Gold of Kings (Center Point Christian Mystery (Large Print)) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Davis Bunn (Author)

Book Description

Series: Center Point Christian Mystery (Large Print) | Publication Date: August 1, 2009

Will she decipher the mysteries leading to the sacred relic, or be defeated by the foes racing to claim it and destroy her?

A dealer in art and antiquities, Storm Syrrell arranges her life as she does her work -- into neat, orderly categories. But when her grandfather is murdered, all certainties are crushingly replaced by suspicions. She struggles to understand his death -- and decipher the frayed leather journal she finds hidden in his vault. Storm soon realizes that, far from being simply a discreet art broker, Sean Syrrell was a trusted go-between in the highest ranks of business and government in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

But not all of Sean's associates were quite so lofty. Enter Harry Bennett, a scruffy professional treasure hunter just released from a Caribbean jail, followed by Emma Webb, a US government lawyer with links to Interpol. Storm pushes her doubts aside, locks the door to her Palm Beach art gallery, and opens herself to the quest begun by her grandfather.

Their trail leads them ever farther afield -- London, France, Istanbul, Cyprus -- and ever deeper into danger. The thrill of the search is haunted by Storm's determination to bring Sean's murderers to justice. Storm and Harry in turn are targeted by an unknown assassin and saved from death only by Harry's split-second reactions.

Their quest homes in on the Copper Scroll of Qumran and controversial claims made by the Jewish historian Josephus. Hidden beneath the dust and mysteries of two thousand years lies the reason behind Sean Syrrell's murder and the find of a lifetime: a fortune in gold of great historical significance. Storm begins to grasp the potential magnitude such artifacts will have on contemporary religion and politics -- especially the competing historical claims to Jerusalem. Some seek to claim the gold for the treasure it represents; others are determined to destroy it. With the tangled motives of greed and power now in focus, old allies become new enemies. Through this, something unexpected tugs at Storm. The sacred relics represent a formidable metaphor to an ancient faith; will her search include a renewal of her own faith?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first of a new adventure series for this three-time Christy Award winner brings together an odd couple for an international trail of clues and near-death experiences. Grieving Storm Syrell, an antiques dealer and art historian, must fathom the circumstances behind her grandfather's death. She and ex-con treasure hunter Harry Bennett team up to uncover a conspiracy that led to the demise of the old treasure trader. For readers interested in politics in the Middle East, travel in the Mediterranean and the biblical and historical ruminations in the story, this Oxford University writer-in-residence has plenty to offer in a smooth blend of romance, biblical historical archeology and murder mystery. Christian fiction readers will enjoy a more evangelically orthodox story than Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code; they will get a similarly long string of clues and a command of this genre mix as well. With this adventure, Bunn should win another crown. (June)
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

In this slick adventure thriller, an antiques dealer, whose grandfather has suddenly and suspiciously died, teams up with a veteran treasure hunter to follow a series of clues in the dead man’s journal. The trail leads the pair across the world, as they chase after some valuable historical documents while keeping one small step ahead of some very nasty pursuers. Readers of James Rollins or Steve Berry (or fans of the Indiana Jones movies) will be on solid ground here and probably won’t mind that the story is perhaps a bit too derivative. The two leads, antiques dealer Storm Syrell and shifty treasure hunter Harry Bennett, are well constructed and likable, and Bunn, author of more than 15 previous novels, including the Marcus Glenwood legal-thriller series, keeps things moving at a brisk clip. Most of Bunn’s previous work has been marketed at readers of Christian fiction, but this one can be confidently recommend to fans of globetrotting thrillers as well. --David Pitt --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 524 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Publishers; 1st edition (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602855420
• ISBN-13: 978-1602855427
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,849,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Davis Bunn is the author of over nineteen national bestsellers, and his books have sold over six million copies in sixteen languages. The recipient of three Christy Awards, Bunn currently serves as writer-in-residence at Oxford University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gold of Adventure +++, June 7, 2009

By 

Kevin Kiersky "oceaneagle" (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gold of Kings (Storm Syrrell Adventure Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I took a mild risk in choosing this book for my first Vine Review -- as the topic was one I had only encountered in movies or in separate works for the sub-topics. I chose to save this novel for a time and place to ensure unbroken reading and possible enjoyment. I first opened Gold of Kings in a comfortable big chair with a long free evening and with iced tea ready. I lost all sense of passing time until after page 100 -- and got up to fetch some iced tea -- grateful that it was waiting and ready -- thereby keeping in my reading-flow. Davis Bunn had me hooked from the first page and I kept reading with no conscious effort.

I am impressed with this author's narrative skill in adventure writing. The plot, drama, actors, actions, themes, scenes and knowledge-background seemed not only well-done but in a well-done balance. The action was fast-and-clever by fast-and-clever actors -- that got upset and injured and worse. I enjoy such deadly suspenseful intellegent adventure of mortals -- who succeed against odds via wits and daring, yet losing-out or losing-all at times. To my surprise and pleasure, I learned quite a bit more about Medieval, Mediterranian and Middle Eastern topics -- skillfully integrated into the narration. The smooth flow of it all is a wonder -- so no wonder Davis Bunn is a top-selling author -- if his other works come close to this one +++

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gold of Kings, April 25, 2009

By 

Isabelle Jolly (El Segundo, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gold of Kings (Storm Syrrell Adventure Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This an exhilarating and exciting story. Storm Syrrell's grandfather, Sean Syrrell, has been murdered. He had been expecting it, and had fired Storm from their fine arts business in an attempt to keep her safe. Harry Bennett, a treasure hunter and a trusted friend of Sean, was sprung from prison and tasked with keeping Storm from danger. When Storm discovered that Sean had left her money, paintings, an illuminated book, and a gold chalice, she realizes that the trouble the business was in had been caused by someone who wanted to buy it. A third person is Emma Webb, an FBI agent who distrusts her immediate supervisor, and transfers to Interpol.

The three of them start investigating what Sean had been looking for; treasures from the Second Temple described on a Copper Scroll left by Jews during the time of the Roman massacres.

Lots of excitement, chases, attacks, and a good ending. There is also a lot of early Jewish, Christian, Roman, Greek history I hadn't known. Highly recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A page-turner thrill ride for readers, August 19, 2009

By 

Tom D. "Opportunity is limited only by imagin... (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gold of Kings (Storm Syrrell Adventure Series, Book 1) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I'm a sucker for adventue-thriller page-turners -- and "Gold of Kings" didn't disappoint. I read at night and frequently had to keep reading far past my normal "lights out" time, leaving me feeling sleepy at work the next day (but it was well worth the sacrifice :-)

This book has believable characters, and a believable plot as well. It's clear the author, Davis Bunn, did plenty of research for this novel. At times the book read like a screenplay -- and I could easily imagine seeing this as a movie on the big-screen.