of the King James Bible, a conspiracy of men so desperate to keep the buried secrets from being exposed that they would stop at nothing, not even murder? That’s the premise of this exciting and thought-provoking novel, set in 1605 and featuring a large cast of real-life characters. The only completely fictional character is Brother Timon, who is hired by the translators to find out who is trying to stop the translation. Timon is a compellingly multilayered character (we spend most of the book trying to decide if he’s a good guy or a villain). Like Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, which also involves murder and religion, the novel is a splendid mixture of history and mystery, with vibrant characters and some solid twists and turns. --David Pitt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312627947
• ISBN-13: 978-0312627942
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,666,055 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phillip DePoy is an Edgar Award winning playwright, and author of more than a dozen published books. His play Lamb on Fire was produced in New York. He has been called "a master Southern storyteller" by Kirkus Reviews and "adept at clever word play" by Publisher's Weekly. THE KING JAMES CONSPIRACY has been compared, in BookList, to Umberto Eco's THE NAME OF THE ROSE. In a recent review, Kirkus said of his new novel A CORPSE'S NIGHTMARE, "Nobody writes Southern better than DePoy." In addition to his other pursuits, the author is currently Director of Theatre at Clayton State University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Answers, for small minds, are holes in the brain through which Satan will enter.", May 26, 2009

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King James Conspiracy (Hardcover)

DePoy goes beyond the usual conspiracy ploys of recent novels, emphasizing instead the human face of such dramas, the control of critical religious dogma. Nor does he hop from the present to the less reliable past, new investigative techniques applied to centuries-old mysteries. Set in 17th century England, all the protagonists in this drama act out their conflicts in real time, the limitations of communication and nefarious deeds critical to the unfolding of a fearless tale that confronts the inherent problems of transcribing the words of the Bible for public consumption: "The Bishop's Bible is an instrument of the Crown as the Latin Bible is an instrument of the pope." DePoy's characters are bedeviled with personal concerns and political realities, not the least of which is the fanatical King James who has ordered the creation of a common Bible for the masses. Like any complicated protagonist, King James harbors his own agenda, his passionate vision for the Church of England.

Furiously resisting the king's intentions, Pope Clement interjects his own perspective, replete with spies and assassins in a deadly struggle to regain Catholic control in Reformed England. Scaling down the controversy to a more measurable stage, the action in this novel centers around a group of Cambridge scholars tasked with transcribing the original translations of the books of the Bible, many of which contain information that radically alters the message of the current Bible. When murder interrupts the work of the scholars, Deacon Marbury hires the enigmatic Brother Timon to infiltrate the group and expose the killer. A dispassionate man with a troubling past, Timon brings yet another layer of mystery to the tale, his actions encouraging Marbury to distrust the agent he has hired, who may, indeed, have yet another agenda. At the heart of all is long-suppressed information that seriously threatens religious dogma grounded in biblical text.

The setting is ripe for mischief, murky, candle-lit rooms where men labor long hours into the night, a countryside threatened by desperate highwaymen, assassins on secret missions and the natural distrust that arises when a murderer lurks among the ranks of scholars. Marbury has cause to regret his hire of brother Timon; Timon reveals a horrific past that has bred a murderous skill set; the intractable King James will have his Bible; and Marbury's daughter, the brilliant Anne, learns more of the recent violent activities at Cambridge than is safe. In a complex mix of religious fanaticism, superstition, witch-baiting and alchemy, DePoy crashes through the boundaries of established beliefs. If human error- accidental or deliberate- has tainted the Bible, what is the truth of Christianity? Luan Gaines/2009.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...wrecked by the demon of self preservation, June 27, 2009

By 

J. Scott "TheCFO" (Ocean, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King James Conspiracy (Hardcover)

The tone and time are well set and the reader is taken into another time. The plot twists, and turns and we are taken on a journey of discovery. Nothing is certain, and as the characters become more real the mystery continue to deepen. Very good evocation of the period, cold stone floors, noises, smells and of course the eternal human traits of hope, fear and faith tested and tested again.
I enjoyed this read very much, and recommend it to anyone interested in a good mystery, the King James Bible translation and the Shakesperean era. I am already looking for the next in hopefully a long series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars King James Conspiracy, November 15, 2009

By 

Linda Sheean (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The King James Conspiracy (Hardcover)

Have always been interested in King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and DePoy is an involving writer. The plot is that of influencing some of the Cambridge translators of the Bible to reflect either Protestant or Catholic thought, which leads to murder and conspiracy. The lead character, Brother Timon, is fictional, the translators did live.
Depoy leads us thru the plots very successfully and to some resolution. Read the King James Bible to see how the two points of view are put forth.
Linda Sheean