In Tongues of the Dead [Hardcover]

Brad Kelln (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Inspired by a real manuscript in the rare book library at Yale University—and centering on the insights of an autistic child—this fast-moving mystery brings together the fields of cryptology, church history, and clinical psychology. As the tale begins, Father Ronald McCallum is a Vatican guard secretly placed to watch over a 400-year-old document written in a code that has never been deciphered. He is startled one day when a boy visiting the library appears to read from the manuscript’s pages. After some consultation, the Vatican decides to send in an expert—Father Benicio Valori, a priest and clinical psychologist—to verify the boy’s surprising skills. These efforts are thwarted, however, when the manuscript is stolen by mysterious agents hoping to prevent its secrets from being exposed. Fearing for the child’s life, Father Valori takes young Matthew and flees to Canada to consult his trusted friend, Dr. Jake Tunnel, a fellow psychologist; and soon the two men begin to unveil the biblical origins of the stolen manuscript—and to develop a theory of their own about why this autistic child can decode it so successfully.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this flawed thriller from Canadian author Kelln (Method of Madness), an autistic boy appears to be able to read the real-life Voynich manuscript, a 500-year-old book written in a language that linguists, historians, religious scholars and even advanced decryption technology can't decipher. By the time Fr. Benicio Valori, a Vatican investigator, arrives at Yale University's Beinecke Library, where the mysterious manuscript is housed, the book is missing from its display room and what's left of a security guard lies nearby. Disregarding orders from his superiors to suspend the mission, Valori uncovers some bombshell revelations concerning the existence of rogue angels, their forsaken offspring and a coverup of biblical proportions. Da Vinci Code fans will enjoy the seamless blend of fact and fiction, pedal-to-the-metal pacing and provocative religious speculation, but the ending comes as a letdown after the exciting build-up. (Apr.)
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Review

"Kelln's new novel weds the real-life phenomenon of the indecipherable Voynich Manuscript, housed in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale, to the Biblical myth of the Nephilim . . . Kelln's straightforward style moves the story along at the quick pace essential to a good thriller."  —Quill & Quire

"A compelling religious thriller, skillfully woven within real-life mysteries."  —Hamilton Spectator

"A page-turner and the writing [is] solidly strong from beginning to end. . . . Kelln is adept at guiding us through the intricacies of church history and scientific theory without ever dropping the thread of the narrative."  —Atlantic Books Today

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228307
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228304
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly written, full of obvious plot twists, February 19, 2009

By 

Charleen Merced (Stamford, CT and sometimes in Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Tongues of the Dead (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I had intended to start my review by commenting that 'In Tongues of the Dead' was "a rookie effort by a rookie author." But, when I looked up information on the author, I discovered that Brad Kelln had written at least two other books. Books I will not be reading.

The book is based on a great premise. An autistic child seems to be able to read the Voynich Manuscript, a mysterious and undeciphered book held at a Yale library. According to the premise of the book, the book holds the secrets of the nephilim, the children born from the union of angels and human women. A priest, Father Benicio Valori, must protect the child from the angels that are after him and from his own church, since the Vatican is also after the child.

Although the book has an interesting premise, it is poorly executed. The writing seemed to belong more to that of a beginner's writing class than that of an author who has already written a couple of books. The writing is too obvious, too prosaic (both in language and events) and full of predictable, if not fool's proof, plot "twists". The narration is forced, trying too hard, forcing the intrigue and suspense early on in the novel. The author fails to weave the story naturally, forgetting to let each piece fall into place at its appropriate time. Instead, the writer seems to be working with a puzzle that has been finished from the beginning; all the pieces are in place, there is nothing much to discover and all the characters will eventually, and miraculously, bump into each other some way or another, in the middle of the street, as if it were the most natural thing that should be occuring.

The characters themselves are uni-dimensional and barely fleshed out. They are merely shells and react as such. For example, the Vatican sends two henchmen who are nothing more than two stupid thugs. Come on! The Vatican must have better resources than that! Further, the characters in the books seem all too willing and fast to lose their convictions and beliefs. Priests, Vatican henchmen, and the other characters are all put together with cheap tape and they are not holding together well.

The book is not engaging but, at least it is a fast read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The DaVinci Code revisited, April 16, 2009

By 

Zombob (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: In Tongues of the Dead (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. A homage to the DaVinci Code in many ways. I felt that a majority of the characters were underdeveloped, and a few of them were very cartoonish in their actions. The plot was okay, but I had a feeling of deja vu; I've been down this road before and down better roads. This book was just an okay read. If you're looking for The DaVinci Code redux, then you'll probably enjoy this, if you're looking for something more original, then pass this one up.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Would not recommend this one..., January 25, 2009

By 

T. Fraser (Texas Hill Country, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Tongues of the Dead (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Brad Kelln must like periods. He must like them a lot. I say this because he uses so many of them. So did the folks who wrote the words "See Jane. See Jane run."

Unlike other adult books which engage the reader with rich language, complex and compelling sentence structure, and subtle nuances of meaning, Kelln spits out sentences that are as exciting as unfinished lumber being stacked one after the other in a haphazard pile. Substitute "and then this happened, and then this happened..." for his sentences and you have a close approximation of his prose style. While other books may inspire the reader to "hear" the voice of the author reflecting a variety of emotions, inflections and passion, reading "In Tongues of the Dead" only calls forth to one's inner ear the voice of Detective Joe Friday dryly saying "just the facts, m'am."

Character development in this book fares no better. Benecio Valori goes rapidly from a graduate student with a girlfriend, Jenna, whose dimples he loves, to having been `recruited' to become a priest by Cardinal Espinosa. Thirteen years later, Priest `Ben' unbelievably runs into (but not until page 233) Jenna who, coincidentally, had been thinking about him; she shows him to Wyatt's hospital room. No spoilers - what happens in the hospital room "happens" and we don't get back to Jenna until page 240 when Ben suddenly blurts out "I love her. I've always loved her." Pretty abrupt change for a man of the cloth. And that is the sum total of the book given over to exploring the relationship between Ben and Jenna. Not only for Ben and Jenna, for ANY of the characters, there is no build up of the complexities of human motivation, no explanations of the paths taken, decisions made, just bald statements that offer no explanation, no insight. The true irony of this lack is that Kelln is a clinical psychologist; human motivations and behavior are his stock in trade. Thankfully, by page 251, we are released from reading this tome.