What do you think?
Rate this book
Charlotte Ansari #1
The Shekinah Legacy
International cable TV journalist Charlotte Ansari and her Asperger’s son are caught literally in the crossfire of history when terrorists, the CIA, Mossad (Israeli intelligence) and the Vatican all converge in a pulse-pounding search for two relics that could eviscerate Christianity and forever change the balance of power in the world.
Three decades ago, Charlotte’s mother suddenly vanished with no trace. The mystery was never solved. Then suddenly, on the same day that Charlotte’s home is attacked by terrorists, her son receives an email from the grandmother that he has never known. The coded message catapults Charlotte and her son on a dangerous mission to India and Kashmir to find the only objects that can save the old woman’s life. Unfortunately, Charlotte and her autistic son don’t know what they are looking for.
The Shekinah Legacy is a thriller in the tradition of Dan Brown, Steve Berry and James Rollins. In this provocative novel, author Gary Lindberg uses the form of the thriller to explore the limits and perils of belief.
Three decades ago, Charlotte’s mother suddenly vanished with no trace. The mystery was never solved. Then suddenly, on the same day that Charlotte’s home is attacked by terrorists, her son receives an email from the grandmother that he has never known. The coded message catapults Charlotte and her son on a dangerous mission to India and Kashmir to find the only objects that can save the old woman’s life. Unfortunately, Charlotte and her autistic son don’t know what they are looking for.
The Shekinah Legacy is a thriller in the tradition of Dan Brown, Steve Berry and James Rollins. In this provocative novel, author Gary Lindberg uses the form of the thriller to explore the limits and perils of belief.
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
115 people are currently reading
976 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 22, 2013
Gary Lindberg's "The Shekinah Legacy" is a darn fun read, if you like fast-paced thrillers and religious history mystery. In that sense, it's a nice read for a Dan Brown fan. Or someone who is into the alternative, "secret history" conspiracies. I did speed through it, in just a couple of sittings. It's a good book. But not great. By "not great", I mean in comparison to its peer group of mainstream thrillers both traditional or self-published.
The plot and the underlying concept is no less unrealistic than most of Dan Brown's work, and more realistic than some of his. Action is non-stop. But it has a few glaring problems, and some odd choices, in my opinion.
First, editing/proofreading. Others have done so, so I'm not going to beat up (much) on the use of "ancestor" when he clearly means "descendant". Nor another case where "debtor" clearly means "creditor". But these are dumb, sloppy errors. I doubt he had a good outside editor or enough beta readers. I've made similar failures in technical writing or web content, not because of not knowing the meaning of those common words - but from simplifying a sentence structure.
An example (not in the book exactly as I'm showing, because, spoilers, but imagine): "John had James as an ancestor". Let's make it more punchy, get rid of some words: "John is a descendant of James." Usually done buy cutting/pasting/dragging the words around in your word processor into the better structure. But Oops! forgot to change "ancestor" to "descendant" so ends up with "John is an ancestor of James". No. He's not. A third-party editor rather than likely self-proofreading would have spotted this.
An odd choice that rarely works: All the narration is present tense. Third-person traditional style, with a floating POV that varies between a few key characters in different chapters - no problem with that. But third party, floating POV, and all present tense, just reads weirdly. At least to me.
Along that line - the only thing that is not present tense is a framing-story journal of the protagonist. The lead's "notebooks" of the events. Yet she was not present at all the events, so the conceit of it being her telling the events within her frame, simply doesn't work. To be fair, a lot of early Star Trek episodes had "Captain's Log: Supplemental" with Kirk then logging things he could not possibly have known at that point.
I do like the Charlotte Ansari character we're introduced to in this book, and whom we meet again in "Sons of Zadok". I always love a good religious fanatics conspiracy theory, and double-love for a secret organization behind the scenes. Even better when the secret organization is ambiguous rather than clearly good or evil. Lindberg has me rooting for the assassin on more than one occasion.
I'll definitely read his followup, "Sons of Zadok". In fact, I started with that a few months ago when it was free on Kindle. Despite a lot of exposition and backstory decently handled, my lack of knowledge of the hugely significant details of these characters' pasts just made both me and my wife independently give up on it.
"The Shekinah Legacy" is that backstory. And a ripsnorting adventure in its own right. It is well worth reading, as long as you don't mind a few bumps along the way. Despite it having a sequel and likely an ongoing series, and many open issues, this book is not at all a cliffhanger, nor does it feel like you've been cheated out of the whole story and suckered into buying a series. "Shekinah" is a self-contained, rewarding, fun read.
One closing note: Though this is not "Christian Fiction", and does in fact have most characters questioning the basis of traditional Christian belief, I get a feeling Lindberg was deliberately targeting readers of Christian Fiction. There's a bit of a "goody-two-shoes", at least when it comes to sexuality, about some characters that, to me at least, seems unrealistic. Maybe it won't to you. I'm not saying that I thought that characters should be Carrie Bradshaw.
I see this in some other self-published, religious-history-conspiracy, thriller fiction from other authors too. Characters who by all rights should be tearing each others clothes off at some point, simply don't go there. Or their histories are unusually "sanitized". Not crucial to the character either way at the deepest level, but looks like a deliberate attempt not to upset the portion of the book-buying audience who would be outraged at a 30-40-something single person having sex without marriage. This may well be a valid marketing approach. Question Christianity, curse up a moderate storm, feel some passion, but simply don't go there. And leave the questions about Christianity somewhat open. Both believers and nobelievers, fundamentalist/evangelical Christians and liberal Christians can be accepting of the story then. But it sometimes takes away from the verisimilitude.
The plot and the underlying concept is no less unrealistic than most of Dan Brown's work, and more realistic than some of his. Action is non-stop. But it has a few glaring problems, and some odd choices, in my opinion.
First, editing/proofreading. Others have done so, so I'm not going to beat up (much) on the use of "ancestor" when he clearly means "descendant". Nor another case where "debtor" clearly means "creditor". But these are dumb, sloppy errors. I doubt he had a good outside editor or enough beta readers. I've made similar failures in technical writing or web content, not because of not knowing the meaning of those common words - but from simplifying a sentence structure.
An example (not in the book exactly as I'm showing, because, spoilers, but imagine): "John had James as an ancestor". Let's make it more punchy, get rid of some words: "John is a descendant of James." Usually done buy cutting/pasting/dragging the words around in your word processor into the better structure. But Oops! forgot to change "ancestor" to "descendant" so ends up with "John is an ancestor of James". No. He's not. A third-party editor rather than likely self-proofreading would have spotted this.
An odd choice that rarely works: All the narration is present tense. Third-person traditional style, with a floating POV that varies between a few key characters in different chapters - no problem with that. But third party, floating POV, and all present tense, just reads weirdly. At least to me.
Along that line - the only thing that is not present tense is a framing-story journal of the protagonist. The lead's "notebooks" of the events. Yet she was not present at all the events, so the conceit of it being her telling the events within her frame, simply doesn't work. To be fair, a lot of early Star Trek episodes had "Captain's Log: Supplemental" with Kirk then logging things he could not possibly have known at that point.
I do like the Charlotte Ansari character we're introduced to in this book, and whom we meet again in "Sons of Zadok". I always love a good religious fanatics conspiracy theory, and double-love for a secret organization behind the scenes. Even better when the secret organization is ambiguous rather than clearly good or evil. Lindberg has me rooting for the assassin on more than one occasion.
I'll definitely read his followup, "Sons of Zadok". In fact, I started with that a few months ago when it was free on Kindle. Despite a lot of exposition and backstory decently handled, my lack of knowledge of the hugely significant details of these characters' pasts just made both me and my wife independently give up on it.
"The Shekinah Legacy" is that backstory. And a ripsnorting adventure in its own right. It is well worth reading, as long as you don't mind a few bumps along the way. Despite it having a sequel and likely an ongoing series, and many open issues, this book is not at all a cliffhanger, nor does it feel like you've been cheated out of the whole story and suckered into buying a series. "Shekinah" is a self-contained, rewarding, fun read.
One closing note: Though this is not "Christian Fiction", and does in fact have most characters questioning the basis of traditional Christian belief, I get a feeling Lindberg was deliberately targeting readers of Christian Fiction. There's a bit of a "goody-two-shoes", at least when it comes to sexuality, about some characters that, to me at least, seems unrealistic. Maybe it won't to you. I'm not saying that I thought that characters should be Carrie Bradshaw.
I see this in some other self-published, religious-history-conspiracy, thriller fiction from other authors too. Characters who by all rights should be tearing each others clothes off at some point, simply don't go there. Or their histories are unusually "sanitized". Not crucial to the character either way at the deepest level, but looks like a deliberate attempt not to upset the portion of the book-buying audience who would be outraged at a 30-40-something single person having sex without marriage. This may well be a valid marketing approach. Question Christianity, curse up a moderate storm, feel some passion, but simply don't go there. And leave the questions about Christianity somewhat open. Both believers and nobelievers, fundamentalist/evangelical Christians and liberal Christians can be accepting of the story then. But it sometimes takes away from the verisimilitude.
September 15, 2012
When I started this book, I was immediately intrigued. The initial scenes, and the introduction of characters was really well done. I was initially intrigued, and excited about continuing the story to learn more. As the story progressed, however, my opinion of the book got lower and lower. I very rarely put down a book without completing it, and I reserve 1-star ratings only for those books. This book got me committed, and I made it through, but I was quite disappointed by the time I finished.
The story evolved rapidly, sometimes too fast. There were scenes that involved huge changes in direction in the space of only a few sentences, and the characters and situations started to become very unbelievable. I felt there was so much that the author could have done with this story, but just left stuff out, or presented things strangely. In the dialog of the story, things are thrown out in conversation that the characters just accepted without question or contemplation, and the characters accepted things naively and moved in unrealistic directions. There were several inconsistencies within the book too, which is a huge distraction for me. The writing style was strange too, in that the author attempted to use present tense, but got things mixed up several places along the way. Overall, I'd describe the execution of the book as "Choppy".
I was also disappointed in the lack of depth of the apparent message of the book. There were too many fallacies and incongruities in the story as they relate to history (present and ancient) which kept the story from ever becoming believable to any degree.
The story evolved rapidly, sometimes too fast. There were scenes that involved huge changes in direction in the space of only a few sentences, and the characters and situations started to become very unbelievable. I felt there was so much that the author could have done with this story, but just left stuff out, or presented things strangely. In the dialog of the story, things are thrown out in conversation that the characters just accepted without question or contemplation, and the characters accepted things naively and moved in unrealistic directions. There were several inconsistencies within the book too, which is a huge distraction for me. The writing style was strange too, in that the author attempted to use present tense, but got things mixed up several places along the way. Overall, I'd describe the execution of the book as "Choppy".
I was also disappointed in the lack of depth of the apparent message of the book. There were too many fallacies and incongruities in the story as they relate to history (present and ancient) which kept the story from ever becoming believable to any degree.
May 16, 2012
When I was about a third of the way through the book, I thought it was a 5 star rated book and would qualify as one of my favorites. That slowly changed as the story delved into an alternate explanation of what really happened to Jesus. I believe in the western story of Jesus so I was not drawn in by the direction of the story. (I am trying to not include a spoiler in this review so that is the best I could say.)
That being said, I do think this book is a very fine debut novel. It is fast paced with many twists and turns. The characters, of which there are many, are believable and interesting. The writing style should appeal to readers of many different genres.
I will indeed read more books by this fine author and suggest that you read this one as well. The premise is well thought out and researched. Give this author a try. This is not a religious story but it is a book based upon biblical history.
That being said, I do think this book is a very fine debut novel. It is fast paced with many twists and turns. The characters, of which there are many, are believable and interesting. The writing style should appeal to readers of many different genres.
I will indeed read more books by this fine author and suggest that you read this one as well. The premise is well thought out and researched. Give this author a try. This is not a religious story but it is a book based upon biblical history.
March 30, 2012
Gary Lindberg is a friend. He promoted the book on Facebook, so I clicked "Like", and immediately downloaded the ebook to my Kindle.
It's fiction, but so timely and real, considering the recent deaths of popular journalist and media celebrities in Syria. That's where Lindberg's story begins, with brutality and a narrow escape. Gary and his wife both are creative media professionals. He knows his subject.
The scene shifts quickly from Syria to the Lake Minnetonka west of Minneapolis, to India, and Kashmir. The Lindbergs know the territory.
Anything else I might add in detail about the story would be a spoiler. In brief, a lot of people get killed. There are more religiously-based conspiracy theories, and government sponsored covert organizations than you might imagine, some with agendas and descendents of heroes that go back more than 3,000 years.
It's fiction, but so timely and real, considering the recent deaths of popular journalist and media celebrities in Syria. That's where Lindberg's story begins, with brutality and a narrow escape. Gary and his wife both are creative media professionals. He knows his subject.
The scene shifts quickly from Syria to the Lake Minnetonka west of Minneapolis, to India, and Kashmir. The Lindbergs know the territory.
Anything else I might add in detail about the story would be a spoiler. In brief, a lot of people get killed. There are more religiously-based conspiracy theories, and government sponsored covert organizations than you might imagine, some with agendas and descendents of heroes that go back more than 3,000 years.
February 9, 2012
If you love books full of adventure, action, suspense this book is for you. The numerous plot twists will knock your socks off. Mr. Lindberg does such a masterful job with character and plot development that you will not want to put this one down. The story revolves around a journalist, her son, her father, and an ancient religious order as the journalist seeks to find a religious relic that will help save the her mother. Throw in the CIA, Mossad, the Vatican and the other world intellegence agencies and you have an amazing story. Beware, everything is not as it seems. I certainly didn't expect this ending.
July 4, 2013
This was one of those rare books that I simply kept reading until it was finished. The plot had so many twists and turns that it kept you on the edge of your seat and kept the pages turning. This was my first read by Gary Lindberg, but I can assure you it will not be my last. I did find myself continually checking items in the book to be sure the author was correct on his facts. There were times I didn’t appreciate some of the religious references, but it definitely did not stop me from reading the book. Overall, a great read. It is similar to James Rollins and books of that genre. This book was so good that I immediately purchased the second book in the series.
December 9, 2011
Couldn't put it down. Truth or Fiction? Or Fiction based on Truth? I'm still pondering.
August 22, 2017
As the Emperor says to Mozart in the movie Amadeus, "There are simply too many notes. Just cut a few and it will be perfect."
In this story, there are simply too many characters, too many competing plot lines, too many different secret organizations/intelligence agencies. The basic story line (like all religiously themed historical thrillers) is based on a ridiculous premise that requires the reader to suspend disbelief long enough to become interested in the mystery. I wasn't able to do that here. Sometimes, even if the plot line doesn't draw you in, I have found that intriguing characters can keep me engaged enough in a story to push through intricate plot lines. That didn't work here either.
The premise was moderately interesting and there was certainly plenty of action. But the plot was overly convoluted and the characters under-developed and largely one-dimensional. It was particularly disappointing because I thought that the concept of a famous international news correspondent unwittingly caught in a global secret conspiracy held promise. Unfortunately, this one didn't deliver.
In this story, there are simply too many characters, too many competing plot lines, too many different secret organizations/intelligence agencies. The basic story line (like all religiously themed historical thrillers) is based on a ridiculous premise that requires the reader to suspend disbelief long enough to become interested in the mystery. I wasn't able to do that here. Sometimes, even if the plot line doesn't draw you in, I have found that intriguing characters can keep me engaged enough in a story to push through intricate plot lines. That didn't work here either.
The premise was moderately interesting and there was certainly plenty of action. But the plot was overly convoluted and the characters under-developed and largely one-dimensional. It was particularly disappointing because I thought that the concept of a famous international news correspondent unwittingly caught in a global secret conspiracy held promise. Unfortunately, this one didn't deliver.
January 2, 2026
This has a lot going for it - a very fast-paced plot that takes places in multiple locations around the world, and it has a strong female protagonist who is the center of the action and the direction.
But ultimately, I cannot recommend this.
TW: SA & Spoiler
The main plot of the story revolves around ancient prophecies and fulfillment that suggest that the birth of a special baby will usher in the new age of divine revelation, but in this story, that birth is brought about through forced sexual action between the protagonist and a person who drugs her and then sexually assaults her.
I cannot condone a book that uses forced sex as an essential part of the plot.
But ultimately, I cannot recommend this.
TW: SA & Spoiler
The main plot of the story revolves around ancient prophecies and fulfillment that suggest that the birth of a special baby will usher in the new age of divine revelation, but in this story, that birth is brought about through forced sexual action between the protagonist and a person who drugs her and then sexually assaults her.
I cannot condone a book that uses forced sex as an essential part of the plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2017
This is one of the most amazing books I've read yet; reminds me of how much I love thrillers; can't wait to read the sequel!
November 3, 2017
The Shekinah Legacy
The Shekinah Legacy by Gary Lindbergh was just as the reviews raved about. The excitement of the unknown kept me turning pages.
The Shekinah Legacy by Gary Lindbergh was just as the reviews raved about. The excitement of the unknown kept me turning pages.
June 12, 2019
Good book. I enjoyed the journey. Looking forward to book 2.
June 11, 2014
I have learned throughout my time reading reviews that it is not a good idea to read through the synopsis information on Amazon prior to reading a book. The reason I avoid doing this is because a lot of times, the book description includes comments regarding what to compare the book to. I dont like having that preconceived idea put in my head before I even start reading. When I started reading The Shekinah Legacy, I knew immediately that I was going to love this book. See, I am a HUGE fan of authors such as Dan Brown and Brad Meltzer. If you’re into either of those two authors, chances are, you will love this book too. I finished the book and went to Amazon to copy the text of the synopsis and here’s what I found in the book description:
To define the genre of this book, think of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. To determine whether you will be entertained by it, think better than Dan Brown’s thriller. This is the book that Mr. Brown should have written. It is as an exciting alternative religious history filled with plenty of action and interesting plot twists. It is based on real research, at least as real as Mr. Brown’s, after all the discussion about how authentic his sources were. … I recommend this book to all who like a good thriller. I can’t imagine what Mr. Lindberg will do for an encore. – S. Moore for BookPleasures.com
And…..
The Shekinah Legacy” is a well-written thriller in the style of Dan Brown where long-held religious beliefs are turned upside down and challenged. The story is filled with the twists and turns that make a novel great. The story’s ending is meant to be a shocker and it is, concluding a very well crafted story. – Alice D. for ReadersFavorite.com
These two assessments of The Shekinah Legacy could not be more spot-on. The writing is phenomenal, giving you an incredibly well written thriller/mystery. The action comes right out of the gate with some serious fury from page one and it’s non-stop from there. Don’t let the Dan Brown comparisons fool you though. The Shekinah Legacy is a 100% unique story line. There’s no sense of I’ve read this somewhere before when you are reading the book.
The plot is fast-paced but not at all lacking for detail. However, it’s also not so detailed that you miss important plot points along the way. All 350 pages of this book are a perfectly executed thrill ride.
The characters are also very intriguing. Charlotteis a character that radiates an admirable strength. Not something we usually see in a female character in a thriller. Usually, they are just tucked neatly away in the damsel role. NotCharlotte.
I am extremely happy that I was given the opportunity to read this book. Plot twists left and right mixed with some wonderfully stunning moments. A definite must read! I give The Shekinah Legacy 5 stars! If you love historical fiction/religious thrillers, you will love love LOVE The Shekinah Legacy!
To define the genre of this book, think of Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. To determine whether you will be entertained by it, think better than Dan Brown’s thriller. This is the book that Mr. Brown should have written. It is as an exciting alternative religious history filled with plenty of action and interesting plot twists. It is based on real research, at least as real as Mr. Brown’s, after all the discussion about how authentic his sources were. … I recommend this book to all who like a good thriller. I can’t imagine what Mr. Lindberg will do for an encore. – S. Moore for BookPleasures.com
And…..
The Shekinah Legacy” is a well-written thriller in the style of Dan Brown where long-held religious beliefs are turned upside down and challenged. The story is filled with the twists and turns that make a novel great. The story’s ending is meant to be a shocker and it is, concluding a very well crafted story. – Alice D. for ReadersFavorite.com
These two assessments of The Shekinah Legacy could not be more spot-on. The writing is phenomenal, giving you an incredibly well written thriller/mystery. The action comes right out of the gate with some serious fury from page one and it’s non-stop from there. Don’t let the Dan Brown comparisons fool you though. The Shekinah Legacy is a 100% unique story line. There’s no sense of I’ve read this somewhere before when you are reading the book.
The plot is fast-paced but not at all lacking for detail. However, it’s also not so detailed that you miss important plot points along the way. All 350 pages of this book are a perfectly executed thrill ride.
The characters are also very intriguing. Charlotteis a character that radiates an admirable strength. Not something we usually see in a female character in a thriller. Usually, they are just tucked neatly away in the damsel role. NotCharlotte.
I am extremely happy that I was given the opportunity to read this book. Plot twists left and right mixed with some wonderfully stunning moments. A definite must read! I give The Shekinah Legacy 5 stars! If you love historical fiction/religious thrillers, you will love love LOVE The Shekinah Legacy!
July 8, 2012
Mix one international cable news correspondent, an Aspenger's teenager, a long-term MIA mother, a bestselling author, a professional assassin, a valuable relic and a host of worldwide organizations that want it ... and what do you have ... one hell of a riveting action packed suspense thriller!
The Shekinah Legacy is a fascinating story that immediately draws the reader in with its fast-paced, fascinating storyline of drama, intrigue, suspense and adventure. The author provides the reader with an intriguing religious thriller that has a multi-faceted plot. From family drama and mystery, to a secret conspiracy in the Western Christianity community, the quest to find religious relics and long held secrets if brought to light, could rock the very foundations of the long held Western Christian beliefs. This riveting story takes the reader on an adventure with Charlotte and Greg, as their time-sensitive mission takes them globe trotting to such places as Minnesota, Washington DC, Rome, Vatican City, Iraq, India and Kashmir. With international groups (CIA, FBI, Mossad, Al Qaeda, and others) following them from location to location, murder, mystery and mayhem lies around every corner.
The historical religious conspiracy theory plot line is well researched and written in rich detail and description that engages the reader to ponder and question "what if ...". Any novel that provides a mixture of interesting facts that engages me to think with the adrenaline rush of adventure and suspense is well worth reading in my opinion.
The author has created a huge cast of characters that are realistic and complex beings, whose interactions with each other make the story that much more powerful and compelling. There were so many interesting characters introduced throughout the story, that I found myself writing down a character list so I wouldn't get confused. With that being said, I did enjoy how the author wrote the chapters in the third-person narrative with alternating perspectives from the major characters of Charlotte, Greg, Gideon, Antonio Fortunati, and William Wyatt.
The Shekinah Legacy is a gripping suspense thriller that will give the reader an adrenaline rush. With its nonstop action and mystery, this story will hold your attention and imagination and keep your pulse racing to the very end!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review, and for hosting a virtual book event on my book review blog site.
Virtual Book Event: On Friday and Saturday, July 6-7, 2012, author Gary Lindberg participated in a two day virtual book event with an Author Guest Post and Author Interview on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
The Shekinah Legacy is a fascinating story that immediately draws the reader in with its fast-paced, fascinating storyline of drama, intrigue, suspense and adventure. The author provides the reader with an intriguing religious thriller that has a multi-faceted plot. From family drama and mystery, to a secret conspiracy in the Western Christianity community, the quest to find religious relics and long held secrets if brought to light, could rock the very foundations of the long held Western Christian beliefs. This riveting story takes the reader on an adventure with Charlotte and Greg, as their time-sensitive mission takes them globe trotting to such places as Minnesota, Washington DC, Rome, Vatican City, Iraq, India and Kashmir. With international groups (CIA, FBI, Mossad, Al Qaeda, and others) following them from location to location, murder, mystery and mayhem lies around every corner.
The historical religious conspiracy theory plot line is well researched and written in rich detail and description that engages the reader to ponder and question "what if ...". Any novel that provides a mixture of interesting facts that engages me to think with the adrenaline rush of adventure and suspense is well worth reading in my opinion.
The author has created a huge cast of characters that are realistic and complex beings, whose interactions with each other make the story that much more powerful and compelling. There were so many interesting characters introduced throughout the story, that I found myself writing down a character list so I wouldn't get confused. With that being said, I did enjoy how the author wrote the chapters in the third-person narrative with alternating perspectives from the major characters of Charlotte, Greg, Gideon, Antonio Fortunati, and William Wyatt.
The Shekinah Legacy is a gripping suspense thriller that will give the reader an adrenaline rush. With its nonstop action and mystery, this story will hold your attention and imagination and keep your pulse racing to the very end!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review, and for hosting a virtual book event on my book review blog site.
Virtual Book Event: On Friday and Saturday, July 6-7, 2012, author Gary Lindberg participated in a two day virtual book event with an Author Guest Post and Author Interview on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
April 22, 2012
The Shekinah Legacy is a wonderful story that combines action and adventure, a family's past with their present, and also intermingles their legacy with a world journey of discovery. Though the book is about religion and has a religious baseline that branches out into a multi-layered plot, you do not need to be a religious person yourself to read and enjoy everything within its pages. The adventure and the history within the story keep you reading almost as much as the mystery behind some of the characters does.
Though I am not anyone who can claim that religion is something I know and understand, it seemed as if the background of the book was well settled and truthful, laying down facts on various religions. It was not a textbook, however, this book blended action and discussion well enough to be an enjoyable read even as the reader was having a history lesson. Those who are deeply set in their beliefs may have trouble with some of the points made, however, as there are times when I read this book and thought with some surprise at how unafraid the author was to point out that common beliefs among Christians and their history were wrong or improperly recorded.
Each of the characters seemed well thought out and all were true to their nature throughout the story. It was refreshing to have characters who had flaws, characters who may not have survived throughout the book just because they were "good" or you "wanted them to", and also as refreshing to see an autistic child taking such a strong position among his elders within the plot. It is possible that some of his actions weren't quite in keeping with his mental capacity, but as autism is something hard to pinpoint to a specific set of behaviors I tended to assume that was what was being done, stretching the limits of his ability.
I very much enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to anyone interested in an action-packed tale of religion that works outside the box. Ironically I read this book over my Easter vacation, which I felt added even more to the story itself. Do that, if you get the chance, even if you're reading it for the second or third time, because I am certain that you will pick this one up more than once.
Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
Though I am not anyone who can claim that religion is something I know and understand, it seemed as if the background of the book was well settled and truthful, laying down facts on various religions. It was not a textbook, however, this book blended action and discussion well enough to be an enjoyable read even as the reader was having a history lesson. Those who are deeply set in their beliefs may have trouble with some of the points made, however, as there are times when I read this book and thought with some surprise at how unafraid the author was to point out that common beliefs among Christians and their history were wrong or improperly recorded.
Each of the characters seemed well thought out and all were true to their nature throughout the story. It was refreshing to have characters who had flaws, characters who may not have survived throughout the book just because they were "good" or you "wanted them to", and also as refreshing to see an autistic child taking such a strong position among his elders within the plot. It is possible that some of his actions weren't quite in keeping with his mental capacity, but as autism is something hard to pinpoint to a specific set of behaviors I tended to assume that was what was being done, stretching the limits of his ability.
I very much enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to anyone interested in an action-packed tale of religion that works outside the box. Ironically I read this book over my Easter vacation, which I felt added even more to the story itself. Do that, if you get the chance, even if you're reading it for the second or third time, because I am certain that you will pick this one up more than once.
Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.
August 16, 2012
This book was a page-turner and an entertaining read. I must admit, though, that I've been stumped for a while trying to figure out how to rate and review this book. I enjoyed reading this book for the most part, but a number of things nagged at me which decreased my overall impression of the book, and I didn't love the ending. If I could do halves, I'd give this book 3.5 stars.
The good: The book was an entertaining and compelling read, that kept me up reading late at night and kept me hooked until the end. The book seems to be well-researched, the writing is good, and it was better-edited than most of the free or low-priced Kindle books I've read.
The not-so-good: There were a number of unbelievable aspects to the story, from the premise that multiple countries' leadership and intelligence agencies believing that the release of "the artifact" could cause unfathomable negative impacts on their societies, to the superhuman perfection of the Sicarii, to the special abilities ascribed to Charlotte's young son. Some of the plot twists seemed especially contrived.
I have the impression that this book is a bit of a Da Vinci Code wannabe (though I haven't read it). That said the book was a fun read and introduced me to some historical facts and groups that I wasn't previously aware of.
If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller, don't mind some gore, and won't be offended by a somewhat unconventional and sometimes unflattering portrayal of religion, you will probably enjoy this book.
Note: I received a complementary review copy of this e-book.
The good: The book was an entertaining and compelling read, that kept me up reading late at night and kept me hooked until the end. The book seems to be well-researched, the writing is good, and it was better-edited than most of the free or low-priced Kindle books I've read.
The not-so-good: There were a number of unbelievable aspects to the story, from the premise that multiple countries' leadership and intelligence agencies believing that the release of "the artifact" could cause unfathomable negative impacts on their societies, to the superhuman perfection of the Sicarii, to the special abilities ascribed to Charlotte's young son. Some of the plot twists seemed especially contrived.
I have the impression that this book is a bit of a Da Vinci Code wannabe (though I haven't read it). That said the book was a fun read and introduced me to some historical facts and groups that I wasn't previously aware of.
If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller, don't mind some gore, and won't be offended by a somewhat unconventional and sometimes unflattering portrayal of religion, you will probably enjoy this book.
Note: I received a complementary review copy of this e-book.
March 7, 2012
I won this book from the Member Giveaways at Library Thing.
Normally, I am not a fan of religious fiction, but the book sounded interesting when I entered to win it. When I started reading this book, I was relieved that it started out with action. The religious parts of this book were extremely well written (though I'm no religious scholar by any means). I truly enjoyed this book, which was full of action and adventure and for me was a bit of a learning experience.
This is a story of Charlotte, a female news correspondent for a national cable news channel, CCN. the book starts out with her photographer and herself reporting on stories in a warzone. They are captured, then rescued by a "guardian angel". Meanwhile, her teenage son, who has Asberger's syndrome, has recieved a cryptic email from his grandmother, whom he has never met. To make a long story short, Charlotte and her son team up with Charlotte's estranged father, a religious scholar, and they try to follow the clues left to them in the cryptic message, searching for evidence of Jesus' remains. At the same time, various intelligence agencies and the Vatican are also searching for these remains.
This is an action-packed book, and very informative. Being that I am not very familiar with Bible stories, I assume that the facts contained in the book are true. Either way, what a great book, of which I would recommend to anyone!
Normally, I am not a fan of religious fiction, but the book sounded interesting when I entered to win it. When I started reading this book, I was relieved that it started out with action. The religious parts of this book were extremely well written (though I'm no religious scholar by any means). I truly enjoyed this book, which was full of action and adventure and for me was a bit of a learning experience.
This is a story of Charlotte, a female news correspondent for a national cable news channel, CCN. the book starts out with her photographer and herself reporting on stories in a warzone. They are captured, then rescued by a "guardian angel". Meanwhile, her teenage son, who has Asberger's syndrome, has recieved a cryptic email from his grandmother, whom he has never met. To make a long story short, Charlotte and her son team up with Charlotte's estranged father, a religious scholar, and they try to follow the clues left to them in the cryptic message, searching for evidence of Jesus' remains. At the same time, various intelligence agencies and the Vatican are also searching for these remains.
This is an action-packed book, and very informative. Being that I am not very familiar with Bible stories, I assume that the facts contained in the book are true. Either way, what a great book, of which I would recommend to anyone!
November 2, 2012
I found the Shekinah Legacy by Gary Lindberg to be a fascinating adventure thriller. With the mixture of a globetrotting reporter and her son, the Sicaari, the CIA, the Mossad, and other groups hunting for religious relics Lindeberg develops a story that is fast paced and interesting to read. At times the reader will wonder who the good guys are and whether the search for the artifact is worth the violence and stress that the characters are put through.
Character development is one of Lindberg’s strong suits. The characters seem to be real to life and react as I assume people would who are caught up in such a treasure hunt. Some are led to question their religious beliefs and some are simply reacting the way their training has taught them to react. And we see the growing wonder of some of this through the eyes of a young man who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome.
The action is fast paced with the various plots all working together to help create the story. Lindberg has done a lot of research into the places that are visited in the book and into the religious questions that arise in the book. The reading of the book as led me to do further research into some of the groups and questions that appear in it.
Artifacts are found, but were they the real reason for the search? The answer lies in the book. A very good read and one of my favorites. I look forward to more from Mr. Lindberg.
Character development is one of Lindberg’s strong suits. The characters seem to be real to life and react as I assume people would who are caught up in such a treasure hunt. Some are led to question their religious beliefs and some are simply reacting the way their training has taught them to react. And we see the growing wonder of some of this through the eyes of a young man who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome.
The action is fast paced with the various plots all working together to help create the story. Lindberg has done a lot of research into the places that are visited in the book and into the religious questions that arise in the book. The reading of the book as led me to do further research into some of the groups and questions that appear in it.
Artifacts are found, but were they the real reason for the search? The answer lies in the book. A very good read and one of my favorites. I look forward to more from Mr. Lindberg.
August 13, 2013
It could have been interesting to delve into the historical aspects of religion with this book. In some reviews The Shekinah Legacy is compared to Dan Brown's book Da Vinci Code. However, the Shekinah Legacy falls short in the worst of ways. The characters in the book are shallow at best and completely undeveloped including the main character Charlotte Ansari. Therefore, Charlotte never evolves into a likable person. She doesn't even show any response to the death of her lover when he gets torn apart by bullets from so called terrorists. In this book most everybody is randomly called a terrorist. The many involved agencies which range from the CIA, Mossad, India secret police, Vatican plus a secret cult are largely portrayed as so incompetent it makes the whole story not believable.
The first disturbing twist in the book is the very beginning when Charlotte and her lover get abducted by "terrorists" for apparently no reason. Later her son who suffers from Asperger Syndrome receives a strangely coded email from his long thought dead grandmother. Suddenly everyone is on a plane to India and the reader is left to wonder why. The author could have easily added some more explanation as to the plot changes without compromising the suspense. The book is choppy at best. All in all, the constant poorly executed terrorist attacks and the lack of any likable character to root for make a book of this length an absolute chore to read through.
The first disturbing twist in the book is the very beginning when Charlotte and her lover get abducted by "terrorists" for apparently no reason. Later her son who suffers from Asperger Syndrome receives a strangely coded email from his long thought dead grandmother. Suddenly everyone is on a plane to India and the reader is left to wonder why. The author could have easily added some more explanation as to the plot changes without compromising the suspense. The book is choppy at best. All in all, the constant poorly executed terrorist attacks and the lack of any likable character to root for make a book of this length an absolute chore to read through.
January 4, 2015
While the basic premise of this book is both intriguing and interesting, there are some problems that were very distracting and that ultimately deterred from the story. Lindberg writes well and does a good job with character development. I could ignore the similarities between his book and “The DaVinci Code” which were numerous and eerily close. Still the plot would have worked except for the historical and biblical errors. As one who teaches biblical history and theology, it is perhaps much more bothersome to me than it might be to others. The connection between the Sicarii (an extremist group of the Jewish Zealots) and the Essenes is tenuous, at best. I could ignore this as a plot device, however. But Lindberg either needs to do more research or get a better editor, because in other places it is just incorrect. For example, he relates and attributes the story of the magi to Mark’s gospel, and it is from Matthew. He cites the wrong pharaoh for the Exodus. And he confuses (or merges intentionally, I’m not sure) Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot, who appear to be two entirely different people based on biblical history. There are more, but these are examples of some of the inconsistent and incorrect information in the book. Still, if you can get past those, the book is entirely readable and the characters build sympathy with the reader and resonate with modern times. It is not a bad read, if one can look beyond some of the profound errors.
May 12, 2013
This thriller is an absolute must to read. It is fast paced and well written. The author has researched the facts used in the book well.
Once I started to read the book I had to finish it. The character of Charlotte Ansari is compelling, I found her easy to empathise with. The imagery that Lindberg develops with his word use is a blessing. Too many authors today take the easy road and "Tell" stories. A lot of self-published books I have come across persist in using fragmented sentences.
Non of these errors intrude into the fabric of Gary Lindberg's book. Charlotte Ansari's quest, to find out what happened to Jesus in his absent years from Jeruselum, never fails in its suspense. Her guardian angels, the Sicarii, keep finding ingenious ways to keep her safe. Taking her Asperger son, Greg, with her on assignment strains Charlotte's belief in her past to the limit. Yet Greg holds the key to the mystery of Jesus' missing years within his head. Getting to that source of information pushes Charlotte's inner strength to its limit.
This is a book all lovers of adventure should read.
Warren Thurston
www.fivedollarplays.com
Once I started to read the book I had to finish it. The character of Charlotte Ansari is compelling, I found her easy to empathise with. The imagery that Lindberg develops with his word use is a blessing. Too many authors today take the easy road and "Tell" stories. A lot of self-published books I have come across persist in using fragmented sentences.
Non of these errors intrude into the fabric of Gary Lindberg's book. Charlotte Ansari's quest, to find out what happened to Jesus in his absent years from Jeruselum, never fails in its suspense. Her guardian angels, the Sicarii, keep finding ingenious ways to keep her safe. Taking her Asperger son, Greg, with her on assignment strains Charlotte's belief in her past to the limit. Yet Greg holds the key to the mystery of Jesus' missing years within his head. Getting to that source of information pushes Charlotte's inner strength to its limit.
This is a book all lovers of adventure should read.
Warren Thurston
www.fivedollarplays.com
April 7, 2012
A bare bones review for this one. Popular CNN correspondent living at home with her husband and Aspergers son finds their home attacked ay apparent terrorists who are themselves shot by two other gunmen who are also killed by a lone shooter. Meanwhile her son has received several emails from his grandmother who has been missing for years. This all leads to the correspondent and her son beginning a long search for a relic connected to Jesus that leads to India and beyond. They are followed by various factions including the CIA, Vatican police, Israeli agents and Pakistan terrorists all hoping to follow them to the relic and grab it for themselves. Lots of running around, escapes and chases and more rescues by the unknown guardian. It all ends in a reunion with the grandmother and some surprises for the correspondent.
December 19, 2015
When it seems that everyone is out to retrieve two relics that could change history, TV journalist Charlotte Ansari and her son Greg are caught in the crossfire—quite literally, as those who seek these relics are willing to go to any lengths in their pursuit.
The Shekinah Legacy is the debut novel in the Charlotte Ansari thriller series by Gary Lindberg. The author very skillfully, and over the space of many pages, only adding to the thrill, introduces Charlotte, her son, Greg, who has Aspergers syndrome, but is a genius, but has trouble with human emotions, and her family. As Charlotte and Greg struggle to survive against incredible odds, the reader is dragged deeper and deeper into not just the mystery of the relics, but Charlotte’s history as well.
The Shekinah Legacy is a page-turner of the first rank, the perfect book to curl up with at the end of summer.
The Shekinah Legacy is the debut novel in the Charlotte Ansari thriller series by Gary Lindberg. The author very skillfully, and over the space of many pages, only adding to the thrill, introduces Charlotte, her son, Greg, who has Aspergers syndrome, but is a genius, but has trouble with human emotions, and her family. As Charlotte and Greg struggle to survive against incredible odds, the reader is dragged deeper and deeper into not just the mystery of the relics, but Charlotte’s history as well.
The Shekinah Legacy is a page-turner of the first rank, the perfect book to curl up with at the end of summer.
Read
August 3, 2015When it seems that everyone is out to retrieve two relics that could change history, TV journalist Charlotte Ansari and her son Greg are caught in the crossfire—quite literally, as those who seek these relics are willing to go to any lengths in their pursuit.
The Shekinah Legacy is the debut novel in the Charlotte Ansari thriller series by Gary Lindberg. The author very skillfully, and over the space of many pages, only adding to the thrill, introduces Charlotte, her son, Greg, who has Aspergers syndrome, but is a genius, but has trouble with human emotions, and her family. As Charlotte and Greg struggle to survive against incredible odds, the reader is dragged deeper and deeper into not just the mystery of the relics, but Charlotte’s history as well.
The Shekinah Legacy is a page-turner of the first rank, the perfect book to curl up with at the end of summer.
The Shekinah Legacy is the debut novel in the Charlotte Ansari thriller series by Gary Lindberg. The author very skillfully, and over the space of many pages, only adding to the thrill, introduces Charlotte, her son, Greg, who has Aspergers syndrome, but is a genius, but has trouble with human emotions, and her family. As Charlotte and Greg struggle to survive against incredible odds, the reader is dragged deeper and deeper into not just the mystery of the relics, but Charlotte’s history as well.
The Shekinah Legacy is a page-turner of the first rank, the perfect book to curl up with at the end of summer.
September 10, 2016
I received this book through LibraryThing in return for an honest review.
Charlotte Ansari, a reporter for CCN News, and her son Greg, who has Asperger's Syndrome, get caught up in a holy quest. She recruits her father and cameraman to assist.
They are looking for a couple of holy relics. But they aren't the only ones. Competing against them are The Mossad, CIA, and Indian Intelligence Agency. She has a representative from the Sicarrii, a group of assassins, secretly protecting her.
There is plenty of action from the very beginning, when Charlotte is in Iraq during the Insurgent uprising. This book was exciting and informative. There were a few boring bits, when the author was explaining biblical verses and legends. But those were necessary to understand where the story was going.
I liked The Shekinah Legacy and plan to read Sons of Zedok Book 2.
Charlotte Ansari, a reporter for CCN News, and her son Greg, who has Asperger's Syndrome, get caught up in a holy quest. She recruits her father and cameraman to assist.
They are looking for a couple of holy relics. But they aren't the only ones. Competing against them are The Mossad, CIA, and Indian Intelligence Agency. She has a representative from the Sicarrii, a group of assassins, secretly protecting her.
There is plenty of action from the very beginning, when Charlotte is in Iraq during the Insurgent uprising. This book was exciting and informative. There were a few boring bits, when the author was explaining biblical verses and legends. But those were necessary to understand where the story was going.
I liked The Shekinah Legacy and plan to read Sons of Zedok Book 2.
May 16, 2012
I guess I thought that, with a title like Shekinah Legacy and a plot centering around religious relics, the setting would be in Israel, not India and the Himalayas. So, that was my first (slight) disappointment. As I progressed through the book, though, I found I simply didn't care about any of the characters; the Brotherhood's agents were so perfect as to be ridiculous; and, quite frankly, the idea that a schism over religious doctrine could bring down the U.S., which worships the almighty Benjamin over God, is just ludicrous.
The plot is reminiscent of Dan Brown or James Rollins but not as tight, not as intricate, not as engrossing. Still, probably better than anything I ever could have come up with.
The plot is reminiscent of Dan Brown or James Rollins but not as tight, not as intricate, not as engrossing. Still, probably better than anything I ever could have come up with.
July 1, 2013
This is another one that I probably wouldn't have ever read if it hasn't been free, followed by an occasion some time later when it seemed the most interesting-sounding thing hanging around on the Kindle when I happened to be bored. The plot reminds me if Dan Brown to some extent, although I know he certainly wasn't the first to write novels along such lines. Religious secrets, conspiracies, secret societies, competing spies, and a great deal of violence are all tossed together. I wanted the answer to a couple of questions just barely enough to keep reading, but I figured out all the big mysteries long before the last chapter. I think the book would have been much better if it had been edited down to be much shorter.
July 18, 2012
I enjoyed the quick-moving story, ala Dan Brown, cryptic messages to solve, historic/religious sites, etc. etc. There were turns and twists and quite a lot of violence, many important characters don't survive. Mix in the Mossad, the CIA, and several religious groups I hadn't heard of, and you have a lot of people searching for the same relics with great violence. Perhaps most interesting is the character of Greg, the Aspberger's Syndrome son. The utter brilliance of some Aspberger's is evident in Greg, who alone can solve the puzzles. I did find my attention wandered midway through with so much detail as to the religious symbols, etc., but persisted and glad I did.
September 12, 2016
Leave time for reading when you pick up The Shekinah Legacy. This thriller takes the reader to the neighborhoods and hidden zones of foreign lands while Charlotte Ansari, a career mom used to the very public eye of viewers of an international news organization, chases a mystery that will shake the core of her world. The special challenges of a son with Aspergers and an unloving husband dissolve when her only child is threatened. Lindberg displays a deep understanding of many religions and mastery of the world of spy versus spy.
April 4, 2012
This review is not for the entire book as I have only read the first hundred pages of the story. It was interesting at first - to read something about the Islam ways, about how TV journalist works when they have to go to dangerous places just to produce stories, I liked the conspiracy and mystery in the story but somehow I lost interest in reading the book past the hundred pages. I found the story even difficult to follow as I couldn't relate to the characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews