30 Pieces of Silver: An Extremely Controversial Historical Thriller (Book 1 in the Betrayed Series) [Kindle Edition]

Carolyn McCray (Author)

Book Description

30 Pieces of Silver...
Did you know James Rollins recommends, 30 Pieces of Silver, the #1 Kindle Bestseller in Men's Adventure, Techno-thriller & War genres?

***Warning*** Before you purchase this book please be aware that 30 Pieces of Silver is an extremely controversial religious/historical thriller. Too controversial to be published in hardback. Please do NOT purchase this book if you were at all disturbed by the DaVinci Code or The Passion of Christ's revelations.

However if you like your fiction to challenge historical events, read on...

Praise for 30 Pieces of Silver
"Carolyn McCray's 30 PIECES OF SILVER proves that Dan Brown's crown is up for grabs. Part minefield and all roller-coaster ride, here is a story as controversial as it is thriller.
Hunker down for a long night because once you start this book you won't be putting it down."
James Rollins, NY Times bestseller of Bloodline

Other 5 out of 5 star reviews...
<span>"The author manages to weave the fine lines of historical fact, architectural beauty, centuries of folklore, the pain of historical catastrophes and her own incredibly clever fictional thoughts, all into one great carpet of multicoloured fibres."</span>
<span>Cheyl M-M</span>
<span>Amazon Reviewer</span>

"This novel messed with my head, plain and simple."
John Hopkin
Book Reviewer

<span>"This was one of the best books I have ever read! She intertwined past and present with such ease. The historical figures come to life. This book makes you totally rethink what you have always been taught about the death of Christ. I can't wait to read the rest of her work if this is
any indication of how great a writer she is.</span>"
<span>Linda Butterfield</span>
<span>Amazon Reviewer</span>

Overview of 30 PIECES OF SILVER...
A Christian suicide bomber.
John the Baptist's bones inscribed in ancient Greek.
A dark secret carried from the foot of the crucifixion.

Can science solve the world's greatest mystery?

More praise...
<span>"From the opening explosion at the base of the Eiffel Tower uncovering a trove of skeletons to the final scenes throughout Italy, the story involves a search for the remains of Jesus. Rebecca
Monroe is "saved" from the clutches of a snake by Sgt. Brandt and his special ops team
deep in the Ecuadorian jungle... This begins a rollercoaster ride that is intertwined with an equally interesting tale of Jesus and Judas and their travels and trials."</span>
<span>Mr. Neil</span>
<span>Thrillers Rock Twitter</span>

For
anyone who hungers for some serious controversy and can't get enough of James Rollins, Dan Brown, Steve Berry, and Brad Thor... 30 PIECES OF SILVER is your next thrill fix!!!

Other Works...
**Want the entire Betrayed series in one place? From the prequel short story Ambush through the post-Shiva exclusive short story, Mayhem, check out The Betrayed Omnibus Collection, containing all three full length books of the trilogy (30 Pieces, Havoc and Shiva) and four exciting short stories (Ambush, Targeted, Covert and exclusive Mayhem)!A $19.99 value for only $9.99!

**If you enjoy hard-pounding action you'll want to check out Carolyn's newest techno-thriller, Encrypted.

**If you were looking for near future action/adventure roller coaster, try Carolyn's MoonRush.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Carolyn McCray's 30 Pieces of Silver proves that Dan Brown's crown is up for grabs. Part minefield and all roller-coaster ride, here is a story as controversial as it is thrilling. Hunker down for a long night because once you start this book you won't be putting it down." -- James Rollins, NY Times bestselling author of Bloodline

“The last three pages of the story rank as one of the most shocking and unexpected conclusions I have ever experienced. I was speechless – and I can’t think of any better praise to give than that.I highly recommend 30 Pieces of Silver.” --TheWordZombie.com
 
“I cannot say enough good things about this book! I started reading this book and found myself taking it everywhere I went just to finish it. McCray has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.” –-ThePenMuse.net

“Highly recommended if you like action-adventure thrillers, searching for archaeological mysteries and religious themes.” --MysteryThriller.tv

From the Author

Overview of 30 PIECES OF SILVER... A Christian suicide bomber. John the Baptist's bones inscribed in ancient Greek. A dark secret carried from the foot of the crucifixion. Can science solve the world's greatest mystery?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 868 KB
• Print Length: 535 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1612185118
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Off Our Meds Multimedia (December 11, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004HB1W82
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,500 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Men's Adventure
  • #16 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Technothrillers
  • #20 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Technothrillers

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

422 of 465 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, Brave, and Controversial July 14, 2011

By Heather Davis TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

30 Pieces of Silver is a very controversial religious thriller. The style is a bit similar to the DaVinci code in that the characters are on the search for controversial religious relics, and a secret society does not want the relics found. That's it for the similarities though. 30 Pieces of Silver is very much it's own story. The premise in 30 Pieces of Silver is forensic archeology natured, and definitely unique. The novel blends a touch of romance, action adventure, and dangerous situations together.

30 Pieces of silver is a compelling, brave, controversial novel that will leave readers contemplating possibilities long after the story has been read.

This review is not an easy one to write, as the book is highly controversial, my thoughts are a bit mixed. As I said earlier, 30 Pieces of Silver is a religious thriller. The characters are all in search of a discovery that could drastically change modern Christianity. I myself was raised with a very conservative Christian upbringing, and, while still Christian, I am now more progressive and have a pretty open-mind (I loved DaVinci code and had no problem with the religious implications at all). However, the assertions in 30 Pieces of Silver are very shocking and so outrageous that my comfort level was tested and pushed. In the end, whether I just did not believe the assertions or they were just too much for me, my impressions of the book were affected.

I loved the thrilling action and the depth created between the characters and their motivations, but the controversial religious assertions were a bit too controversial for my personal tastes. Even so, I still find myself thinking over the book and the assertions, definitely a thought provoking story.... I must commend the author for creating such a memorable, standout novel.

Who would like this book: Readers who enjoy controversial or religious thrillers will enjoy this novel. 30 Pieces of Silver is thought provoking and exciting, a good read.

Who would not like this book: Readers who hold and value traditional Christian beliefs, or conservative readers will most likely not enjoy this novel. Read more ›

202 of 221 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read Thriller! January 15, 2011

By mrneil98

Format:Kindle Edition

Wow! I am so impressed when a (relatively) new author creates such a compelling, exciting and potentially controversial novel. The action is non-stop, the locations are intriguing and the characters are appealing. There is tension, romance, harrowing escape after harrowing escape all weaved within a story that captures your interest and keeps you guessing until the very end when you are floored by a surprise hook followed by an even more unexpected uppercut of an ending.
From the opening explosion at the base of the Eiffel Tower uncovering a trove of skeletons to the final scenes throughout Italy, the story involves a search for the remains of Jesus. Rebecca Monroe is "saved" from the clutches of a snake by Sgt. Brandt and his special ops team deep in the Ecuadorian jungle and directed on a mission to aid her former professor/mentor/lover Dr. Lochum. This begins a rollercoaster ride that is intertwined with an equally interesting tale of Jesus and Judas and their travels and trials.
The characters are likeable and believable while not being stereotypical of the genre. Sgt. Brandt is a macho, military type but also a devout Catholic very knowledgeable in Bible history while Dr. Monroe is attractive, intelligent and handles herself well under pressure. The adversaries are a shady organization known as The Knot, with an intriguing pair Tok and Petir as emissaries. The pair are more than the sum of their parts as you will realize as you read the story.
There is a blossoming romance between Brandt and Monroe that is interrupted by Dr. Lochum.... Although their attraction may be predictable there many detours along the way that keep the reader unsure of their fate, The secondary characters are developed in a way that makes them not only more important to the story but more interesting to the reader.
Thirty Pieces of Silver blends action, science, romance, history, and geography all into a fascinating thriller reminiscent of James Rollins, Steve Berry or Dan Brown. It has everything any reader would want and, perhaps the best thing is, there is already a follow-up on the way continuing the exploits of Monroe, Brandt, Lopez and the rest. Read more ›

142 of 165 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, this novel was great! February 15, 2011

By R. Shiderly

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really had a blast reading this novel! The romance was wonderful, not too over the top and the writing was superb! Don't let the fact that this is an Indie book scare you, please. It was well fleshed and better than a lot of A list authors whose work is at the big publishing houses.

I don't know how to classify this novel, it was mystery, thriller, romance, all interwoven and it was so good. If some novels feel like cotton candy, this was steak and potatoes!

I will say, however, if you are a die hard Christian (like I am) you have to keep reminding yourself this is FICTION. The writing was top notch and I look forward to the coming sequel, Havoc. Hopefully Ms. McCray won't be too long...

73 of 85 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars What Hype....don't bother reading March 14, 2012

By Cecil Zee

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The controversial part of this book is how it got published, I read the first part for free on my kindle and then was asked if I'd like to buy it. It was pretty interesting up to then, so I bought it. Boy, did it go down hill. The typos and words missing increased (who proofs this stuff). The plot was not developed and the action scenes were totally improbable.....they kept getting more and more rediculous as the book went on. The ending was bizare as nothing was developed to support the conclusion; little or no groundwork was laid for the conclusion. Plus, the DNA testing for a 'super gene' never went any where. I have this book on kindle....I will put it up for loan and you can keep it!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Utter Nonsense November 20, 2012

By M. C. Cook

Format:Kindle Edition

This has got to be one of the very worst books I've ever read. It is ridiculous. Do not be concerned that it is controversial; it isn't. For that to be so it would have to make sense. Not even in an Indiana Jones movie have there been so many gun battles, explosions, secret underground chambers, rocket launches (sometimes underground--how do you do that?), sword waving monks who appear from nowhere toward the end--but who don't seem to deter our intrepid heroine from reading tiny scriptural notes on bones--pretty neat, translating ancient text, under fire and then performing an impromptu transfusion underground as well. I kept on to the end because I honestly wanted to see if it could get any more over the top. It did but still I'll never get those hours back. Is there any way to assign a book 1/2 a star--for unintended levity? Really, the rating system fails to indicate how bad this is. Be warned.

More About the Author

Carolyn has had a long and extremely interesting road to become a bestseller.

When she head to veterinary school those many years ago she had no idea decades later she would be writing controversial historical thrillers, gut wrenching mysteries and roller coaster-style action/adventure tales!

Born in San Francisco and raised in the beautiful Napa Valley, Carolyn always had an overactive imagination. As a child you could usually find her dragging the neighborhood children out to the haunted barn to make her Nancy Drew-style audio tapes. Oh and did she mention, there was an entire life-sized recreation of the nativity scene in the rafters? Yeah, that wasn't just a little creepy.

Which of course was great practice for writing such blockbusters as Plain Jane: A Patterson-style thriller with a dash of Hannibal and 30 Pieces of Silver: An Extremely Controversial Historical Thriller.

Carolyn is honored to have a seven book contract with Amazon's mystery and thriller imprint, Thomas & Mercer along with being one of the eight books during the inaugural launch of Amazon's new Serial program (9th Circle).

With over 250,000 books sold, Carolyn now lives on a beautiful lake in the Pacific Northwest where the fog rolls in over the water, snuffing out all signs of life around her. Yep, she still loves the creepy!

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#14 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#16 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#50 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#69 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#82 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#14 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#16 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#50 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#69 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#82 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers