Hidden

by Mark Andrew Sekela

Everyone loves a secret, especially if it’s life-changing. But what if
it's deadly, would you still want to know?

Jasper Stewart has such a secret. He’s kept it his entire life and
didn't know it - until now.

While working for the Catholic Church Jasper accidentally reveals the
secret. The result is explosive and will rewrite history. But there
are those in the Vatican that will stop at nothing to keep the secret
hidden.

So begins a race Jasper can’t possibly win and one mankind can’t afford to lose.

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2012

About the author

As a young boy growing up in the Okanagan Valley in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, Mark spent most of his youth roaming the surrounding hills looking for the next perfect fly fishing opportunity. His love of nature and the outdoors influenced his education and Mark went on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Windsor and a graduate diploma in Environmental Toxicology from Simon Fraser University.

Now a senior scientist working for the Canadian government for more than twenty five years, Mark conducts cutting edge research on new and emerging environmental issues. He has traveled the globe extensively speaking at scientific conferences and presenting his research. Mark has published many scientific papers but The Convergence Series represents his first fiction. When asked what made him want to write fiction, Mark replied “Because my sons asked me to.” Mark still resides in British Columbia with his two boys, where they enjoy trolling the waters of the Pacific Northwest in search of that elusive Tyee.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by the author....a classroom parent of mine. I cannot wait to get into it. So excited!

http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-The-Conv...

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough book to review because it wasn't my typical genre. In fact, I am not sure it will be anyone's typical genre. It doesn't fit into a typical genre. The best genre to slip it into is supernatural religious thriller. It's kind of like a blend of a Dan Brown book and a bunch of episodes of Lost. That makes it a little hard to recommend, because when people ask about the genre, you have to explain a bunch of the book, which is also difficult to do without saying too much.

The great stuff:

It's an easy read. The author's writing style is fantastic - exactly my style: intelligent, descriptive while still including a lot of dialogue, and also extremely imaginative. As a lover of sci-fi, I truly appreciate the strange and unusual twists that go along with stories like these. Impressive writing by a first-time author.

The not so great stuff:

The book starts rather slowly...there is a lot of set-up and I think the first half of the book seems very choppy - like...not cohesive in voice or direction. We also get a lot of clues to lots of strange things, without anything being fully revealed (again, what I would compare to the TV show Lost).

It is very plot driven and there's a big foundation that needs to get laid out before the readers can see what direction it's going in. Where it's strong in plot, it lacks in character development. That's not to say that we don't have some interesting characters, though. Jasper is a complex and intelligent guy. We get to know him a little, but not a whole lot. And while he's also likable, he's sort of boring. And we get to know a lot of supporting characters (that I will get more time in the story later on) that we only get a glimpse of. It adds to the mystery of the story, sure, but it also leaves the reader a tad unfulfilled at times.

In the end, the reader gets highly entertained, and doesn't have a predictable story, and you want to see where it's going and how it will end.

I am told that book #2 is really edge of your seat, which should be really exciting, since the 2nd part of this book was pretty intense.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark is a very descriptive writer, allowing the reader to easily immerse themselves in Jasper's world. I very much enjoyed this writing style. Hidden starts off slowly, introducing the characters, and giving the reader small glimpses of what is to come. Jasper is a very intelligent, but socially awkward young man. He struggles with religion, while being an expert in genetics. This was a very exciting read, ending in a flurry that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book, and I am looking forward to the next two books in the series!

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the middle of the book when you could get into the character of Jasper. It was thrilling and hard to put down from the moment he arrived in Rome. The beginning and end was not my favorite. The beginning timeline went too quickly and the end was bizarre.