SOLOMON'S KEY THE CODIS PROJECT: A CONSPIRACY THRILLER (Paperback)

~ R DOUGLAS WEBER (Author), JAMES S ROLLINS (Producer)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A smart, intelligent thriller with something for everyone. This new religious conspiracy genre created by Dan Brown has had many knock-offs. None, however, have the depth and scope of Weber's novel. He peels away the glossy finish you find in most spy thrillers, prying deeply into his two major female character's motivations, flaws, and past. The visceral action of Ludlum combined with the realism of John Le'Carre'. -- The Guardian S Duffy

The Vatican, movie star cult icons, secret cabals, spies and even a steamy love triangle all blend into a surprisingly tasty stew. More seasoned writers might have cut back on the complex recipe of spy thriller, romance, and religious history, offering less meat and more fluff. But this writer gives you your monies worth, hoping you'll come back for seconds. -- Daily Mirror

Product Description

An ancient secret society. The Vatican. The lost tomb of Jesus--the King of Kings And an ancient scroll that unlocks the secret of the Goddess . CODIS-the FBI's Combined DNA Index System-has found a match. A link between the past and present. Between a royal bloodline and the world's foremost terrorist. On the anniversary of their downfall at the hands of the papacy, the Knights Templar vow revenge. The ultimate spies and the ultimate threat: Reunited lovers brought together by fate, Italian-born OSI agent Nick Rossi and beautiful Mossad agent, Josie Schulman, battle an al-Qaeda orchestrated wave of terrorist attacks directed against Rome, the Vatican, and the newly elected Pope. But the investigation means plunging into Rossi's own past and into the arms of Bast, the alluring stranger, who may be his downfall. The ultimate secret: Beneath the Dome of the Rock, in Solomon's Temple, an ancient scroll is found. It unlocks the Holy See's brutally suppressed truth concerning the divine feminine, Mary Magdalene's true identify and role-and the location of history's most important tomb. The ultimate deception: As world leaders converge on Rome for the Pope's funeral, Rossi and Josie race against time and follow a cryptic trail of symbols hidden within German Renaissance paintings: the keys to a mystery that points to a secret Masonic nexus of power, the secrets of the Widow's Son. What would you do for love? What would you do for honor and country? Two strong-willed women find themselves at opposing sides of a struggle for power. Josie a Mossad agent, who is battle weary and disillusioned, and the other-Bast a notorious al-Qaeda operative. But they share three things in common: they seek revenge for the murder of family members, and they both seek love and meaning in their lonesome existence. The third thing they share is the affection of the same man. The man is Nick Rossi intelligence operative stationed in Rome. Rossi seeks the advice of his uncle Professor Giovanni, a man versed in history and the schemes of secret societies. Together they must solve a riddle, clues left by a Masonic Nexus that has infiltrated the Vatican. Rossi knows that his uncle's and even the Pope's life depends upon his actions. And time is running out. Behind the veil of enigma lies the Eschatology Institute, a New Age pop culture Church, complete with Hollywood celebrity spokespersons, secret oaths, and dark agendas. Its leader is on a mad power trip and will kill anyone who stands in his way. And his sights are set on the Vatican.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: ERISTA-HUTTON-HAUSER (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9545857366
• ISBN-13: 978-9545857362
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #32,849 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars decoding the past, July 25, 2007

By	Battista - See all my reviews

Solomon's Key is extremely informative and holds your attention. It encourages you to pay closer attention as to what is going on around you. My favorite part of this book were the manipulations taking place in the current era that are directly connected to ancient mysteries. It may be mostly speculation, but it's quite convincing.

The ultimate value of reading this book is discovering your own reaction to the ideas in question. In other words, it's a way of understanding the depth that you might be buried within any religious deception or controlling agencies. With that being said, I must say I enjoyed this book very much, because it's entertaining as well as informative. I have long felt that religion is a hindrance that does not allow man to question. Do I believe in a world wide conspiracy, yes because all conspiracies have a level of truth to them, no matter how far fetched they are, there is a foundation for these ideas.

Weber is certainly "out there" in terms of his overall theory of the sad state of some of the world's most powerful religions and terrorist organizations. He takes the position that the terrible things that have happened throughout history and are happening today are the result of behind the scenes manipulation by sinister leaders. Weber pounds away at orthodox versions of history and religion and does so in an extraordinarily convincing and entertaining manner.

There is much that is good about this book, much that is truth, and much dialogue which springs from an esoteric level. The research is often scholarly and at other times it's nonexistant. Don't take everything in it as gospel, but let him lead you through a magical mystery tour of facts and connections that often have basis in truth. You won't think about the things you see or the news which you read the same way again.

This book handles different sciences to one overall science: the many hidden agendas connected to some of our latest archaeological discoveries and new understandings of ancient mysteries. Solomon's Key integrates history, biology, archaeology, politics, military tactics, psychology, occult sciences, and last but not least the art of manipulating the masses by hiding the truth. This book not only deals with the conspiracies in the world, it also opens the closed vaults of secret societies and their applications in world politics and mass control.

Great read!

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking thriller, May 28, 2007

By	T. Petersen "Marianne" (Denmark) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Barely halfway through this mind-puzzling story, that not only keeps me in suspense page by page, but also challenges my intellect and ability to think in new ways, I am already totally amazed and taken in by the story and the people in it.
It brings up so many questions that I have never thought of before, could this really be true? Have we been kept in the dark for hundreds of years?
The characters come through as real people, so very different from each other and yet so well described that I can actually see their image for my eyes and share their feelings regardless if they are one of the good guys or not.

I have read Dan Brown in the past, now I read Richard D. Weber...and I'm enjoying every word and every minute of it.
Cannot wait to turn the next pages and looking forward to new books in the future from this brilliant writer.


Marianne Petersen

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally real women empowered by the Goddess, May 25, 2007

By	celticgoddess "within you lies the power of t... (LA, Califorina) - See all my reviews

Finally a solid fictional thriller that clearly celebrates the Goddess in all her wisdom and power.
While this spy thriller's plot, rabid action, and intrigue will hold men's attention, I know that women will find this book empowering. It weaves the history of the secret rituals used by the mystery schools and secret societies to bridge the gap between this world and the next into a ticking time-bomb race to discover the truth. And I don't think I'm giving away too much by revealing that the main point of the story is that we, womankind are the key and the gateway. That mankind must learn to honor and respect women.
Although fighting on opposite sides, two deeply fleshed out female characters discover that they are on the same journey. A journey that leads them to a startling revelation about their past and themselves. Along the way, a New Age Pop Culture cult, which I found strikingly similar to Scientology, hurtles death and confusion in their path.

Part of the character arc is the realization that
Within each of us is the power of the Divine Mother.
Goddess Power is about coming into that power, owning that power and learning how to use that power by an unselfish surrender of oneself, not by ego.


The mentor character Professor Giovanni explains the secret of the divine feminine: "They believed that sex, the sacred chemical wedding is the key or bridge to God or the cosmos. The Old Testament's Sony of Solomon is a path-working guide to the hidden corridor. Mary Magdalene, like all women, was the opener of the way, the sexual initiatrix."

I wouldn't put this book in the DVC knock-off category. It's originality lies in its unflinching examination of religious history and the true motivating factors of men who built empires on the ruins of the scared feminine.