Customer Reviews

Secret of the Shroud

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Following a childhood tragedy and feeling abandoned by God, a bitter Archbishop Wesley Bright has led the Christian church in the wrong direction. He is a charismatic leader preaching a gospel absent of absolute truth. Everything he has sought to destroy is now challenged by a scrap of cloth.

I have never had an interest in the Shroud of Turin, but I have to admit after reading this book, I understand why so many people find it fascinating.

I enjoyed each of the characters and their unique perspective to the story. I especially liked the way the story blended three points in time, from the time of Christ, the 1950s, and the near future.

The story starts with a shocking tragedy that scarred a child's heart and filled him with guilt for life. As shocking as the event was, a similar incident happened in Chicago a few years ago.

The author uses an impressive blend of scientific information and history so that the characters could bring this historical article to even the hardest of hearts. I really enjoyed Secret of the Shroud and would recommend it for those who like suspense/mystery novels with a moral storyline.

I am an avid reader of all genres, and am highly impressed with this author. The way that she uses her descriptions, mixed with obvious intelligence, is fascinating and makes for a page-turning read. I will definitely read anything that I can get my hands on by her. In a literary world where so many authors' styles seem to blend together, she is truly a diamond in the rough!

In recent years I haven't been much of a fiction reader anymore. I read so much literature with the kids that I tend to gravitate toward non-fiction for my personal reading. I've had several novels on my "to-review" shelf that publishers have sent me and I finally decided to dive into one.

Secret of the Shroud by Pamela Ewen looked interesting to me. I've found the Shroud of Turin intriguing for a long time, since I read several books and wrote a paper on it years ago. This novel uses the Shroud as the catalyst for a confrontation between truth and relativism in the life of a corrupt clergyman named Wesley Bright.

Wesley is a bitter man, determined to destroy traditional Christianity since he felt abandoned by it after a tragedy in his childhood. As a public figure, his viewpoint about the Shroud is in demand when it goes on display in New York City. While attempting to brush up on his knowledge about it in order to discredit it, the information he and his assistant learn makes him more and more uncomfortable.

I found the first half of the book a little bit slow moving, but I enjoyed the way the scientific and historical facts about the Shroud were woven in later in the book. In my final analysis, I'd say I found the book entertaining but not compelling. The writing was decent but not fantastic. If you enjoy historical suspense novels in the spirit of The Da Vinci Code (but from a Christian perspective) or if you're interested in the Shroud and other Christian relics, you'll probably find it a fairly enjoyable read.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for providing a review copy to me.