Customer Reviews

Secret of the Scroll

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The Secret of the Scroll contains the high level of political deniability inherent in the espianage novel, causing the hero to rely on something other than the might and right of countries. Going it alone, Greg McKenzie picks up an intrigueing entourage of sidekicks as he races through the tale. The refreshing part is that the hero isn't exceptionally gifted with super powers of observation, incredible martial art skills, or packing tons of hardware. It is a story of man's greed affecting the innocent, resolved by a lifetime of experience,and fueled by a determination born of love. While the twists and turns are intricate, it is all told with a smooth grace that never pulls the reader out of the fantasy. I have found a new author whose next work I'll anticipate from the time I close the cover.

A first person, narrative mystery thriller of the first order. Adroitly titillates your sense of anticipation and suspense while slyly giving you a close-up feeling for the Israeli/Palestinian struggle. The plot and the pages go fast and as you realize you are thoroughly enjoying the story the book comes to an end. If you like good solid writing, thoughtful characterization and a believable story you'll enjoy this book.
Rus Morgan -- Host Interviewer for PBS "Book Talk" at Radio Station WYPL in Memphis TN. (103 books read and authors interviewed in the series since its inception in 1993). The male 'Grandma Moses' of mystery fiction. Member of MWA and PMA. Author of three novels, the stunning "Blackberries Got No Thorns" and two sizzling scifi mysteries, "The Voodoo Vortex" and "Luci"...

Received the book the night before last and I could not put it down. Great read. I felt like I was living the entire story myself. Being a Nashville native it was enlightening to see the city in a different light. I truly cannot wait for the sequel to come out. The authors knowledge of the Holy Land made the book so true to life.

Who says a good man is hard to find? Greg McKenzie, Chester D. Campbell's new series protagonist, loves his wife and attends church. He also smokes, swears and has a hot temper.

A retired Air Force investigator, McKenzie's pursuit of justice, no matter whose toes he tramples, has cost him a job as a district attorney's investigator and earned him the enmity of the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Those problems are quickly eclipsed when McKenzie buys a souvenir Dead Sea Scroll jar during a trip to the Holy Land. By the time his tour group arrives back in Nashville, assorted Israelis, Palestinians and freelance fanatics are hot on his trail.

Seems the scroll in the old clay jar is the real thing. It holds a code revealing the location of long-lost treasures from Solomon's Temple.

SECRET OF THE SCROLL is a classic page-turner, without an excess of blood spatters. There's plenty of action, but the suspense comes from McKenzie's efforts to outwit the shadowy figures who will stop at nothing to retrieve the scroll.

The real secret of the scroll is a corker, and Greg McKenzie is an attractive, very human hero. Both he and his creator have a sense of humor. The closing paragraphs made me laugh.

I'm looking forward to the second entry in this series. DESIGNED TO KILL is due out from Durban House in 2004.
There's more information at Campbell's website: http://www.chesterdcampbell.com.

Pat Browning, author of FULL CIRCLE

The locks on Greg and Jill McKenzie's luggage were removed at some point on their way home from a
vacation in the Middle East. The guided tour had gone quite well for the tour group; they enjoyed the
Mediterranean and the ages old biblical sights. But tours must eventually end and the time arrives for the
McKenzie's to return home to Nashville, Tennessee, in the good ole USA. Although Greg did become a little
suspicious when he was the only one in the group that was told to put his name on his luggage tag in huge, bold
letters when boarding the plane for home. Greg is a retired Air Force officer who worked on the ground in the
OSI - Office of Special Investigations, so he just sloughed off his suspicions as being an old habit and tried to
dismiss it from his mind. But now at Kennedy International when the locks were discovered missing, his
curiosity was again piqued.

First the large name on the luggage, now the missing locks. Maybe his suspicions are founded after all.
Authorities were notified and a quick riffle through their bags showed nothing missing that they could tell.
Greg advised Jill that they would do a more thorough job of checking for missing items when they got home.

Greg's close friend, Sam Gannon, usually has a million and one war stories that he likes to relate over and
over, time and again. On one of Greg's visits to Sam's all track of time was lost and resulted in Greg being
over an hour
late after the time he told Jill he would be home. Upon entering the back entrance to his home from the garage
he was met with total chaos. His OSI training kicked in and he started adding things together: Annoying
incidents in the Holy Land; being singled out at the border; the large, identifying name on the luggage tag; the
missing locks from the luggage. After searching the entire house upstairs and down, he knew Jill had been
kidnapped. He read several little clues that were left behind by Jill that told him she had been taken against her
will. Little things that Jill knew only he could recognize,
and therefore not alert the kidnappers.

He reported the kidnapping to the Metro Police, then sat by the phone waiting for the call he felt sure would
come. It finally did. A strange voice demanded to know where the scroll was. The scroll? That cheap imitation
that he paid four dollars for at a souvenir stand? Or was it an imitation? Obviously someone must not think so.

Thus Greg has to pull himself out of retirement into one of the most emotional cases he has ever worked on.
Using some of his old contacts, he tries to have the scroll deciphered, while at the same time trying to find
Jill.

The conflict between deadly groups of Palestinians and deadly groups of Israelis who both claim ownership to
the scroll have Greg caught in the middle with Jill's life at stake. He has a long row to hoe with many dangers
confronting him, Jill, and his friends that necessitate another trip to the Holy Land; something Greg hoped
would not have to happen. Women were not the most respected people over there so his fear for Jill escalated
into panic.

And how was one to begin searching in a strange land for a missing person?

This is a superbly written book with an excellent plot. The action is on going and riveting. The characters walk
off the page to the reader, and one can see them as they act out the story. There is no clothes-line effect in this
story. It moves along smoothly with plenty of excitement. This one is a keeper for sure.

Mr. Campbell has imparted a lot of interesting information without sounding like a history book. In fact if
school history books were written like this every student would be a history buff. Reviewed by: Shirley Truax

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS AND COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN AND READ IT ALL WEEKEND. THE PLOT WAS ENGROSSING AND THE CHARACTERS WERE EASY TO IDENTIFY WITH, EPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE NASHVILLE AREA. UNLIKE SO MANY MODERN NOVELS, THIS ONE IS SAFE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. I AM WAITING FOR THE NEXT MCKENZIE MYSTERY!