From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Da Vinci Code knockoffs will welcome Byrnes's first novel. When an ancient stone burial box known as an ossuary is stolen from a secret crypt beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, readers will immediately intuit that the bones contained in the box are those of Jesus Christ, even though it takes quite a bit longer for the characters to admit as much. American geneticist Charlotte Hennesey is summoned to the Vatican along with Dr. Giovanni Bersei, an anthropologist, to study the ossuary. Back in Jerusalem, Arabs, Jews and Christians bicker, protest, fight and scheme against one another both within and outside the Temple Mount. A ruthlessly efficient Vatican hit man, Salvatore Conte, hovers over the action. Venal cardinals, contemptuous Israelis, Knights Templar and evil popes round out a familiar cast. Byrnes puts a more contemporary spin on his material than most authors of religious thrillers.
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Review
“ …A pacy read with plenty of surprises…” (Hampstead & Highgate Express (UK) )
“A breathless race through real historical fact laced generously with artistic license. …An immensely enjoyable read.” (Bookseller (UK) )
“Fans of historical thrillers with religious overtones will eat this up…” (Library Journal )
“Exciting, intelligent and incredibly true to life.” (Simcha Jacobovici, co-author of The Jesus Family Tomb )
“Byrnes puts a more contemporary spin on his material than most authors of religious thrillers.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A terrific thriller melding biblical puzzles with modern-day archaeology and the immense knowledge...gleaned by forensic science. Action-driven...” (Publishing News (UK) )
