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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finely Crafted Religious Thriller, August 21, 2007
This review is from: Unholy Grail (Paperback)
Unholy Grail is a finely crafted tale of good versus evil, righteousness versus cold blooded murder. Like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, the bloodline of Jesus is in question; unlike Dan Brown's novel, the author's extensive research allows the reader to see both sides of the controversy through his character Britt, a professor of religion, and Father Romano, a Jesuit priest. D.L. Wilson skillfully weaves his tale of murder and ambition and religious zealotry gone astray, and the reader is reminded again that the Holy Grail was not just a simple chalice.
The author's plot winds around this controversy like Le Serpent Rouge. Wilson's meticulous research included visiting Rennes-le Chateau and interviewing the theological and scientific communities. Father Romano, a non-traditional protagonist, is based on information gleaned from Jesuit priests. In fact, a copy of this book lies on a shelf of the Jesuit library. Those who were skeptical of Dan Brown's book from a religious standpoint will find this book stimulating and palatable.
From Father Romano's first brush with death to the grand finale, the novel's characters are believable and the plot compelling. The novel reads like a fast paced movie, forcing you to turn the pages and providing information that the average reader will soak up with enthusiasm and debate over dinner. Wilson engineers the language, characters, plot, and setting to achieve a religious thriller rivaling any on the market. If you enjoyed Da Vinci Code, you'll like this one even better. This novel could easily be turned into a box office smash hit.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was a gift that I will read twice! Thank you!, August 13, 2007
This review is from: Unholy Grail (Paperback)
I was leery about buying a novel from a first-time author, but the book was a pleasant surprise. I couldn't put it down! "Unholy Grail" is an engrossing, well-executed thriller. The research, breathless action scenes, and intricate plotting made for a refreshing reading experience.
The two main characters, Father Joseph Romano, a Jesuit priest and Brittany Hamar, a female religious professor who is having a crisis of faith, are thrown into a conspiracy that challenges accepted church doctrine. They each receive a mysterious call offering them a secret gospel written by Jesus' brother, James. When they arrive at Grand Central Station to receive the document, there is a shooting that thrusts Father Romano and Hamar into the center of a growing conspiracy.
Father Romano is caught between church doctrine and his search for truth when his mentor joins a number of priests dying under strange circumstances after meeting with Hamar. To find the truth and stop the deaths, Romano and Hamar embark on a chase through Europe searching for a bizarre killer and answers to troubling revelations that conflict with religious doctrine. The chase ends with a chilling, surprising, but satisfying climax.
"Unholy Grail" is a superb thriller with a tightly woven plotline and complex characters. The obvious exhaustive research makes the plot premise so believable. D.L. Wilson's first effort at fiction is nothing short of a great read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can entertainment also challenge the intellect? Yes!, August 10, 2007
This review is from: Unholy Grail (Paperback)
Unholy Grail is an action-packed read that not only kept me turning the pages searching for the next plot twist, but caused me to ponder traditional religious beliefs. Unholy Grail moves beyond just a thriller and delves into how historical perceptions, religious dogma, myths, conspiracy theories, and the gray areas between fact and fiction can effect our lives.
Father Joseph Romano and religious scholar Brittany Hamar are fabulous, well-developed characters who kept me glued to the fast-paced plot as they chased after a mysterious parchment, written by Jesus's brother James, and answers to why Jesuit priests are found dead, marked with the Stigmata. Their quest takes them to Vienna and across Europe through the South of France searching for evidence of Le Serpent Rouge, a possible bloodline of Christ and Mary Magdalene. The detailed location descriptions were so realistic, I envisioned myself being along for the ride. What they find in a mountaintop village high in the French Pyrenees is the Unholy Grail that could send shock waves through the Church.
D.L. Wilson has taken the Religious Thriller to new heights with immaculate research providing a thought provoking astonishing novel. I have to agree with Clive Cussler's quote, "A tale rich with intrigue that grips the imagination. A must read."
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