From Publishers Weekly
In Blake's third outstanding Lily Connor mystery (after 2001's Earth Has No Sorrow), the slightly unorthodox Episcopalian priest, now a temporary chaplain at Tate University near Boston, helps an old friend from divinity school on the Tate faculty, Samantha Henderson, with a big problem. The author of several bestselling Biblical studies, Samantha reveals to Lily that her assistant has been receiving photographs of what seems to be an ancient scroll, The Book of Light, which predates the New Testament gospels and includes the words of Jesus himself. As Samantha and Lily become engrossed in discovering the source of the photos and trying to ascertain the scroll's authenticity, it soon becomes evident that others on the same quest will stop at nothing to get what they want. In spite of the personal dangers the priest and her friends face, the document provides a stepping stone for Lily to clarify her own personal doubts and solidify her spiritual beliefs. Eloquent prose, astute scholarship, convincing characters and vivid settings, from the streets of Harvard Square to a monastic community on the Greek island of Athos, make this a remarkable work, raising the genre of the parish mystery to new heights.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
In her third adventure, Lily Connor, Episcopalian priest and amateur sleuth, tries to discover whether an ancient scroll, called The Book of Light, really contains the secret words of Jesus and served as source material for the synoptic gospels. Blake tries to balance a lot here. Along with the questions about the scrolls--Who has them? Who wants them? What do they mean?--she makes room for Lily's ongoing struggles with alcohol, faith, love, and family. Most of the time Blake manages to keep all these balls in the air; the whodunit element, in fact, works quite well as an old friend draws Lily into the mystery. Unfortunately, the manuscript itself, the most enticing part of the story, tends to get short shrift. Though Blake lets her characters peruse the photographic copies of the scrolls, she fails to satisfy the curiosity of readers tantalized by the never-before-seen words of Jesus. Still, series fans will enjoy the story, even if those drawn by the idea of the scrolls will need to keep looking for the real thing.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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