El testamento final by Sam Bourne

Maggie Costello #1

by Sam Bourne

From the Number One bestselling author of The Righteous Men comes this staggering religious conspiracy thriller. The Last It was written. It was lost. It will save us all.April 2003: as the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities is looted, a teenage Iraqi boy finds an ancient clay tablet in a long-forgotten vault. He takes it and runs off into the night …Several years later, at a peace rally in Jerusalem, the Israeli prime minister is about to sign a historic deal with the Palestinians. A man approaches from the crowd and seems to reach for a gun – bodyguards shoot him dead. But in his hand was a note, one he wanted to hand to the prime minister.The shooting sparks a series of tit-for-tat killings which could derail the peace accord. Washington sends for trouble-shooter and peace negotiator Maggie Costello, after she thought she had quit the job for good. She follows a trail that takes her from Jewish settlements on the West Bank to Palestinian refugee camps, where she discovers the latest deaths are not random but have a distinct pattern. All the dead men are archaeologists and historians – those who know the buried secrets of the ancient past.Menaced by fanatics and violent extremists on all sides, Costello is soon plunged into high-stakes international politics, the worldwide underground trade in stolen antiquities and a last, unsolved riddle of the Bible.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Crime, Religion

Unknown Binding

First published July 2, 2007

About the author

Sam Bourne is the literary pseudonym of Jonathan Freedland, an award-winning British journalist and broadcaster. He has written a weekly column for The Guardian since 1997, having previously served as the paper's Washington correspondent. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, The New Republic, and The Jewish Chronicle, and he presents BBC Radio 4's contemporary-history series The Long View.

For nearly two decades he has covered the Middle East conflict, and in 2002 he chaired a three-day dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, which was sponsored by The Guardian. The participants in that meeting went on to broker the 2003 Geneva Accord.

Freedland is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Righteous Men, also a number-one bestseller in the UK, which has been translated into thirty-one languages, and the nonfiction works Jacob's Gift and Bring Home the Revolution. He lives in London with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a good adventure romp. Well written, interesting and believable.
Having left the diplomatic service in semi disgrace, Maggie Costello is working as a marriage mediator and stuck with a really awful partner. Seemingly given one last chance by the US state department, she is jetted into peace talks in the middle East, little realising there is more happening than anyone really knows.

I will certainly be reading more Maggie Costello

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sensational book by Sam Bourne, exploring not only a fast-paced thriller genre, but also some ancient biblical mystery. Set against the latest round of the Middle East peace talks, Bourne brings together a peace negotiator and the son of the man with the key to the secret, sending them on a mission to uncover this secret and keep from being killed.

Bourne uses some key elements to push the story and its plot forward; namely the ongoing push for peace in the region, with the US as its key negotiator; an ancient mystery that could either derail or solidify the talks; and the rush against time to discover the secret and get it to those who need it before time runs out. Set mainly in Israel and the Occupied Territory, Bourne spices things up with masked men, murders, and just enough technology that the3 reader cannot help but forging ahead to see just what happened. Without being overly preachy, Bourne lays out some of the key concerns in the Peace process and the actors involved. While names can be interchanged, the premise remains the same. Historically gripping as well, Bourne adds just enough history to keep the reader informed and yet not bogged down.

While no biblical scholar, this book surpasses anything Dan Brown has written with a religious undertone. Perhaps the world should look to Bourne and ask if he has uncovered some ancient mysteries long forgotten.

Excellent work, Mr. Bourne. I am hooked!

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

People keep on buying me books I won't like.

This trashy thriller is so contrived I nearly cried. Not for the first time I'm grateful a book doesn't take long to read.

Comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, because this is in precisely the same vein throughout. It's not the only book Bourne's paid close attention to. From the very start the characters and plot are formulaic beyond belief.

An example; at least 5 times a chapter, there are hints about "something happening in africa in the past" that are so tedious I was driven to tears. This continues until the secret is revealed to a character who has become a confidant. I have no idea why I was still reading at this stage.

While Bourne writes in a more interesting way than Brown, he's not as engaging. The story doesn't flow like The Da Vinci Code, it's simply not as gripping or intriguing.

The "mystery" at the heart of the piece is transparent and boring. The entire book appears to work on the priciple that the reader is even more stupid than the central characters.

Last Testament achieves the impressive feat of blending tedium, plagiarism and mean-spiritedness into one wonderfully commercially-successful package.

[WarpDrive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contrived, predictable and not very believable. Typical airport bookstore ware.

[Mukundhan Sampath · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know the feeling when you click "I am feeling lucky" in Google search - I had the same feeling when I picked up Sam Bourne's The last Testament. Neither of them, the author or the novel, was recommended! I was asking myself if it was worth spending my time on this....yet I went along with the little voice within me egging me on.

I love these grand ideas that these guys have...like the one in the Da Vinci. I am like 'WOW! What if this were really true!'. I must say that the basic concept is a bit contrived but then, I am not a Prof. trying to assess a thesis...I am just a dreamer who wants to be blown away in to the world of fantasy...rather in to the the world of the fantastic.

The book was worth it...really. I did read this novel in a trot, like I like to do. The style is easy, the characters a bit known and the pace, firm. When you read the novel, you feel you know the characters and possibly what could happen next..and that is the fun part. Comparisons to Dan Brown are natural but Sam Borne stands on his own.

And Yes! I have never been an expert in Palestine & Co. This book gave me a good perspective.

While your memory will only hold the basic concept of the novel and possibly the protagonist, Maggie, months after you read the novel, it is worth the jog as it has all the ingredients of a decent novel. Read it - you will enjoy it as you read it - and then you can wait for the next big one!

Love you Book Worms!

[Ed Celis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so this is my first review in this forum, so please bare with me.

Before having to justify my 4 "star" rating for the book, I'd like to note for many of you that the rating system provided by Goodreads should be taken at face value; that is the book be rated according to your enjoyment, rather than say, the individual technical components of the book itself (style, narrative, character development, etc.) that I have seen many refer to in this space.

With that said, I will admit to having read "The Last Testament" over a year ago. All I remember of the book is the basic plot line, along with the fact that I truly enjoyed the time I spent with it between my fingers. it is what it is: a pupl thriller with some interesting historical tidbits and reflections thrown in here and there. It is written at a comfortable pace, it was inexpensive, it was fun.

And that is the reason why I would recommend anyone looking for the same, to pick it up and spend some time in its care. "the Last Testament" by Sam Bourne will entertain you... nothing more, nothing less.

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start for first in series. I'm definitely planning to keep reading.

There was a lot going on here, which is probably expected considering the locale, Israel and Palestine. Peace talks going on, people getting killed, and the last will and testament of Abraham, leaving his land to... one of his sons. Is it Isaac or Ishmael? How will it affect the peach negotiations? Good question, read it and find out.

Maggie is an interesting heroine - smart, non-violent, and persistent. And in this story, the persistence comes at a price, possibly her life.

Oh, and the narrator, George Guidall, was perfect for this book. He's a great narrator, but also he's Jewish and has a good Jewish accent that adds to this story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can really tell that a man wrote this book. The descriptions of the central characters internal thoughts were at times laughable. Women, even very beautiful, women (because of course a female character written by a man is beautiful) do not spend half their lives thinking about how beautiful they are and how all the men they meet are thinking about their beauty. Other than this annoyance the actual story was okay, not brilliant, but readable.

[Arah-Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

Iedereen weet dat Amerika al jaren probeert een vredesakkoord te laten tekenen tussen Israël en de Palestijnen, als hebben ze Jeruzalem als hoofdstad van israel erkend. Maar Joden en Arabieren menen aanspraak te mogen maken op Jerusalem wat het getouwtrek alleen maar erger maakt.

Maggie Costello wordt gevraagd de onderhandelingen terug vlot te trekken. Er was bijna een akkoord, maar de zoveelste brute moord heeft voor een terugtrekking van de partijen gezorgd. Maggie is een mediator, iemand die tussenkomt in conflicten.

Door een nare ervaring uit het verleden, doet ze dit alleen nog voor koppels die willen scheiden. Ze wordt echter onder druk gezet om deel te nemen aan de onderhandelingen. Eens in Israël volgt het ene incident het andere op. Haar leven is meerdere keren in gevaar.

Het boek heeft iets van het leggen van een puzzel. Iemand heeft ergens een boodschap achter gelaten, eerst moet de boodschap gevonden worden en daarna dan nog eens de inhoud goed geïnterpreteerd worden. Dat terwijl meerdere partijen de inhoud willen weten en onderscheppen.

Het verhaal vertraagt wat in het midden maar wordt weer sneller naarmate het einde nadert.

[Goya · Rating 1 out of 5]

“The Biggest Challenger to the Dan Brown Crown”, but I found that there was no risk of that by Sam Bourne.

I see what Bourne was trying to do with this Dan Brown-esque thriller: retired US government mediator comes out of retirement to see the end of historic peace talks in Israel/Palestine and is derailed from her quest by pursuing the mystery of a dead Israeli archaeologist who found an ancient tablet of Abraham’s will which will profoundly impact the region.

True, this novel does “bear all the hallmarks of a blockbuster,” but for some reason it doesn’t quite cut it. It’s execution was average: assorted killings, random plot twists, and additional love affairs between party members feel tokenistic and clunky; the crux of the book is not until about half way through, and so the pace only really picks up then; these things impacting character development and reader’s traction to events of the book.

Definitely an easy summer “thriller” and is a good page turner, for the Biblical riddle is dynamic. For me it ticked all the boxes for my interests, if it weren’t for that, probably would’ve left reading it because of the execution.

[Anish · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I would say that users rating this at one-star can't enjoy a simple thriller without any complexity. I agree with most of the users that this book was a drag at the beginning and the chapters at USA with Maggie and Edward gave this book a worst intro to the lead character one could ever imagine. But the book picks up pace when Ahmed Nour is killed and Uri Guttman teams up with Maggie. After a few more pages at Maggie's hotel room the books slows down and it picks up the speed later. The part about the smuggling of the clay tablet and how it reached Shimon Guttman from small boy Salam was the part I liked the most. Fifty pages before the hundreth last page were amazing and not a shit was given about hinting the readers about the villian. You may enjoy this one if you also see the positives in a book. One thing I would say the under-rating users is that "Learn to Enjoy".

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, I thought it was well paced, with a good story.An interesting use of history's influence on modern events, with what I thought were well thought out consequences.

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

#Bookreview
THE LAST TESTAMENT by SAM BOURNE.
🕍🕌⛪
There are different reasons for picking up a book and this time it was purely the exciting cover with the highly ambitious and suggestive tagline - "THE BIGGEST CHALLENGER TO DAN BROWN'S CROWN". Such direct comparisons can work both ways as they work brilliantly in enticing you towards an unknown author but also raise the expectations manifold. I think Mr Dan Brown can rest easy because this novel comes nowhere near any of his mythological thrillers. Nevertheless, it is a good enough novel in itself for a one time read. Though I would have liked more details and certainly a less predictable story line and definitely more thrills and a better ending. The climax was just too much of a fairy tale for me and completely implausible. Also, the virtual game 'Second Life' thing was a laughable overkill.
However, some things which did work for me were the pace of the novel, some interesting tid bits about the ancient history of Israel and Palestine and the strong willed Irish-American protagonist Maggie Costello.
Still recommend it as a one time read.
3.5/5.

[Annette Mordec · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of best books I've read

Even though book begins slowly, the story is revealed in an excellent way and what a story it is. But the greatest part of the book is a way the author shows how nasty politics can get. How people at lower levels are used and mistreated. Great description of government at its worst. Even though I don't believe there ever was an Abraham's testament, th message that was portrayed in this story didn't surprise me. If you can't get along, this place cannot belong to either of you, only by working together can you share it.

[hllf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable and not very believable. Very disappointed. Below is a breakdown of my rating:

Enjoyability: 2
Re-Readability: 1
Character Development: 2.5
Complexity: 2.5
Writing Style: 2
Believability: 1.5
Overall: 1.92

This was the first novel I have read by this author, and I was disappointed. Critics had written that the book is similar to Dan Brown’s style, and they couldn’t have been more incorrect. Just because a book contains elements of religious artifacts doesn’t mean it is a book that has anything to do with Dan Brown.

The book started off very slow and was a bore to read throughout. There were a few bright spots, but for the most part, it dragged on and on. The real action, that is, the actual quest for the object in question didn’t even begin until two thirds of the way through the book.

Character development was not bad, but nothing to write home about. Too much emphasis was given to discussing what was going through the head of the characters; however, the characters were so unsophisticated that the things going through their heads were not that interesting. The heroin also lacked the expertise or the knowledge to keep, over and over, making the right decisions and solving the puzzles. It was ridiculously too convenient.

The book was completely out of the realm of believability. Not because it talked about religious matters; I can look past that and enjoy a good story, as I have with books such as The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, but the story line was not very complicated, and while some of the puzzles were clever, they were solved way too easily. In addition, the contents of the tablet everyone was searching for was utterly predictable; it was presented at the very end of the book, as if it were a very important announcement, but any half-intelligent reader would have guessed what it contained.

Finally, I didn’t like the writing style the author used, whereby time is not linear. That is, one chapter takes place on Tuesday at 10 pm, then the next chapter takes place two days earlier, then we jump back to where the first chapter left off, then we move back five hours… It was a curious technique at first and had potential, but it quickly became obvious it was nothing more than a convenient and easy mechanism to explain what happened after the fact, thus artificially building up suspense.

In conclusion, I would not recommend this book. It failed to deliver on so many points. The story line was somewhat enjoyable, but that was about it. I am not giving it a 1 star rating, as I have read worse, but it was close.

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manche Konflikte sind so alt, dass man, selbst wenn sie wieder einmal mit neuer Brutalität und neuen Opfern in den Medien auftauchen, geneigt ist, nur mit halbem Ohr hinzuhören. Das liegt auch zum Teil daran, dass Lösungen für diese Konflikte nahezu unmöglich scheinen. Zu festgefahren der Konflikt, zu unlösbar die Widersprüche und zu alt die Ursachen. Man ist zudem müde, über die immer gleichen Lösungsversuche, Waffenstillstände, Vermittlungsversuche von den unterschiedlichsten Seiten zu hören, wenn sich doch nie wirklicher Friede ausmacht.

Der Konflikt der Israelis und Palästinenser ist so ein Konflikt. Es geht um Land und Wasser, um Jerusalem und vor allem um Religion und den einzig wahren Gott.
Für einen Thriller ein eher schwieriger Stoff, dachte ich. Doch Sam Bourne hat in „The Last Testament“ (zur Zeit noch nicht auf Deutsch erschienen) gerade dies vollbracht.

Maggie Costello, in den USA lebende irische Katholikin (!), reist als Mediatorin zu Friedensgesprächen nach Jerusalem und gerät dort gleich in die Recherchen zu einigen zunächst nach religiösen Zufallsmorden aussehenden Morden. Doch die Opfer verbindet ein sensationeller Fund – Abrahams Testament, in dem dieser die Aufteilung des Tempelberges zwischen seinen Söhnen Ishmael und Isaak festlegt. Der Fund soll vertuscht werden, gefährdet er doch die Interessen der verwirrend vielen religiösen und politischen Fraktionen – obwohl niemand weiß, was nun eigentlich in diesem Testament steht, da die Lehmtafel verschwunden ist. Die Suche danach gerät zum Wettlauf und zur Flucht vor den verschiedensten brutalen Verfolgern, die sich vor weiteren Morden nicht fürchten.

Man fragt sich schon bald, wie Bourne diese Spannung lösen will, wie das Buch enden lassen, ohne eine der beiden religiösen Fraktionen fiktional bzw. auch real vor der Kopf zu stoßen oder vielmehr sich selbst unglaubwürdig zu machen. Aber es gelingt ihm – aber ich verrate nicht wie: Lesen!

[Cheryl L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hope of world-peace-seekers from beauty pageant contestants to politicians is a solution to the strife between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem. What if someone found a clay tablet written by the hand of Father Abraham, noting the strife between his two sons Isaac and Ishmael, and recording his decision regarding the ownership of Mount Moriah? The Last Testament follows mediator Maggie Costello when she becomes aware of such a tablet just as peace negotiations between the two rival countries are threatened. Will she find the tablet? Which son will it favor? Will it contribute to peace or further conflict? The reader is aware that the answers will be predictable in a light novel of this caliber, but it is nevertheless a fun read. The author takes us around Jerusalem, the antiquities market and 20th century politics in a believable manner. And what's more, he writes a creditable female character. In fact, if it weren't for the acknowledgements at the end, I might be tempted to think "Sam Bourne" was short for "Samantha." But Sam Bourne is unmasked as Jonathan Freedland, a journalist who has covered the Middle East conflict.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story starting with the looting of artifacts in Iraq by various people and the subsequent pursuit of selling them. This is woven into the fabric of a female American peace negotiator between Jews and Palestinians, Maggie Costello, coming across information about an ancient Cuneiform writing on a thin piece of rock. The plot gets much thicker, with more characters and exciting chases all over the mid east. She falls in love with the son of the murdered archaeologist who discovered the "last testament" of Abraham. Of course, the author had to throw in the usual dose of sex without which it seems they can't sell books, but it doesn't detract as much as some books. He actually makes it a part of the plot! I listened to this book in the car; so the constant back and forth in time periods got a little hard to track. He kept the final conclusion elusive until the very end, but it keeps you going! It was fun and George Guidall, the narrator, has a great voice. I've listened to lots of books he has narrated.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Sam Bourne's eruidte, thoughtful mysteries set largely in the world of Judaism but at the fault lines that separate and link all cultures and people...politics, the potential for violence and the meeting points of faith, fanaticism,reason,potential and desire. In this outing, a troubled former peace negotiator is lured back into the most intractable of situations...mid-east peace talks just as an ancient tablet purporting to be the last testament of Abraham is discovered. What follows is a marvelous, tautly told geo-political history of the region with a truly nuanced understanding of how one land may have many heroes and many villians and you truly do need a score card to tell the folks apart.

[Elizabeth "Eli" Olmedo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bourne wrote The Last Testament in nonsequential order and that, together with the large character pool, made the story challenging to follow. The rampant use of vulgar language and several intimate scenes seemed unnecessary and distracted from the progression of the novel.

I never connected with any of the book’s characters and I didn’t feel fear, sympathy, happiness or any sentiment other than regret as I read. Even more frustrating were the clichéd attempts at reaching my emotions — like Bourne found a thriller rubric and tried to fulfill all the criteria, but failed to give this novel its own life and uniqueness.

Review copy provided by publisher. Thanks!

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The discovery of a Babylonian cunieform tablet amidst peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians in Jersusalem results in both sides and the US mediators desperatly trying to get possession of the document.

On top of this, someone is killing off anyone remotely connected to the discovery. Why? It is the last will and testament of Abraham and could either deliver Jerusalem to one side or the other.

The last Testament is a decently paced thriller with enough action and even a few twists to keep you guessing. Airport lounge fodder but entertaining enough.

[Kristen K · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay summer/vacation read. The author tells the story through a series of characters and the timelines of the narratives are different, which keeps you engaged. The main character, a female negotiator named Maggie, is not well drawn. She is pretty namby pamby for someone who is supposed to be strong. The male author built a weak, stereotypical woman and threw her some fake "strong" characteristics.

[Sridhar Babu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A LONG BLOG ABOUT THIS OUTSTANDING NOVEL....PLEASE DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LENGTH...!!!
AUTHOR...
Sam Bourne..
CHARACTERS...
Maggie Castello, Shimon Guttman, Uri Guttman, Bruce Miller, Khalil-Al-Safi, Amir Tal, Ahmed Naur (Ehud Ramon), Baruch Kishon, Rachel Guttman, Yaakov Yariv, Akiva Shapia and Afif Aweida..
LOCATION..
Jerusalem (Israel)
GENRE
Thriller....

ABOUT THE BOOK...
A four millennium old ancient genuine Clay Tablet, sworn by Prophet Abraham in the form of will, regarding bequeathing of Jerusalem between his two sons, Issac ((the patriarch of Jews )) and Ishmael ((the patriarch of Muslims)) surfaces at the Old City antique market of Jerusalem. This Testament found by a Zionist professor appears as an Historical evidence in the present day peace talks of the Middle East, and changes everything towards a new beginning.


PLOT...
An ancient Clay tablet, looted by an Iraqi boy at the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities, , was smuggled out of Iraq, reaches the hands of a London based antique dealer during 2003. Since the selling of looted treasures from the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities, was banned by the Western countries mentioning this as an "Cultural theft", the clay tablet reaches back to the shop owned by Afif Aweida, at the Old City Antique market at Jerusalem.

At Jerusalem., the leaders of Israel and Palestine are negotiating in "closed door talks "to sign out a peace deal. This peace negotiation headed by Israel Prime Minister Yaakov Yaariv, to sign an agreement which will at long lost, end more than a century old conflict between Israel and Palestine. There are also angry and militant opponents ,from both the sides against this peace negotiations. From Jewish side they accuse Israel Prime Minister Yaakov Yaariv, has no right to make any compromises, no right to tear down Jewish settlements and above all divide Jerusalem. The Jewish also point out, that the Prime Minister of Israel is not at all conducting peace negotiations, but he is surrendering Jewish settlements to the opponents. The Palestinians on the other hand, claim that they are the original sons of the soil, and the Jews just occupied their lands as "settlers", so they are they have every eligible right to claim Western Bank of Jerusalem.

The White House calls in star peace negotiator Maggie Castello, from Washington, to act as a negotiator for the peace talks and for ending a conflict that spread bitterness around the world.

Shimon Guttman, an Israeli war hero, a right wing extremist, ((with a strong policy that Jews were the first to arrive in Jerusalem and the land belongs to Jews)), regarded as an archaeological expert, a scholar, and one of the world's few cuneiform experts,knowledgeable to read and translate the millennia old relics and clay tablets, was shot down at a peace rally by PMs Bodyguards mistaking him as an assassin. Actually Guttman was approaching his old military mate, Prime Minister Yaariv, to say something significant about his Historical finding which will have an amazing effect in the on going peace negotiations . The murder of Israel's war hero, by his own people causes heavy sabotage to the peace talks, causing everyone involved extra jumpy.

Maggie, as an unofficial representative of the US Government, visits Shimon's house to pay her last respect to the assassinated leader. She learns from the widow that Shimon, during the last three days of his life, has seen something, A document or a letter of the great importance, which will change everything in the middle east. She also learns that Shimon was very desperate to share this information with the Prime Minister, for that purpose he was approaching the PM, at the peace rally, before he was gunned down by the bodyguards.

By hacking in to Shimon's computer and reading his recent, sent // received e-mails, before his assassination, Maggie discovers that he had shared this secret information with a Palestinian Archaeologist Ahmed Naur and with a Jewish journalist Baruch Kishon.

Assisted by his son Uri Guttman, negotiator Maggie wants to contact the persons mentioned in Shimon's e-mail, to gain knowledge about the secret he shared with them. But before reaching them, the persons who were associated with Guttman's secret ((Ahmed Naur, Baruch Kishon , Rachel Guttman and Afif )) were brutally murdered by unknown assassins.

The final breakthrough comes from Guttman's family lawyer (David Rosen ), in the form DVD disc, which he had personally given to the lawyer to give to his son Uri, in the case of emergency. In the DVD, Guttman talks about the greatest archaeological discovery, he had come across in his career, the last will of and testament of Abraham the patriarch in the form of clay tablet, which he found and bought in a shop owned by an Arab named Afif Aweida at Jerusalem market.

The Clay tablet is actually the will made by Abraham during his last days, regarding the bequeathing of Jerusalem (During Abraham's days it was Mount Moriah) to its true heirs. The Testament was also witnessed by His two sons (( Issac and Ishmael)) at the city of Hebron . Professor Guttman fears that if the will shows that Abraham had given Jerusalem solely to one side, the opponent side will walk away from the peace talks, which will lead to violence and bloodsheds. So Guttman in a desperate attempt to protect the ancient testament from falling into the wrong hands, hides it in the secret place known only to him and his brother, with riddles and clues leading to it. If something happens to the Professor, it is up to his son Uri to find the Testament, and reveal the world its original contents.

Maggie and Uri, after following the riddles and clues given by Guttman in his DVD, finally tracks down clay tablet of Abraham at the Israel museum,and announces its contents to the world. In that centuries old ancient testament, Abraham had mentioned that Jerusalem will be shared by His two sons in a manner of their choosing. Abraham had made it clear that it belongs to neither ONE of them but to BOTH, forever. The coming generations of both the faiths ((Jewish and Islam)) will be the custodians to protect it on behalf of the Lord and pass it on to coming future generations.

The announcement of the contents in the Final Testament of Abraham gives a new beginning and hope to the peace Negotiations in the Middle East.

The killings were carried on by hired killers as per the orders of Bruce Miller,the senior counselor to the President of USA. In order to get President re elected Israeli-Palestinian peace deal should be achieved by way of negotiations. If Abraham had bequeathed Jerusalem solely to any one side in his Testament, the opponent side will walk away from peace talks, and final agreement can't be achieved. So by the way of destroying the ancient Testament and killing the people associated with it, the secret will remain remain hidden forever. Based on this scheme Bruce Miller had acted on his own will. Finally Bruce Miller,resigns from the post.

THUMBS UP PARTS OF THE NOVEL...
After finding Guttman's DVD, his son Uri and Maggie is all set to find the exact location of the hidden testament, according to the the clues given in the form of riddles by the Professor. The twists, turns and nail baiting adventures involved in deciphering the riddles are simply outstanding.

For example Guttman mentions " My Son, Go from here, And if I am gone from this life, than you shall see me in the other life; that is life too..Good luck Uri.." and the riddle "that is life too" turns out to be a computer game"SECOND LIFE 2", where Guttman had hidden his first clue.

Regarding the hidden place of the Testament, Guttman mentions "I have put it somewhere safe, somewhere only you and MY BROTHER could know about..". Actually Guttman never had any brother. He mentions his friend "AHMED NOUR as his brother.

After deciphering the 1st clue, Guttman mentions another final riddle to find the hidden clay tablet..
"Go West young man..and make your way to the model city, close to Mishkan. You will find there what I left for you, in the path of ancient warrens.."

... overlooking the real fact behind "GO WEST"both Uri and Maggie travels to WEST WALL of JERUSALEM and searches for the clay tablet at the Wall tunnel. Actually the clue directs them to go to the WEST SIDE of Jerusalem towards the ISRAEL MUSEUM, where the miniature model of ancient Jerusalem was laid out, being the exact location of the hidden Testament.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE...
The Final Testament sworn by Abraham.. though imaginary, actually a fake created by the author, sounds so real and touching. The words mentioned in the will actually sounds like an Echo from the past, showing the author's longing and eagerness to find a final solution to the centuries old conflict..This imaginary Testament of Abraham, is my favorite quote from the novel. It goes like this....

" I ABRAHAM, son of Terach, in front of judges have attested thus. The land where I took my son to make sacrifice of him to the Mighty Name, the Mountain of Moriah( Jerusalem), this land become a source of dissension between my two sons...

Let their names be recorded as Issac and Ishmael. So I have thus declared in front of judges that the Mount shall be bequeathed as follows-

That it shall be shared between my two sons and their descendants in a manner of their choosing. But that they be clear that it belongs to neither ONE of them ,but to BOTH, now and forever. That they be entrusted as its guardians and custodians, to protect it on behalf of the Mighty Name, the one Lord who is sovereign over everything and all of us.

SWORN WITH THE SEAL OF ABRAHAM son of TERACH...
WITNESSED BY HIS SONS, IN HEBRAN, THIS DAY....."

MY COMMENT...
"THE FINAL TESTAMENT....ADORABLE, WORTH READABLE..!!!

[The Humpo Show [ Richard ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://rwh92.wordpress.com/2016/11/2...

Maggie Costello is a former U.S. mediator who is called upon by her country to finally bring about peace between Israel and Palestine. The two countries were close to singing a peace deal before the death of right-wing Zionist Shimon Guttman brought the talks to a halt. His death is closely followed by Palestinian archaeologist Ahmed Nour. Guttman died with a cryptic note in his hand: “This will change everything.” which was reason enough for Maggie to explore the death further, but when she finds out that Nour was a colleague and friend of Guttman’s, she realises that there is much more to the deaths than meets the eye. Maggie, accompanied by Guttman’s son Uri, embarks on a journey that involves a clay tablet that contains the answer to an unsolved riddle from the Bible. The answer to this riddle is feared by people on all sides, and could either bring peace or spark war.

Having been impressed with Sam Bourne’s The Righteous Men, I decided to read another of his thrillers centred on ancient mysteries, this time the last will and testament of Abraham. This premise was very intriguing, especially as the Israel/Palestine conflict was also connected to the events and answer of the clay tablet that Maggie and Uri were searching for. But of course, things never run smoothly, there are deaths on both sides, buildings burned and threats made. All of which are aimed at trying to destabilise the peace talks between the nations’ leaders.

One aspect of this novel which is most evident, is the fact that about 200 pages could easily be torn out and have no effect on the story. The introduction was massively dragged out and it did not excite or provide any information that was of any importance. If a debut novelist had submitted the first few chapters to a literary agency or publisher, I daresay that the book would never see the light of day. But being as Bourne already has a successful novel to his name, he is afforded the lifeline of having a very poor introduction. I said in my review of The Righteous Men that Bourne could be a challenger to Dan Brown in this type of ancient mystery-thriller genre, but on this evidence he will not. The ending is too neatly brought together, and the tablet’s contents are predicted by everyone except the characters in the novel. With short chapters, the aim is to make them exciting and thrilling, but by jumping back and forth in time, and from country to country, and from character to character, the story lacked the speed that this genre demands. Ultimately, the book fails to deliver a fast-paced novel with an intriguing premise which is the basis for Bourne’s novels.

I may pick up another Bourne novel if the blurb appeals, but I will be wary in future as I don’t want a repeat experience of this dragged out novel which had a predictable ending. If he regains the fast pace and unpredictability that was in The Righteous Men, then I will be keen to read more, especially as Dan Brown’s next novel will not be released for another 11 months!

[Narayani Manapadam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: The Last Testament
Author: Sam Bourne
Pages: 567
Publication: HarperCollins
Genre: Thriller

This was yet another gift from a friend. Yes, my bookshelf is brimming over with precious and yellowed pages that have travelled from one state to the other, finally making me their proud owner.

Plot

An ancient clay tablet finds itself in the hands of a clueless Iraqi boy. Meanwhile, tensions fly as the historic deal between Israel and Palestine inches closer. However, this comes at a cost – many dead people. Peace negotiator Maggie Costello has a chance for redemption. But the ultimate truth could be deadly. Or end the conflict once and for all.

Review

This novel has all the tried and tested tropes available to a thriller.

The lead protagonist’s personal life is hell, and hence she grabs the offer to rectify a past mistake. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader on edge. The socio-political angle adds a realistic touch to the plot, making it now almost topical.

Maggie is one of the most realistic protagonists in a fictional thriller. She is not ashamed to admit her screw-up in the past, something which cost a peace negotiation. When an opportunity knocks at her door, she grabs it with both hands. Her proximity to Uri Guttman threatens an encore, but her persistence in digging up the truth makes her the ultimate heroine.

The pace is racy, and I was unable to keep the book down until I was done with the last page. 500+ pages in a single day. Yes, I did it.

For a brief period of time, I felt the novel was predictable. However, the author was able to spring a surprise or two to keep the interest kindled. Towards the end, I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic. If only the Will of Abraham were true, the world would have been a better place. But Utopia exists only in books.

Overall, I enjoyed The Last Testament. Maggie is a character I would love to explore again.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bagdad, aprilie 2003
Mulţimea se îmbulzea şi mai tare acum, de parcă ar fi simţit miros de sânge. Se năpustiră prin arcadă şi greutatea lor apăsă uşile înalte, de fag până când acestea se prăbuşiră. Salam înainta odată cu ei. Nu avea de ales. Făcea pur şi simplu parte din monstrul în mişcare alcătuit din bărbaţi, femei şi copii, unii chiar mai tineri decât el. Formau un animal colectiv, care scotea acum un răget năprasnic. Dădură buzna în sala spaţioasă de la intrare, sticla vitrinelor strălucind în lumina argintie a lunii care se revărsa prin ferestrele acoperişului. Urmă o scurtă pauză, în care monstrul parcă îşi trase sufletul. Salam şi prietenul său Baghdadis contemplau priveliştea din faţa lor. Muzeul Naţional de Antichităţi, nu demult trezoreria lui Saddam, în care abia mai încăpeau nestematele Mesopotamiei, era acum larg deschis. Nu se zărea nici un gardian prin preajmă. Poliţia abandonase de mult posturile; iar ultimul paznic îşi luase tălpăşiţa la vederea mulţimii. Scurtul moment de linişte fu spulberat de sunetul unui baros spărgând sticla. La acest semn, sala fu cuprinsă instantaneu de un zgomot asurzitor, fiecare punându-se pe treabă cu pistoale, topoare, cuţite, bâte, chiar şi bare grele, de metal, smulse din maşini avariate – orice ar fi putut fi folosit la scoaterea preţioaselor obiecte antice din cutiile lor. Panourile de sticlă erau spulberate unul după altul. Statuetele de fildeş se rostogoleau. Farfurii de ceramică antice se făceau praf la contactul cu podeaua. Sala, învăluită de obicei într-o linişte de muzeu, era cuprinsă acum de un vacarm îngrozitor: zgomotul sticlei şi pietrei sparte, al focurilor de armă atunci când cei mai nerăbdători trăgeau în lacătele care refuzau să cedeze răngilor. Salam observă doi bărbaţi bine îmbrăcaţi punându-se metodic pe treabă cu un echipament profesionist de tăiat sticla.

[Daniel Rudge · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the book, there are just a few too many things that bothered me to give it more than 3 stars. First let us start with the positives. The book was well-researched and that made the initial premise plausible. Bourne did a good job developing the main character Maggie. The plot was fast-paced with decent action sequences. But...the bad guys turn out to be exactly who you would suspect. The secret that everybody was searching for took far too long to be discovered (about 50-100 pages too long). All the other characters were action novel cardboard cut outs which seemed wrong because with better character development the plot could have been more intriguing. And thus the ending was just a little too neat and trite. A decent read if you don't want to spend the time looking for exactly the right book.

Maggie Costello is a "closer," an expert brought into negotiations when all other options have failed. Now in Jerusalem, she mediates peace talks between Israel and Palestine, which have broken down after two high-profile deaths. Right-wing Zionist Shimon Guttman was gunned down during a supposed attempt to assassinate the Israeli prime minister. "This will change everything," Guttman had cryptically warned the prime minister before he was killed. Palestinian Ahmed Nour, a respected archaeologist, has also been killed on suspicions of being a collaborator. When Maggie discovers that the two men were colleagues, she is plunged into a mystery rooted in an unsolved riddle of the Bible. It all leads back to an ancient clay tablet looted from Baghdad's Museum of Antiquities and a secret that could end a war-or spark a new one.

[Vineela Yerukonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover, plot summary and after a few chapters, the plot itself were reminiscent of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series. Desperate situations that needed desperate measures, secret, all-power organizations with perilous vendettas with bottomless influence and resources but no analytic skills (what with trailing behind amateur detectives to figure out clues), love interests that conveniently disappear to make way for the next Bond Girl/Boy, you know the drill.

But where Robert Langdon was sharp as a tack, quick as lightning, The Last Testament's protagonist, Maggie Costello, is everything but. She, along with the eye candy, bumble about all over Jerusalem, shooting arrows into the dark, when Uri should have guessed it all along. Stupid of them, maybe, but clever of the author, giving the readers a verbal tour of the whole city.

The book was needlessly long, with unnecessary twists. I felt the author's trying to account a TV series with cliff-hangers at the end of chapters. Maybe, given the book's length, he felt that readers would read a few chapters in the shade of their night lamps before dozing off, and gave them to something to think about?

The one reason I've persisted through the endless litany is the history. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a burning topic to date, was centrepiece for the action. I confess to being an ignoramus when it comes to Middle Eastern history. The one takeaway from the novel is a burning interest to know more about it. One link to start with - https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/180800...

[Vera VB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een thriller met Israël als locatie heb ik nog niet zo vaak gelezen. Iedereen weet dat Amerika al jaren probeert een vredesakkoord te laten tekenen tussen Israël en de Palestijnen, Jodendom versus Islam. Beide menen aanspraak te mogen maken op Jerusalem wat het getouwtrek alleen maar erger maakt.

in Het laatste testament wordt Maggie Costello gevraagd de onderhandelingen terug vlot te trekken. Er was bijna een akkoord, maar de zoveelste brute moord heeft voor een terugtrekking van de partijen gezorgd. Maggie is een mediator, iemand die tussenkomt in conflicten. Door een nare ervaring uit het verleden, doet ze dit alleen nog voor koppels die willen scheiden. Ze wordt echter onder druk gezet om deel te nemen aan de onderhandelingen.
Eens in Israël volgt het ene incident het andere op. Haar leven is meerdere keren in gevaar.
Het boek heeft iets van het leggen van een puzzel. Iemand heeft ergens een boodschap achter gelaten, eerst moet de boodschap gevonden worden en daarna dan nog eens de inhoud goed geïnterpreteerd worden. Dat terwijl meerdere partijen de inhoud willen weten en onderscheppen.

Op zich was het geen slecht boek, maar het middenstuk vond ik wat vertragend werken en bijna saai. Voor iedereen die zowel politiek als actie in een boek wil en daarnaast ook nog wat wil bijleren over het conflict tussen ultra-orthodoxe Joden en moslims is dit boek waarschijnlijk heel interessant.