Secret of the Templars (The Templars series) by Paul Christopher

Templar #9

by Paul Christopher

After his niece and her fiance are brutally murdered, Holliday vows to avenge their deaths and finish their work by finding a long-lost Dead Sea Scroll. But in doing so, he stumbles upon a conspiracy linking the Catholic Church to an illicit art forgery operation involving the Nazis.Hunted by those determined to hide the truth, Holliday and Interpol agent Peter Lazarus embark on a desperate race from the vaults of the Vatican to the deserts of Pakistan to unravel a mystery born in the final days of the Third Reich, and to recover the scroll-contents of which could destroy the very foundations of the Christian faith.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Historical, Fantasy, Adventure

Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Paul Christopher is a pseudonym used by the author Christopher Hyde.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed this fast paced adventure thriller the latest in the Templar series with doc holliday as the action goes from UK to france, states and india/Pakistan where different players are after the death sea scroll. an easy read too and quick to read.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christopher returns with a ninth novel in his Templar series that remains on perma-tepid, if not drifting towards cool. Lieutenant Colonel John “Doc” Holliday vows to find a long-lost Dead Sea Scroll that could have great implications for Christianity as a whole. During his search, Holliday also discovers a link between the Catholic Church and a number of art forgeries directly tied to the Nazis, putting these two unlikely groups in bed together. With this highly controversial information, Holliday embarks on his journey, teaming up with Interpol agent Peter Lazarus, to solve both mysteries and live to tell about his harrowing tale. With curious intensity, Christopher tells a story that has long-divorced itself from the Templar theme, but still rocks Christianity's foundation.

As I have written of past Templar series novels penned by Paul Christopher, the wind has surely left the author's sails and he is seeking only to propel himself forward with mediocre publications. The story, while sound, lacks depth or content to push it towards being a great novel. Christopher has left Templar queries behind in the dust and while he continues to push new and exciting mysteries, his dedication to the plot and thorough development of characters leaves the larger product lacking the needed content to make it worth the reader's time. Should a reader wish to embark on this Templar journey, I can only recommend binge reading the entire series, so as to remember content from one novel to the next, as they become less memorable as the novels pile up.

As you did with your last series, Mr. Christopher, you left these books to wander out to pasture. For that, I can only ask why you do not stop writing them and begin something new, where you might find new inspiration and not tasteless drivel.

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[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

He sucked me in again. I see a new book by Paul Christopher and think - it has to be better than the last one, right? This one features a cast of 100's, most of whom are either irrelevant or will soon be dead, and an increasingly unrealistic travel schedule that our superhero main character is somehow able to live through - WITH ONLY ONE EYE!!!

The worst part is that I got to the end and was already looking up when the next one is due out. Damn you, Paul Christopher!!

[Bernadette Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed a lot of books/movies recently involving art stolen during WWII. This book intrigued me although I did find the addition of so many new characters to be confusing at times. Overall, I enjoyed following the story line of the main character.

[Martin Woods · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor. Note to me - nothing else from this author!

[Speesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It does all get a bit frantic really, as secret and not so secret group after secret and not so secret group chase our hero and his new Interpol friend all over Europe and eventually to Afghanistan. Which as you know, for writers of world-spanning thrillers, is like Lee Child's No-Name, Middle of Nowhere U.S. towns - anything goes. Normal rules need not apply. This, the last in the series, does seem to be going all-out on the flashy-trashy 'Thriller' staples. Shadowy groups, assassins, people knowing where you are without ever having appeared in the book before, etc. Nothing says unfeeling, uncaring because I'm richer than you miserable bastards could ever hope to be and therefore don't deign to conform to your society's norms, as a member of a secret sect, global power behind everything and all, and have tastes in this and that, that make you plebs say "EWW!" because you don't have taste, but you presume it must be because you don't have the kind of money I do that you can't appreciate such shite, than someone 'popping' something in their mouth. Usually a 'morsel' of something that is supposed to have taken and age to prepare, by specially flown-in, world's leading chefs, but you know will taste like shite. 'Popping' watch out for it. It's one of the biggest cliches in the Thriller Book. 'Popping' usually occurs, while the person doing the 'popping' is having a meeting with someone who is telling them in gruesome detail, about something horrible they have done, or will do to someone who is a minor, but important to the moving-on of the plot. The sort of thing you and I wouldn't want to hear while wolfing a pizza, maybe.

The only book blog on the web: Speesh Reads

[Gerald Matzke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was full of excitement. Colonel Doc Holliday is in search of a scroll found in the Qumran Caves that could bring down the Catholic Church if it were made public. His quest takes him around the world with incredible contacts and privileges that give him access to unlimited funds and high tech equipment. Unfortunately there is too much going on in too many places to make this story believable. There are too many characters to keep straight. The title leads you to think that the mysterious ancient Templars are somehow involved but they are barely mentioned. If the author’s goal was to overwhelm the reader with adventure he succeeded but it was at the expense of a well-told story.

[Sandhya S · Rating 1 out of 5]

My biggest gripe was that the author thinks the Indian and Pakistani borders are very fluid, like that in Europe perhaps? You can’t take a train from Ahmedabad in India to Quetta in Pakistan without crossing one of the, if not the most fenced border in the world (the only train service between India and Pakistan is between New Delhi and Lahore by the way). Also southern Mumbai does not have any hinterland, the only place you go is the Arabian Sea. You don’t and can’t have Pakistani policemen on a train to Mumbai and certainly no Pakistani men in a plane in an area which is a rural hinterland of Mumbai.

Very disappointed with this book though I loved the previous books in this series

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fine finale to the series ... or is it? This was an improvement on the previous 2 books but I felt a few of the plot twists were just a bit too convenient to be believable. I can’t see much more mileage in these characters but the door looks like it has been left open for more. Personally if anymore were written I would probably read them just for the sake of completeness but I’d happy if this was the end of the series as I feel it’s run it’s course.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

huh

I admittedly read the prior book in this series years ago and finally picked this one up.
It was all over the place and the plot was convoluted.
England, Paris, India, the US, Afghanistan. And it never answered who the messiah in the East is, the scroll everyone was looking for never got explained except for the Messiah part.
I think Mr Christopher was like me and forgot about his other books in the series and added plot lines for the sake of plot lines

[Gary Spiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick moving action and suspense that takes you around the world.

Quick moving action and suspense that takes you around the world. Enjoyed the close calls and detailed artifacts of Paul’s writing style. The story kept a nice pace, keeping the pages turning. Yes, I recommend the Secret of the Templar to anyone who enjoyed Dan Brown’s Devinci Code.

[Dick Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This culminates the story.

After nine books the story is clear. I have enjoyed all of these books and the characters that are used in them. Some characters have not made it and that has interrupted the story line. You always want the good guys to triumph. I hope the author will develop new sagas to enjoy.

[Simon Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, as per previous book, hurried characterisation and a lot chucked in in too small a space...but this was still an entertaining read. This isn't prize-winning literature, this is just light entertainment...but very enjoyable as such.

[Sandra Casile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a story.

There was nothing but suspense through the whole book. Nothing but corruption in every walk of life. As we go through life you get a feeling that is a bunch of lies. Well that is what the author did do. Fantastic read.

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad book at times. But another very good read.

[Yadunandan Bhat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast paced trash!

[Fiona Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** If you like Dan Brown you will like this book. I

[Milton Fulghum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every book in the series seems to have minor errors. One this book was stating that USA entered WWII in December 1942 when it was actually 1941.

[Seldina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things come full circle more so than usual, but once again a Holliday- Templar book ends with a lead-in for the next book, which has yet to be published, going on 6 years as of this posting.

[Jesyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this last volume rather disappointing. The whole resolution of the plot goes much too fast especially after 9 volumes. Although the epilogue hints at a sequel, nothing has been published yet.

[David Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent continuation of the Templar series. There were so many twists and turns throughout the story. The author definitely kept you on your toes wondering what the next revelation would be.

[Billy Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this was going to be a good read . What initially drew me to this book was the cover and that it was about the Templars.
Sadly this book has been a rather dull read ,

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book very rich on action, very thin on an actual plot. It certainly didn’t help to read the 9th entry in a series as a first novel.

Not a book I would recommend to anybody

[Steve Loftus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Paul Christopher book

[Claire Smith-Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns

[Mike Marusa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adventure

A thoroughly well traveled plot with great characters
The author makes it difficult to put down a times because of the world wide story map.

[Harvey Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bunch of folks got hooked on Paul Christopher's Templar series a few volumes back, and the pseudonymed, mysterious author has kept us all on his leash for quite a while now as we follow the exploits of ex-Ranger and West Point prof Lt. Col. John 'Doc' Holliday, probably the most shot-at man to ever walk the earth. The last couple of books have had their own tragedies, and the newest edition, 'Secret of the Templars', is no exception. Won't say what. You'll have to read it. But Holliday does pick up a new ally in 'Secret' who's fairly entertaining and capable in his own right. In addition to the Templar lore (which has nearly played out, it would seem), this one involves a massive Nazi art theft involving world leaders and the Vatican, plus everybody's hankering for that lost Dead Sea Scroll our hero's been carting around a while. You know, the one that could bring the Catholic Church (and Christianity in general) to its knees, metaphorically speaking? Christopher's books are definitely action-packed - sometimes to ridiculous extremes - and enjoyable enough. Surprised some movie studio hasn't grabbed the storyline up in this megaviolence-prone cinematic age, actually. Christopher fans will lap 'Secrets of the Templars' up, others would be advised to go all the way back to 'Michaelangelo's Notebook' to get a working knowledge of the tale (though there is a flashback of sorts at the end of this book).

[Paula Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doc Holliday (John) is determined to avenge the death of his cousin and her husband and complete their work of finding a lost Dead Sea Scroll. Unfortunately, he has the misfortune to anger many different group. He stumbles across an art forgery scheme that links the Vatican to the art stolen by the Nazis.

He along with and Interpol agent, Peter, are being hunted by the CIA, British Secret Service and the Vatican. Members of all of these groups are involved with the Nazis and the forgeries.

I love this series but did struggle with this one... not because of the writing. As a Catholic, I was bothered by the implication that the current Holy Father, was involved with any Vatican corruption. I am a realist. There has been Popes and other members of the Vatican involved in shady deals. I can't accept the idea that this current Pope, who is bent on ending corruption, would be involved. I also found the phrase "the Argentinian" in reference to Pope Francis offensive. Paul Christopher did slightly redeem himself towards the end when he had Pope Francis being shocked when confronted by the stolen art issue.