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Chase Baker #1
The Shroud Key
WINNER: BEST "POTBOILER" NOVEL for 2013 by CrimeFictionBook Blog: Chase Baker is a true Renaissance Man. He's also a man who knows how to find trouble. A part-time resident of Florence, Italy, his resume reads like a modern day Da Vinci or Casanova. Writer, private investigator, tour guide, historian, treasure hunter, adventurer, and even archaeological sandhog, Chase is also a prolific lover. Unfortunately for him, his dangerous liaisons all too often make him the target of a jealous husband. Now, at the direct request of the Florence police, he finds himself on the trail of an archaeologist by the name of Dr. Andre Manion who's gone missing from his teaching post at the American University. But having worked for the archaeologist several years ago as a sandhog on a secret but failed dig just outside the Great Pyramids in the Giza Plateau, Chase smells a renewed opportunity to uncover what just might be the most prized archaeological treasure in the world: The mortal remains of Jesus. But how will Chase Baker go about finding both the archaeologist and the Jesus Remains? With the help of Manion's beautiful ex-wife, Chase will manage to secure an up-close and personal examination of the Shroud of Turin, not only to view the famous image of the crucified Christ, but to unlock the relic's greatest secret which is none other than a map, or a key, detailing the precise location of Jesus's body.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
548 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Zandri
224 books576 followers"Vincent Zandri is one of the most acclaimed thriller writers working today!" --Publishers Weekly
“Zandri (is) a veteran wordsmith who executes quality and quantity at superlative levels.” --Book Reporter
"The story of Vincent Zandri is the story of our times."
--Business Insider
"Vincent Zandri hails from the future."
--The New York Times
“Sensational . . . masterful . . . brilliant.”
--New York Post
"...big time author..."
--Digital Journal
Considered one of the most prolific writers of his generation, Vincent Zandri is the winner of the 2015 PWA Shamus Award and the 2015 ITW Thriller Award, both for MOONLIGHT WEEPS in the Best Original Paperback category. He is also the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and AMAZON KINDLE OVERALL NO.1 bestselling author of hundreds of novels, novellas, and stories, including THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT WEEPS, THE EMBALMER, THE SHROUD KEY and QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. His list of domestic publishers includes Delacorte, Dell, Down & Out Books, Thomas & Mercer, Blackstone Audio, Tantor Media, and more. He is also the CEO of Bear Media. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, his work is translated in the Dutch, Russian, French, Italian, and Japanese. Having sold over 1 million editions of his books, Zandri has been the subject of major features by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Business Insider. He has also made appearances on Bloomberg TV and the FOX News network. In December 2014, Suspense Magazine named Zandri's, THE SHROUD KEY, as one of the "Best Books of 2014." Suspense Magazine selected WHEN SHADOWS COME as one of the "Best Books of 2016". He was also a finalist for the 2019 Derringer Award for Best Novelette. A freelance photojournalist, freelance writer, and the host of the popular YouTube Podcast, "The Writer's Life," Zandri has written for Strategy Magazine, RT, Living Ready Magazine, New York Newsday, Hudson Valley Magazine, The Times Union (Albany), Game & Fish Magazine, CrimeReads, Altcoin Magazine, The Jerusalem Post (ghost), Market Business News (ghost), Duke University (ghost), Colgate University (ghost), New York University (ghost), The Rice University Gazette (ghost), Yale University (ghost), Digital Journal (ghost), and many more. An Active Member of ITW, he lives in New York and Florence, Italy. For more go to WWW.VINZANDRI.COM
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
September 16, 2013
In The Shroud Key, thriller writer/sandhog/treasure hunter/private investigator (more about all those slashes later) Chase Baker is on the hunt for the physical bones of Jesus Christ. Or, more accurately, he's looking for a missing archeologist whom was kidnapped to find the bones. The key to finding both is encoded on the Shroud of Turin. Baker heads to an Egypt still adjusting to an Islamic revolution and gets to work.
Without reading anything more than the previous paragraph, readers will inevitably be making mental comparisons between The Shroud Key and The Da Vinci Code. That's only apropos; Dan Brown put this sub-genre on the map with Code.
But don't be dismissive of The Shroud Key given how close it hovers to Code on the bookshelf. The Shroud Key is worth the read for three reasons.
First, there's a hammy hubris to Dan Brown's writing that turns some readers off. There are no knowing winks. No sardonic nudges. Nothing to indicate Brown is rolling his eyes along with readers. Thankfully, that's all missing in The Shroud Key. Author Vincent Zandri knows what this is: a slice of alternative history served on a plate of gun battles, car chases, wise cracks, booby traps and explosions, with a cold beer to wash it all down.
Second, the hunt for the bones of Jesus is a compelling mystery anyway. The theory goes that Jesus actually survived crucifiction by swapping in someone else to die on the cross. Finding the mortal remains of Jesus would prove the Resurrection, the singular event at the heart of Christianity, never happened. Zandri wraps the mystery of The Shroud Key around this theory. But he doesn't overwhelm the reader with minutae. He pokes at the theory just enough to compel readers to Google images of the Shroud of Turin as they work through The Shroud Key.
Third, Zandri did his research. Against the advice of the U.S. State Department, he traveled to Egpyt while the Muslim Brotherhood was in power. The experience clearly shows through in the writing. While Zandri gives the reader plenty of thrills and spills to hold attention into the next chapter, he also inserts details that give The Shroud Key a real sense of place. Egypt, both past and present, are on full display, as is Zandri's journalistic tone.
So it should be obvious where the character of Chase Baker originated. Baker is Zandri. Both commute between New York and Italy. Both write best-selling thrillers. Both spent time exploring Egypt. And both wear bush jackets in the field.
I know that because Zandri wrote an article about staying safe overseas for the magazine I work for full-time, Living Ready. He's since contributed to Living Ready in many other ways. I mention it here to drive home the point that Zandri's skills as a journalist benefit The Shroud Key. It would've been easy for a plot hinging on a complicated religious history theory set against the complexities of post-revolutionary Egypt to cannibalize readers' attention spans. But as any good journalist knows, the solution is to boil complex issues into simple, digestible pieces.
That's why The Shroud Key works. At its core, it's a treatise on the destabilizing effects that political chaos in Egypt is bringing to its priceless antiquities. But on its surface, it's an entertaining read with all the bells and whistles readers expect from a thriller.
Dan Brown should take note. This is how to do it right.
Without reading anything more than the previous paragraph, readers will inevitably be making mental comparisons between The Shroud Key and The Da Vinci Code. That's only apropos; Dan Brown put this sub-genre on the map with Code.
But don't be dismissive of The Shroud Key given how close it hovers to Code on the bookshelf. The Shroud Key is worth the read for three reasons.
First, there's a hammy hubris to Dan Brown's writing that turns some readers off. There are no knowing winks. No sardonic nudges. Nothing to indicate Brown is rolling his eyes along with readers. Thankfully, that's all missing in The Shroud Key. Author Vincent Zandri knows what this is: a slice of alternative history served on a plate of gun battles, car chases, wise cracks, booby traps and explosions, with a cold beer to wash it all down.
Second, the hunt for the bones of Jesus is a compelling mystery anyway. The theory goes that Jesus actually survived crucifiction by swapping in someone else to die on the cross. Finding the mortal remains of Jesus would prove the Resurrection, the singular event at the heart of Christianity, never happened. Zandri wraps the mystery of The Shroud Key around this theory. But he doesn't overwhelm the reader with minutae. He pokes at the theory just enough to compel readers to Google images of the Shroud of Turin as they work through The Shroud Key.
Third, Zandri did his research. Against the advice of the U.S. State Department, he traveled to Egpyt while the Muslim Brotherhood was in power. The experience clearly shows through in the writing. While Zandri gives the reader plenty of thrills and spills to hold attention into the next chapter, he also inserts details that give The Shroud Key a real sense of place. Egypt, both past and present, are on full display, as is Zandri's journalistic tone.
So it should be obvious where the character of Chase Baker originated. Baker is Zandri. Both commute between New York and Italy. Both write best-selling thrillers. Both spent time exploring Egypt. And both wear bush jackets in the field.
I know that because Zandri wrote an article about staying safe overseas for the magazine I work for full-time, Living Ready. He's since contributed to Living Ready in many other ways. I mention it here to drive home the point that Zandri's skills as a journalist benefit The Shroud Key. It would've been easy for a plot hinging on a complicated religious history theory set against the complexities of post-revolutionary Egypt to cannibalize readers' attention spans. But as any good journalist knows, the solution is to boil complex issues into simple, digestible pieces.
That's why The Shroud Key works. At its core, it's a treatise on the destabilizing effects that political chaos in Egypt is bringing to its priceless antiquities. But on its surface, it's an entertaining read with all the bells and whistles readers expect from a thriller.
Dan Brown should take note. This is how to do it right.
January 20, 2015
Rubbish! Purchased ASIN: B00EZABN8E ** from amazon and I swear that there was no editing involved in this book. It went quickly from 1 typo a page to multiple errors on every page. Misspelled words, missing words, repeated words (which made no sense as written), multiple tenses used in one sentence (again making no sense) and just about anything and everything else you can think of. So much so that it became a distraction. I finally gave up about half way through and can only say "kept your money and save save you times!" :)
** I included the ASIN number so that if a different version is available and you want to attempt reading this to see if there's something to all the good reviews this book has gotten, you have that option.
** I included the ASIN number so that if a different version is available and you want to attempt reading this to see if there's something to all the good reviews this book has gotten, you have that option.
September 3, 2014
For a cookie cutter adventure story it held my interest. It was well crafted and moved along nicely enough. I have to disagree with the readers that compare it to Dan Brown's work. I can see Dan writing on this subject but his work would contain LOTS more trivia and that's what makes his work interesting to me.
November 8, 2014
Well, it's short. And the plot moves quickly. That's about all I can say The Shroud Key has going for it. First, this book was riddled with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and missing words (especially articles and prepositions). It did not appear to be edited at all, which was annoying but aside from that the writing made me stop and laugh constantly. For example: "...I know it's only a matter of seconds before myself and this hairless man and I are made to stand down." Hmmmm, is he referring to two or three people here? At another point, a character is "shooting a round into the old ceiling-mounted Casablanca fan that hangs from the ceiling." The dialogue was just as bad; here's a typical example: (upon a secret passage being revealed) "My God," Anya states, her wide eyes glued to the moving rock. "Exactly," I say. The main character doesn't solve a mystery so much as read something that tells him exactly where to go for all to be revealed.
The glowing reviews made me think this would be a thrill ride, but The Shroud Key bears no resemblance to Indiana Jones or Dan Brown's books as many claim. Suggest it be avoided.
The glowing reviews made me think this would be a thrill ride, but The Shroud Key bears no resemblance to Indiana Jones or Dan Brown's books as many claim. Suggest it be avoided.
November 24, 2017
This was an easy read. It is a mystery that surrounds the Shroud of Turin. There were quite a few grammatical errors in the book. I thought some of the characters were "weak" but it was a good read and had a good twist at the end.
July 15, 2024
An action-packed adventure for the mortal remains of Christ.
4 stars...barely.
Chase is hired by the ex-wife of his former coworker who has been kidnapped while seeking the true burial tomb of Jesus in Egypt. He is also persuaded to travel to Egypt by an Inspector of the Italian police to see if the actual remains exist. With a huge amount of money at stake, not to mention the immense religious ramifications and a beautiful woman to accompany him, he begins his journey.
But first Chase must gather clues as to the possible location of Christ's final resting place. This takes him to the city of Turin to view the presumed burial shroud of Jesus.
With more action and betrayals that keeps the reader flipping the pages, Chase and the missing man's ex-wife embark on a heart- pounding adventure that takes the reader from Florence to Turin to Cairo to the pyramids of Giza to New York state in a quest to answer the question, "Do the actual physical bones of Jesus truly exist?"
With amazing world building, witty dialogue and characters that are both well fleshed out as well as devious, this book has it all. One minor flaw that prevented me from rating this higher was, as usual, editing mistakes. Missing words and grammatical errors seemed to turn up at the worst times. Otherwise, this book was an amazing and interesting read, as well as a great beginning to the Chase Baker series.
4 stars...barely.
Chase is hired by the ex-wife of his former coworker who has been kidnapped while seeking the true burial tomb of Jesus in Egypt. He is also persuaded to travel to Egypt by an Inspector of the Italian police to see if the actual remains exist. With a huge amount of money at stake, not to mention the immense religious ramifications and a beautiful woman to accompany him, he begins his journey.
But first Chase must gather clues as to the possible location of Christ's final resting place. This takes him to the city of Turin to view the presumed burial shroud of Jesus.
With more action and betrayals that keeps the reader flipping the pages, Chase and the missing man's ex-wife embark on a heart- pounding adventure that takes the reader from Florence to Turin to Cairo to the pyramids of Giza to New York state in a quest to answer the question, "Do the actual physical bones of Jesus truly exist?"
With amazing world building, witty dialogue and characters that are both well fleshed out as well as devious, this book has it all. One minor flaw that prevented me from rating this higher was, as usual, editing mistakes. Missing words and grammatical errors seemed to turn up at the worst times. Otherwise, this book was an amazing and interesting read, as well as a great beginning to the Chase Baker series.
December 18, 2019
I'm always hesitant in being critical of authors' books as I can only imagine how much effort has gone into writing them.
However, I have no idea how this book was considered as one of the best of 2014, albeit by Suspense magazine (never heard of them). Or won the Potboiler prize in 2013.
It is not so much the storyline that was bad. It is what appealed to me in the first place. I love adventure stories. I have read all Andy MacDermott, Preston and Child and even Matthew Reilly's books. It was the terrible prose, especially the dialogue that irritated me. I'm not sure who the target audience is as there was a rather graphic sex scene in the book, but the general writing style lead me to believe that young teenagers were the target audience. There was absolutely no depth in the story and the pace was all over the show.
The author clearly tried to establish the protagonist, Chase Baker, as a "true Renaissance man". I lost count as to how many times this was mentioned, especially in the first half of the book. Even the main female character constantly called him "Ren Man". It sounded childish and pathetic. As a matter of fact, the only words that is probably used more in the book than "Ren Man" and sandhog, are the word "a" and "the".
Oh, I forgot to mention, the author deemed it necessary to remind us on untold number of occasions that not only is Chase Baker a "Ren Man", but a sandhog too. I get it, truly I get it: Chase Baker is a true Renaissance man AND a sandhog! For me Chase Baker is vanilla, bland, without any personality and comes across as a stupid strongman. Not a clever archaeologist.
How reviews can mention this book in the same breath of those by Clive Cussler, Dan Brown and others is beyond me.
But it gets worse. I spent my hard-earned credit on a trilogy of Chase Baker books at Audible. So yeah, the joke is on me. And I'm not a person not to finish a book. Now I have to listen to another two books waiting for next month's credit. I console myself that it probably can't get worse and that maybe being a first book in a series, it does get better as the author developed his writing style over time. I can only hope that Book 2 in the series will remind me that Chase Baker is a "true Renaissance man" and a "sandhog", least I forget.
However, I have no idea how this book was considered as one of the best of 2014, albeit by Suspense magazine (never heard of them). Or won the Potboiler prize in 2013.
It is not so much the storyline that was bad. It is what appealed to me in the first place. I love adventure stories. I have read all Andy MacDermott, Preston and Child and even Matthew Reilly's books. It was the terrible prose, especially the dialogue that irritated me. I'm not sure who the target audience is as there was a rather graphic sex scene in the book, but the general writing style lead me to believe that young teenagers were the target audience. There was absolutely no depth in the story and the pace was all over the show.
The author clearly tried to establish the protagonist, Chase Baker, as a "true Renaissance man". I lost count as to how many times this was mentioned, especially in the first half of the book. Even the main female character constantly called him "Ren Man". It sounded childish and pathetic. As a matter of fact, the only words that is probably used more in the book than "Ren Man" and sandhog, are the word "a" and "the".
Oh, I forgot to mention, the author deemed it necessary to remind us on untold number of occasions that not only is Chase Baker a "Ren Man", but a sandhog too. I get it, truly I get it: Chase Baker is a true Renaissance man AND a sandhog! For me Chase Baker is vanilla, bland, without any personality and comes across as a stupid strongman. Not a clever archaeologist.
How reviews can mention this book in the same breath of those by Clive Cussler, Dan Brown and others is beyond me.
But it gets worse. I spent my hard-earned credit on a trilogy of Chase Baker books at Audible. So yeah, the joke is on me. And I'm not a person not to finish a book. Now I have to listen to another two books waiting for next month's credit. I console myself that it probably can't get worse and that maybe being a first book in a series, it does get better as the author developed his writing style over time. I can only hope that Book 2 in the series will remind me that Chase Baker is a "true Renaissance man" and a "sandhog", least I forget.
March 18, 2018
The Shroud Key - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Chase Baker is a younger version of Indiana Jones, but he takes on the role of PI for a new client, the wife of his one-time Biblical archaeologist employer Andre Mannion. Anya's desperate to find her husband who's gone missing in Egypt, having left her and his teaching job at the American University, in Italy without warning. Like Chase, Mannion was looking for the hiding-place of Jesus' mortal remains, only now it seems someone else has the same agenda!
Who else's remains had Mannion discovered previously? What do Chase and Anya go to see in Italy?
What link does this object give to the Great Pyramids of Giza? How do they escape the ambush?
When does Chase use his ancient broken mirror? Where does it lead him and the Mannions?
Who is Detective Frederico Cipriani? Why is he involved in the quest for Jesus' remains?
This thrilling homage to Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, by Master Adventure-Writer Vincent Zandri, is the first in the Chase Baker series that is sure to satisfy every fan of epic adventures, intrepid heroes saving the day against evil villains and Indiana Jones-type tales of derring-do. The reader is led through this intelligent page-turner that holds you in its spell until the very last page - a real winner!
Chase Baker is a younger version of Indiana Jones, but he takes on the role of PI for a new client, the wife of his one-time Biblical archaeologist employer Andre Mannion. Anya's desperate to find her husband who's gone missing in Egypt, having left her and his teaching job at the American University, in Italy without warning. Like Chase, Mannion was looking for the hiding-place of Jesus' mortal remains, only now it seems someone else has the same agenda!
Who else's remains had Mannion discovered previously? What do Chase and Anya go to see in Italy?
What link does this object give to the Great Pyramids of Giza? How do they escape the ambush?
When does Chase use his ancient broken mirror? Where does it lead him and the Mannions?
Who is Detective Frederico Cipriani? Why is he involved in the quest for Jesus' remains?
This thrilling homage to Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, by Master Adventure-Writer Vincent Zandri, is the first in the Chase Baker series that is sure to satisfy every fan of epic adventures, intrepid heroes saving the day against evil villains and Indiana Jones-type tales of derring-do. The reader is led through this intelligent page-turner that holds you in its spell until the very last page - a real winner!
September 18, 2015
Contrived. Cookie-cutter characterization. And, slightly unbelievable. The protagonist is a sex feign, a deadbeat dad, and an absent father. I didn't really care much about Chase Baker anymore. Poorly written. Held at gunpoint every corner Baker turns. One minute he is held at gunpoint on a train, the next he is on the platform of the train with no description of his escape. Two minutes later he is french-kissing his disguised nun friend Anya on the stairs of another train to Turin. Just plain stupid. Moving on.
June 28, 2018
Chase Baker is a multi-faceted man, X-soldier, author, sand hog, adventurer, tour guide in Venice and divorced father of a young daughter. He is also ab bitof a ladies man and when he confronted by the husband of a couple he was guiding after she had appeared at his flat the night before, he ends up again in the clutches of the police. He is will acquainted with the chief and is offered jail or helping the x wife of an archeologist who has gone missing. Without much choice, he agrees and is soon dodging various attempts on both his and his employers life as the track down the husband and search for clues to the buried bones of Jesus. (Yep, another Bible based action adventure book) The expected chases, close calls and mixed results ensue as the scene shifts from Italy to Egypt. A fair read to pass the time and escape from the current real life disasters.
April 8, 2018
Unbelievable story that kept me reading until the very end. Chase Baker is looking for the archeologist that was kidnaped. Such a fast paced story that has you gripped.
May 20, 2015
I'm having a difficult time rating this book. I felt it was a mediocre read with 3 points of brilliance, the final being that conundrum. The first bright point was a little past the half-way mark, It was an action sequence that had me on the edge of my seat. The second was near the end of the book, exceptionally well written...and then...at the crucial moment he uses the word "sick" in lieu of the command word "sic". Now I know "sick" is allowed as a second spelling, grudgingly, and I know I'm being a wee bit anal, but a writer should know. He's suppose to be a wordsmith. While it didn't ruin it for me, it tried to tug me out of total immersion and THAT annoyed me. I knew what was going to happen, it was no surprise to me, in fact, I was waiting for it... that perfect pause and then..."sick...". Did he just write "sick"?? Ah crap!
Other than the powerful ending, I felt this read was fun at times, predictable at others, The character development was shaky and cartoon-ish, just this side of cliche, but I like a good chartoon. In under 300 pages it's hard to flesh-out many characters. There was one inconsistency in the plot when one of the main characters announced never having killed anyone when forty pages prior, that character indeed had. Three paragraphs later, that was confirmed in a back-handed way.
The conundrum here is, should a brilliant ending earn 3 or 4 stars when the rest of the book, except for two other places, was a 2-star "meh... it was okay"? I give it 3 stars and let you figure it out for yourself.
The author seriously needs to find a proofreader...seriously. An editor might help as well, but sheesh! typos, confusing grammar, and the occasional very strange sentence where I think he was planning to say it one way and then ends it another, forgetting what he had previously written. The author would probably have done himself a huge favor and done more Biblical and archeological research.
Other than the powerful ending, I felt this read was fun at times, predictable at others, The character development was shaky and cartoon-ish, just this side of cliche, but I like a good chartoon. In under 300 pages it's hard to flesh-out many characters. There was one inconsistency in the plot when one of the main characters announced never having killed anyone when forty pages prior, that character indeed had. Three paragraphs later, that was confirmed in a back-handed way.
The conundrum here is, should a brilliant ending earn 3 or 4 stars when the rest of the book, except for two other places, was a 2-star "meh... it was okay"? I give it 3 stars and let you figure it out for yourself.
The author seriously needs to find a proofreader...seriously. An editor might help as well, but sheesh! typos, confusing grammar, and the occasional very strange sentence where I think he was planning to say it one way and then ends it another, forgetting what he had previously written. The author would probably have done himself a huge favor and done more Biblical and archeological research.
January 20, 2014
Vincent Zandri has created the character of Chase Baker, who is somewhere between Robert Langdon and Indiana Jones. In doing so he has created his latest novel which is his best yet. The action moves from Florence, to the Vatican City, to the pyramids of Egypt on a search for a historic artefact that neither Langdon nor Jones could even dream about.
The Shroud Key is a page turner, as is common to Vincent Zandri’s other novels the pace is relentless. The short punchy chapters move you onwards with a feeling of breathlessness akin to the fastest action movie. The descriptions are vivid, and as the reader you feel as if you’re right there in the thick of the story. The other characters are all believable, and there is no way of telling just how the story is going to play out until the last page. The reader is kept guessing, as the plot turns, and there are surprises along the way, including a couple that I didn’t see coming.
The use of historical facts and modern situations make for a very believable tale, blending facts and the fictional story telling of the author seamlessly over the pages. This is done in such a way that you’re never quite sure whether fact stops and the imagination of the author takes over, and because the story is moving so fast, there’s never time to think about it because you’ll be too busy turning the pages to find out what happens next.
I’m expecting more of Chase Baker and could see him developing into a strong series character. If not this novel works well as a stand-alone.
The Shroud Key is a page turner, as is common to Vincent Zandri’s other novels the pace is relentless. The short punchy chapters move you onwards with a feeling of breathlessness akin to the fastest action movie. The descriptions are vivid, and as the reader you feel as if you’re right there in the thick of the story. The other characters are all believable, and there is no way of telling just how the story is going to play out until the last page. The reader is kept guessing, as the plot turns, and there are surprises along the way, including a couple that I didn’t see coming.
The use of historical facts and modern situations make for a very believable tale, blending facts and the fictional story telling of the author seamlessly over the pages. This is done in such a way that you’re never quite sure whether fact stops and the imagination of the author takes over, and because the story is moving so fast, there’s never time to think about it because you’ll be too busy turning the pages to find out what happens next.
I’m expecting more of Chase Baker and could see him developing into a strong series character. If not this novel works well as a stand-alone.
December 10, 2013
Chase Baker is exactly what he appears to be… a womanizing, ‘Indiana Jones’, without the degrees, who thrives on adventure and excitement. Add one damsel in distress, a missing professor, and a mysterious set of bones, and you have one more thrilling read from the masterful pen of International Best Selling author, Vincent Zandri.
The beautiful ex-wife of Chase’s former partner, Professor Andre Manion, enlists his aid in finding the kidnapped professor. Chase discovers that the professor could have vital information as to the location of the most important archeological discovery of modern times… the bones of Jesus Christ. He sets off on a search to recover the professor and locate the bones, before someone beats him to it or kills him first.
Zandri has brought back that wonderful ‘quest’ story that keeps the reader alert and pinging with anticipation from beginning to end. His ‘Chase Baker’ character is cocky, smart, and multi-talented, but with that brotherly quality that reminds you of a best friend in school. These are the types of characters we remember and follow, and Zandri does them with flair, along with non-stop action and a surprise ending. What thriller reader could not love that?
THE SHROUD KEY is well worth every minute.
DJ Weaver
The beautiful ex-wife of Chase’s former partner, Professor Andre Manion, enlists his aid in finding the kidnapped professor. Chase discovers that the professor could have vital information as to the location of the most important archeological discovery of modern times… the bones of Jesus Christ. He sets off on a search to recover the professor and locate the bones, before someone beats him to it or kills him first.
Zandri has brought back that wonderful ‘quest’ story that keeps the reader alert and pinging with anticipation from beginning to end. His ‘Chase Baker’ character is cocky, smart, and multi-talented, but with that brotherly quality that reminds you of a best friend in school. These are the types of characters we remember and follow, and Zandri does them with flair, along with non-stop action and a surprise ending. What thriller reader could not love that?
THE SHROUD KEY is well worth every minute.
DJ Weaver
March 4, 2014
The Shroud Key is kind of a departure for Vincent Zandri, who, although he's a versatile writer, is more widely known for his dark crime fiction. This one, though, is a straight up, Indiana Jones-style adventure story, and Zandri pulls it off very nicely. His hero,Chase Baker, is an author, tour guide in Italy, and incurable ladies man who gets drawn into a hunt for that most fabled of Biblical archaeological relics-- the bones of Jesus himself.
Dan Brown territory, you might be thinking. Maybe so, but Zandri is a much stronger writer than Brown, and he also has a sense of humor. Although the stakes are high in The Shroud Key, I got a nice sense that Zandri was grinning the entire time he was writing it, that he was having a blast.
Chase Baker is a rogue, and a bit of a scoundrel-- he has a fondness for other men's wives, for instance-- and at first you probably won't be sure if you like him. But as the novel moves along at its breakneck clip, more facets of Chase's personality emerge, and you realize there's more to him than what initially meet the eye. He's a flawed but ultimately decent hero. I'm looking forward to his next adventure.
Dan Brown territory, you might be thinking. Maybe so, but Zandri is a much stronger writer than Brown, and he also has a sense of humor. Although the stakes are high in The Shroud Key, I got a nice sense that Zandri was grinning the entire time he was writing it, that he was having a blast.
Chase Baker is a rogue, and a bit of a scoundrel-- he has a fondness for other men's wives, for instance-- and at first you probably won't be sure if you like him. But as the novel moves along at its breakneck clip, more facets of Chase's personality emerge, and you realize there's more to him than what initially meet the eye. He's a flawed but ultimately decent hero. I'm looking forward to his next adventure.
January 16, 2014
The Shroud Key by Vincent Zandri is an action pacted religious thriller. Chase Baker is once again on the hunt for the Bones of Christ. Not only is on the hunt for Christ's bones but he needs to rescue his mentor, Andre Manion, who has been kidnapped by the Muslim Brotherhood to find the bones of Christ.
The key to where the Vatican buried the bones was found in the Shroud of Turin.
Chase is a character, a womanizer and an excellent treasure hunter. He will live another day to continue his search.
Great book.
The key to where the Vatican buried the bones was found in the Shroud of Turin.
Chase is a character, a womanizer and an excellent treasure hunter. He will live another day to continue his search.
Great book.
September 10, 2013
To read anything by Vincent Zandri is to be entertained from the get-go. Chase Baker is a charming addition to Zandri's stable of cocky leads with whom anyone would want to share a drink. Filled with locations and cultural flavor described so well you feel you are there, the story will keep you hanging on tight to the very end.
January 30, 2015
Action-packed and another great read from Mr. Zandri that does not disappoint. Plenty of surprises throughout, and every late-night minute you're up is worth getting to the end. No matter your walk of faith or religion, anyone can appreciate this story. And personally, I loved the 'hero' at the end.
June 20, 2020
No bones about it
Christianity is based on the corporeal resurrection of Christ, not just his soul. No one was left in the crypt, therefore there would be no bones, crucified or not. Chase is chasing a fools errand. And it's really boring.
Christianity is based on the corporeal resurrection of Christ, not just his soul. No one was left in the crypt, therefore there would be no bones, crucified or not. Chase is chasing a fools errand. And it's really boring.
January 1, 2016
This was just not what I expected. The idea behind the plot was good but the writing was just blah. Far better books with similar plots out there.
January 13, 2017
I just really disliked the main character. He was so annoying that I just could not get into the story, which was actually pretty interesting, but very slow in the beginning. Gave up about 35% in...
December 10, 2017
Typical of a book denying the divinity of Jesus and denying his resurrection, the Vatican is the enemy and the lie is the truth. Waste of time. Not unlike a Dan Brown book.
July 5, 2017
I wasn't quite sure how I would feel if the mortal remains of Jesus truly existed. This was quite the action/adventure story!
Consider the consequences of finding the actual bones of Jesus. Would He be young, as He was when He was crucified? What if His bones or mummy proved that He somehow avoided crucifixion, and lived to a ripe old age with brothers, a wife and children, and grandchildren? Would our salvation obtained by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ be forfeited? Would everlasting life and the promise of life in Heaven still hold true? Perhaps if the bones were found, it would only negate the resurrection of J his entire body, but that His Spirit ascended to Heaven, and sits upon the right side of the Father, waiting to pass judgement on our souls when we die.
It's a bit oversimplified, but when I was a child, I asked my Dad if Santa Claus was real, or simply a fairytale perpetuated by our parents. My Dad sat me down and asked me if Santa Claus were a myth, would their magic of him bed diminished, or would I still believe in something bigger than myself, and take it on faith that simply having faith would enable the miracles attributed to Santa Claus ever year. And if I ceased to believe, would Christmas miracles and presents be forfeited? I seriously contemplated my Dad's words for a while, trying to decide what was truth, and what was fiction. No matter what I believed in, the miracles for children around the world continued. For them, there was no doubt that Santa did indeed exist. Perhaps the belief was only an ingrained fairytale--in spirit only, but for most kids, they believed in the real Santa, and and had faith in the miracles of Christmas and Santa Claus, and his loving, caring, generosity. And that belief was enough to make Santa real whether as a spirit, for magical being. That's when I decided that in some way, shape, or form, Santa most assuredly existed, and that he didn't have to be seen, or touched to be real and perform miracles.
I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and whether His remains turn up someday or not, He exists, He's real, and He secured mankind a place in Heaven for His followers through His sacrifices and His Love for mankind. It's our belief in God and. Jesus, Mary, an Joseph that make them real. And if Jesus Christ did have a female apostle, a wife, and children, it won't matter, because He existed, He performed miracles, and ensured our entry into the Heaven of God, through His sacrifices for us. It's our faith in Jesus Christ that is responsible for our salvation, no matter what.
Consider the consequences of finding the actual bones of Jesus. Would He be young, as He was when He was crucified? What if His bones or mummy proved that He somehow avoided crucifixion, and lived to a ripe old age with brothers, a wife and children, and grandchildren? Would our salvation obtained by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ be forfeited? Would everlasting life and the promise of life in Heaven still hold true? Perhaps if the bones were found, it would only negate the resurrection of J his entire body, but that His Spirit ascended to Heaven, and sits upon the right side of the Father, waiting to pass judgement on our souls when we die.
It's a bit oversimplified, but when I was a child, I asked my Dad if Santa Claus was real, or simply a fairytale perpetuated by our parents. My Dad sat me down and asked me if Santa Claus were a myth, would their magic of him bed diminished, or would I still believe in something bigger than myself, and take it on faith that simply having faith would enable the miracles attributed to Santa Claus ever year. And if I ceased to believe, would Christmas miracles and presents be forfeited? I seriously contemplated my Dad's words for a while, trying to decide what was truth, and what was fiction. No matter what I believed in, the miracles for children around the world continued. For them, there was no doubt that Santa did indeed exist. Perhaps the belief was only an ingrained fairytale--in spirit only, but for most kids, they believed in the real Santa, and and had faith in the miracles of Christmas and Santa Claus, and his loving, caring, generosity. And that belief was enough to make Santa real whether as a spirit, for magical being. That's when I decided that in some way, shape, or form, Santa most assuredly existed, and that he didn't have to be seen, or touched to be real and perform miracles.
I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and whether His remains turn up someday or not, He exists, He's real, and He secured mankind a place in Heaven for His followers through His sacrifices and His Love for mankind. It's our belief in God and. Jesus, Mary, an Joseph that make them real. And if Jesus Christ did have a female apostle, a wife, and children, it won't matter, because He existed, He performed miracles, and ensured our entry into the Heaven of God, through His sacrifices for us. It's our faith in Jesus Christ that is responsible for our salvation, no matter what.
September 5, 2017
All the ingredients for my kind of book – hunting down clues to an archaeological puzzle, a lively and capable “hero” with a propensity for a quick reply or response, serious bad people and plenty of other interested parties to confuse the issue, plus an attractive (what else!) female lead who may not be what she seems to be!
Written in the first person with some lovely twists of humour, I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series. What particularly attracted me in the beginning was the unlikely scenario of Chase having conversations with his dog, and I do mean conversations, even though they all take place in his mind. They are illuminating, giving a good picture of his character and background, informative and amusing.
There is plenty of action as Chase is hired by a local police chief who, as long as Chase helps with a problem that he has, will allow some of Chase’s misdemeanours to go unpunished. All Chase wants is to finish these tasks and then return to New York, particularly to see his daughter. Italy, Egypt and other locations add to the fast pace of the book which has strongly defined characters.
All in all very entertaining, if at times a little silly, but not in such a way as to detract from the overall story. I look forward to my next meeting with the valiant Mr. Baker.
Written in the first person with some lovely twists of humour, I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series. What particularly attracted me in the beginning was the unlikely scenario of Chase having conversations with his dog, and I do mean conversations, even though they all take place in his mind. They are illuminating, giving a good picture of his character and background, informative and amusing.
There is plenty of action as Chase is hired by a local police chief who, as long as Chase helps with a problem that he has, will allow some of Chase’s misdemeanours to go unpunished. All Chase wants is to finish these tasks and then return to New York, particularly to see his daughter. Italy, Egypt and other locations add to the fast pace of the book which has strongly defined characters.
All in all very entertaining, if at times a little silly, but not in such a way as to detract from the overall story. I look forward to my next meeting with the valiant Mr. Baker.
July 14, 2017
A definite roller coaster ride!
This was my first Zanardi book, but won't be my last.
Packed with action and intrigue that had me on the metaphorical edge of my seat throughout. Twists, turns and surprises kept on coming right to the last pages.
Egypt, pyramids, the Shroud of Turin, Florence, and Lulu the dog, this adventure thriller ticked a lot of boxes. Appropriately evil antagonists, likeable protagonists.
An escapist read that was by turns enthralling, fun, and sometimes thought provoking.
Chase Baker is an enjoyable, if cynical, character in a series worth reading. Just don't expect a literary masterpiece, it's well written but is a lightish read.
Excuse me, but I'm off to read the next book in the series, Chase Baker and the Golden Condor and the next and …
This was my first Zanardi book, but won't be my last.
Packed with action and intrigue that had me on the metaphorical edge of my seat throughout. Twists, turns and surprises kept on coming right to the last pages.
Egypt, pyramids, the Shroud of Turin, Florence, and Lulu the dog, this adventure thriller ticked a lot of boxes. Appropriately evil antagonists, likeable protagonists.
An escapist read that was by turns enthralling, fun, and sometimes thought provoking.
Chase Baker is an enjoyable, if cynical, character in a series worth reading. Just don't expect a literary masterpiece, it's well written but is a lightish read.
Excuse me, but I'm off to read the next book in the series, Chase Baker and the Golden Condor and the next and …
June 26, 2023
I wanted something like Indiana Jones, but this is set in modern times and it felt more in line with The Da Vinci Code (although much faster/less detailed). The chapters are very short and it's told in first person, hardboiled style, with a lot of action. The narrator is a detective/archeologist kind of character.
The story is fast and entertaining, but it suffered from the somewhat nonsensical plot (why do the characters act like it would make any sense for the Vatican, if they wanted to hide some relic, to bury it somewhere in Egypt and leave clues around, instead of just hiding it safely in the Vatican itself?). You can also see it's written very hastily, without too much revision (sometimes words were used in a wrong way).
It was a quick, pulpy read, and I finished it, but I did not really love it.
The story is fast and entertaining, but it suffered from the somewhat nonsensical plot (why do the characters act like it would make any sense for the Vatican, if they wanted to hide some relic, to bury it somewhere in Egypt and leave clues around, instead of just hiding it safely in the Vatican itself?). You can also see it's written very hastily, without too much revision (sometimes words were used in a wrong way).
It was a quick, pulpy read, and I finished it, but I did not really love it.
May 1, 2020
This book seems to be a mix of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider & Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series with it's tombs, mysteries and biblical searches. It's adventurous, thrilling and in places had me on the edge of my seat. Plenty of humour and sarcasm along with the excitement. If you can suspend belief for a while and want a fun, action packed read then this fits the bill.
The narrator was pleasant to listen too and did a great job with the character voices and had a good delivery. A shame he pronounced Quay as Kway instead of Kee which jarred a little.
I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this audiobook either from the author or a promotion or giveaway and am voluntarily writing an honest and unbiased review.
The narrator was pleasant to listen too and did a great job with the character voices and had a good delivery. A shame he pronounced Quay as Kway instead of Kee which jarred a little.
I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this audiobook either from the author or a promotion or giveaway and am voluntarily writing an honest and unbiased review.
September 15, 2020
Adventure. Treasure. Danger. This book has all of these, and more. Chase has been living in Italy with his pit bull, but he really is a sandhog, a digger for an archeologist. He also writes books, but he doesn't think of that as his profession. Anya comes to his apartment and hires him to find her ex, an archeologist Chase has worked with before. This starts the adventure. Chase picked up half a mirror when he worked with Andre, Anya's ex, and he makes sure he brings it along on this quest. At every turn, he and Anya are hindered, sometimes shot at, sometimes held prisoner. They run from anywhere to everywhere, stopping to visit the Shroud of Turin along the way to Egypt. This book is a lot of fun! I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
October 1, 2018
This is another of those books I have mixed feelings about. The story isn't bad, although it seemed sort of slight, despite the heavy notion of digging for the bones of Jesus. However, the editing is pretty awful. There were a lot of sentences where words appeared to be missing, and others where the wrong homonym was used. The overall tone is somewhat tongue in cheek, which is fine in its own way, but doesn't seem to fit with the grand adventure which he seems to be trying to write. The ending is better than other parts of the book. The jury is still out on whether I will read any others in this series.
November 15, 2023
The Shroud Key: A Chase Baker Thriller Series, Book 1 , my fourteenth read from author Vincent Zandri. I've been getting books by this author since 2012, since I own both the Kindle & Audible editions of this book I was able to follow along while reading it and since I own a total of 42 books by him I look forward to reading more! This book was filled with twists & turns & things unexpected. I was given an Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I'll definitely be reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
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