Customer Reviews

Gold of Kings (Center Point Christian Mystery (Large Print))

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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 +++

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.

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.

Never heard of Bunn. Accidentally got hold of the book. It's a fun read and it is well written. I liked that it didn't use foul language. It kept my attention to the end. It is a great book for the beach. I'll be reading more of Davis Bunn.

Gold of Kings had a lot of potential, and in some areas it lived up to that potential, but for the most part it fell short. The story is about a down-on-his-luck treasure hunter who is assigned to watch the grand-daughter of his greatest financial backer. Intrigue ensues and a beautiful federal agent is introduced to watch-over/arrest the two. Clues appear, action takes place, and romance develops as the three travel the globe in search of a grand treasure.

That is a great premise for a story - right? The problem is that much of it is handled clumsily -many of the clues are not adequately explained which leaves the reader wondering what was going on. The romance just appears without much of a backstory or fanfare which makes it feel very manufactured - and the action scenes are not adequately explained so I was always left wondering "How did they escape"?

In truth, I was forced to reread many passages in order to maintain the flow of the novel. The plot jumps and skips around without adequate explanation. "Gold of Kings" may be one of those rare novels that simply is NOT LONG ENOUGH. An additional, 50 to 75 pages of plot explanations would have wonders for my enjoyment. Having said that, I will say that I read all of the authors that Davis Bunn is compared (Dan Brown and Steve Berry) and I have not had similar problems (although I do believe that "Gold of Kings" is more believable than anything that could have be written by Steve Berry).

There are several positives to Davis Bunn's writing. First, the sory is a good one even if it isn't adequately developed. Second, Bunn did not try to spice up his story with profanity or other things that would make a parent squirm. The book is safely rated "PG" and is something a parent can let their child read without fear.

Final Verdict - There is a lot of potential here - and in fact - I would love to see a movie version of "Gold of Kings" however, in terms of a novel it is very mediocre.

2 1/2 stars

See storylines above.
I read through this one fairly quick. It was written in a way that pulled you in and kept ya going. A well balanced, well researched, well rounded thriller that should attract any reader that likes this genre.

A nice easy read. I'm sucker for treasurer hunter adventures, and this one wasn't too bad. Not the Indian Jones or Tomb Raiders intensity, but a nice gentle gallop in the park variety.

I expected a little more suspense from this book. A worldwide search for an eons old religious treasure with the requisite bad guys, both inside and outside of the government, chasing our would-be heroes; its all a setup for a suspenseful read. The suspense really never arrived.

This, because the author writes characters so well, did not detract from the story. The characters were written well, deep and understandable, with personal demons and trust issues abounding. There was definitely a little bit of suspense, but I would not qualify this as a suspense novel. It is a character study wrapped around a slightly suspenseful tale.

Still, there is enough to keep the story taut and to keep the reader riveted. I enjoyed this book and enjoyed getting to know the characters. The main reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that it did cling to a few of the typical cliches in this genre. But I can still recommend this as an excellent diversion and a quick read.

Enjoy!

Gold of Kings is one of those books that is easy to read and hard to put down. The characters are believable and the plot is intriguing. The leading man, Harry, is a real man's man, but still flawed enough to be real. Storm and Emma are complex characters with sides to them that are only revealed by reading the entire book. The story line is a bit predictable, in that you assume they will find whatever treasure they are after, but there are lots of twists I didn't expect. Overall, I give the book a 4 stars, simply because I expected more spiritual content from Davis Bunn.

Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn is an adventure thriller.
Storm, an antiques dealer, whose grandfather has died suddenly, is thrust into a whirlwind of adventure to find out why he died and to piece together the clues her grandfather Sean Syrrell left behind. Storm is befriended by Harry Bennett a treasure hunter who is alert to the dangers that surround them in finding what Sean believed to be treasure from the Second Temple. Joined by an FBI agent Emma Webb, who was assigned investigating Syrrell's, all three pursue this quest across the globe from Palm Beach, Fl to
Cyprus. This is a fun adventure including mayhem, historical facts, good characterization, and a great twist with a satisfying ending.