Customer Reviews

The Sacred Cipher: A Novel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wanted a thriller and got even more. This book was a great read, full of interesting characters and plot surprises. When I began this book I thought I knew where it was going and where it would end. I was wrong, and thrilled that the book kept me guessing. I also really liked this history, enough to intrigue and make me want to look some of it up, but not overwhelm. I was also surprised that the back of the book listed it as Christian lit. I would say that unnecessarily limits it. I would probably not pick up this book if listed as Christian lit, and would miss out on a great book. Because of the subject matter there is religion and there are decidedly Christian characters, but it is not a "Christian book". It is a wonderful page turner, I couldn't put it down.

An Adventure of a Lifetime. History's Greatest Secret-Tomorrow's Greatest Threat. Those are possible headlines if this novel were true and ended up on the front page of The New York Times. Or it could be the title of the memoirs for any of the "ragtag scientists and historians" in this novel. Part history lesson, part mystery, this novel by Terry Brennan is a fast-paced quest for the truth behind the secrets hidden within an ancient scroll. Think of all the best parts of Indiana Jones and National Treasure with a Christian world view and you'll get the feel for The Sacred Cipher.

I would love to see this novel as a movie.

This is not your bubble-gum, light and airy novel (Though, I am not putting those kinds of books down - there is certainly a place for those too). Terry Brennan's debut novel is not one that you can pick up and put down numerous times. This is a curl up in a blanket with a big bowl of popcorn, a super-sized fountain Coke (heavy on the ice please) and read far into the night kind of book. If you can only read a few pages at a time, then read a magazine and save The Sacred Cipher for when you can devote your attention to it fully. It is worth it.

The main characters are fleshed out in a way that it's easy to keep them clear in your mind. Though, personally, I wish there weren't two characters whose last names started with the same letter, and it would have been even easier. But that's just one of my quirky things. I don't know anyone else who has that kind of pet peeve. And it's not even really a pet-peeve so much as a hiccup that trips me up once in a while. Like I said, quirky.

Did I mention that I'd love for this to be a movie? Seriously.

This book was provided free of charge by the publisher. No payment was provided in return for this review. The publisher had no editorial rights or claims over the content or the conclusions made in this review.

This book was so well researched and so interesting, I couldn't put it down. I felt I knew the characters Brennan created and that I was there with them during the adventure. The ending is not perdictable and had me guessing all the way through the book. Since I found it in the Christian section, I expected it to be a little "preachy", which it is not. It is a well written novel, and I believe it would make a great movie. Pat McKeon

I am not a literary critic by any stretch of the imagination, I read purely for my own enjoyment. I got hooked on Dan Brown novels and hold them as the Gold Standard on well written, interesting, exciting novels on Ancient Mysteries. I know many disagree with that but I do like his books. And while I wait for the next one to hit the shelves, I try and find similar books along the same lines. That is what attracted me to this one as well as several others. I read many of the glowing reviews on this book and decided to give it a try. The prologue is great, sucks you in, but the story itself was not that interesting and to be honest, gets a little hokey at the end with all the praying. I am a Christian, I believe in God, but I don't believe you pray to God and instantly you have your answer. And this was not just a one time occurrence, it happened 3 or 4 times within a couple hours. Whenever the heros were in trouble, they prayed and in an instant, the answers to their problems were immediately revealed. It would have been more interesting and entertaining had they had to work a little harder, maybe discovering and solving more clues versus receiving instant divine intervention. I liked the book, but I would not call it a great book. And I would not recommend it to a friend. There are too many better books by Dan Brown and Raymond Khoury that I would recommend before this one. I wish I could give half stars because I feel 2.5 stars is more appropriate.

Great book! At times, I felt the tunnel walls close in on me. What walls, you ask? Pick up a copy and find out. And, as you get past the tunnel walls, watch for the enemies lurking around the bend! Suspense and mystery--a great combo! Well done!

How do you manage to work modern geo-politics, the composer of Pomp and Circumstance, an ancient and still barely understood language, and Charles Spurgeon the most recognized preacher of the nineteenth century into a tightly written novel of suspense? Pick up The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan and you'll find out. What begins as the casual discovery of a long forgotten scroll hidden within the walls of the Bowrey Mission in New York City escalates into an all-out race to prove the existence of a rumored temple hidden beneath the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem for a millennium.

In his debut novel, Brennan puts his background as an award winning journalist and longtime officer of the Bowrey Mission to good use in weaving a fast paced story that blends strong characters, tight dialogue, and action that hits a dizzying pace as the story races to its conclusion. If you think the story idea is not plausible you would do well to bone up a little on Middle Eastern religion and politics or watch the evening news for a few weeks.

The spiritual themes of the story are strong but woven into the fabric of the story rather than seeming artificial or forced. The people sucked into this mystery have depth and reflect the personalities of real people. Some believe but doubt. Others doubt but wish they could believe. And all involved find their personal search has ramifications far bigger and potentially more destructive than any ever considered. With this kind of writing one can only hope that Terry Brennan has many more stories in him yet to be told.

I love it when a debut author blows you away with his first book! Terry Brennan does exactly that with The Sacred Cipher. I had to remind myself it was a work of fiction. His research is flawless. His facts are amazing. His story is totally believable. His main character Tom Bohannon uncovers an ancient scroll while renovating the mission where he works. The search for the meaning of the ancient language takes Tom and his colleagues on a dangerous journey into the Holy Land and the secret tunnels beneath Jerusalem. While these men search for the meaning, others are prepared to kill and die to prevent the discovery. And, as the secret are revealed it becomes apparent that the entire world is about to change. This book is not a bedtime read . . . because you will not be able to sleep until you get to the end. And, if you are the type of person who likes to read the past page firs, DON'T. I highly recommend this book.
I believe Terry Brennan has set the bar very high for himself and any subsequent novels. While that may be a challenge for him, for us as readers it will be a delight. I look to see this book on the big screen someday.

I read a lot of Christian fiction, and I've never come across anything quite like Sacred Cipher. The author combines refreshingly good writing with a fascinating plot, believable dialog, moments of humor, and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters.

The characters--a rich scholar, a crass dwarf, a burly Puerto Rican librarian, a female student, and an everyman as the lead--pop off the page, especially when introduced. The author makes getting to know them a joy, much like meeting interesting and fun people in real life. At the same time, the author grounds his novel in the characters' maturity. Man/woman relationships aren't trite or overly sentimental, and characters' backstories create immediate tension that the characters must address before working together.

Without giving away the twists and turns of the story, I must say that lots of novelists can tell basic stories, but few authors can pull back to tell the ramifications of characters' actions. In this story, actions have consequences, not just for the characters, but also for the rest of the world. Expect to get goose bumps while reading the book's last scene.

Overall the book is highly entertaining, with unexpected, gutsy moves from the writer. I've mentioned this novel to most of the fiction readers I know. You won't be able to keep the book to yourself either--it's just that good.

I was blessed to have received a signed copy of the book from a friend who knows the author personally and has worked with him in the Bowery Mission.
This gave the book a personal connection. I was spellbound by the book, the thoroughness of the research and how it kept me at the edge of my seat. I have already recommended the book to friends and cannot wait for the movie. I could see in my mind's eye the scenery unfolding; it has all the elements to be made into a great movie.

The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan, was my first jaunt into the genre of Biblical archeological fiction. The classic example, I'm told, is Paul Maier's A Skeleton in God's Closet. As a "Bible geek", who enjoys studying biblical languages and following the history of Biblical texts, I thoroughly enjoyed this work. It's hard to believe that this is truly Brennan's first novel.

The story centers on a discovery, in an old New York mission building of an ancient scroll written in an unknown script. Tom Bohannon, the director of the Bowery Mission, gets swept up in the effort to decipher the mysterious scroll. Drawing on his journalistic background and his connections within academia, Tom begins to unravel the scroll's secrets. Along the way it becomes more and more obvious that others are interested in the scroll, and they will do anything to possess it.

The fast-paced plot will keep you on the edge of your seat, as the story takes you from New York to Jerusalem and beyond. Along the way you'll discover mountain hideouts and underground caverns, secret rooms and secret messages, ancient tunnels and very contemporary security measures. The book holds something for the average fiction reader, but especially thrills the arm-chair archeologist. Anyone interested in ancient languages and historical puzzles will be intrigued by Brennan's well-researched adventure.

When the story moves to Jerusalem, the scroll's secrets threaten to undue the fragile peace of the region. When you pick up this book, you too won't have any peace until you finish it! It's that good!

My thanks go out to Leslie Paladino of Kregel Publishers for furnishing me with a review copy of this book, at my request.