The Bethlehem Scroll

Brian Sadler Archaeological Mysteries #1

by Bill Thompson

It looked as though stockbroker and amateur archaeologist Brian Sadler had hit the jackpot when he joined Warren Taylor & Currant, Dallas' hottest investment brokerage firm. Then the FBI arrived to investigate the company's ties to the Mob, and Brian had to find a way out. In his last deal at the firm, he raised millions of dollars for Bijan Rarities, a New York dealer in antiquities, then joined the gallery himself.Bijan Rarities' upcoming auction of the sarcophagus of Inkharaton, a pharaoh whose tomb was discovered in 2005, was making headlines worldwide. This amazing tomb was the first intact burial site ever found in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, and held a unique surprise for those who unearthed it.The auction was televised worldwide and catapulted the gallery to new heights as Bijan's name became a household word in the rarities field.In a bizarre turn of events, Brian finds himself owning the gallery and searching for a scroll, written by a young boy, that would put Brian on the map as one of the world's top dealers in antiquities. Knowing he has to raise millions of dollars to buy the artifacts, he finds a solution in a plan outlined by mob boss John Spedino.If you deal with the Mafia, things have to go exactly right. When events begin to unravel, Brian Sadler could lose his gallery . . . and his life.Jetting from Dallas to New York and London, Egypt's Valley of the Kings and the French Riviera, this fast moving archaeological adventure will keep you turning pages to learn the outcome of the world's most important document, The Bethlehem Scroll.

Genres: Adventure

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2009

About the author

If variety is the spice of life, author Bill Thompson’s life so far has been spicy for sure! Over the years, and in no particular order, he’s been

• an international insurance broker
• a mayor
• head of a state prison board
• a stockbroker
• a newspaper reporter
• a Bourbon Street piano player
• a corporate entrepreneur
• presented to Queen Elizabeth
• in jail (briefly … and wrongly!)
• a goat herder
• a church organist and choir member
• a real estate broker
• a world traveler
• president of an animal shelter
• a husband, father and grandfather
• an observer at a knighting in Westminster
• a fluent Russian speaker
• a passenger on the Concorde
• a caregiver
• a lifetime dog lover
• an award-winning novelist

Reviews

[Brandie Lea Slicer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I didn’t understand some of the trading lingo, there could have been less of that for me. However, I think Mr. Thompson did a pretty good job of keeping it basic for us laypeople. I did enjoy reading about the origin of the Babylon Scroll. I’ll definitely read more in the series.

[Juliana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

Three quarters of this book was wasted on establishing the back story of the main character rather than the item in the title. And that was far more than necessary. His love life even less important. The ending was trite and disappointing. And Mr. Thompson, if you read these reviews, coffee was NOT a beverage at the supposed time of Jesus' birth, so no inn keeper would have been serving a Continental breakfast of coffee and pastries to the locals of Bethlehem. A little research goes a long way......

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

Um... Kindle Unlimited so take all with a grain of salt, but this was really not well done. Sparse plot. Plenty of deus ex machina (both literal and figurative).

[Samantha Hehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does trading on Wall Street have anything to do with ancient artifacts?

A boy in ancient bethlehem witnesses something so surreal he writes it down and hides the scroll in a cave.

Brian is a trader looking to move up in the world and make some cash. Unfortunately he gets caught up with a mob boss and barely escapes trouble with the feds and trouble with the mafia. Instead, he gets a promotion which he suspects might be orchestrated by the mob boss, but he also thinks he’s a lucky guy.

Soon he is involved with an antique shop and has a mysteious client wanting a stolen artifact.

This story is great for fans of James Rollins, with the same archeological interests, but with a stock broker twist.

[Anthony Yvonnica · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this was an excellent story with an engaging plot. I really enjoyed it.

But .......

It is very difficult to write, even more difficult to write well. The book read much like an early draft. It was choppy, too fortuitous, too easy .... too unpolished for a final release. The story was great, but the writing was sub-par, though the story was excellent. I will read the next book in the series.

The final ending .... well, that too, while very intriguing, could have been revealed better.

The author has quite an imagination and I want to read all of these books.

[Dave Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my attention till 3:00 AM

This is the first book that I have read by Bill Thompson, but it won't be the last. It held my attention from page 1 to the end. I could not put the book down until I had finished it and ordered the 2nd book in the series. It made for much better reading than my usual post apocalyptic reading. I compare Mr. Thompson's writings favorably with Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series.

[Reading Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable novel about archeology and the process of acquisition

I just finished reading the Bethlehem scroll book written by Bill Thompson. I enjoyed reading it as I am very interested in archaeology. It was well researched and was on a subject speculated about for two thousand years. Thanks for the introduction to your writing, it is the first, but not the last of the books I will read written by this author.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and engaging archaeological mystery that felt like a mix of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code, but with a financial twist. Brian Sadler isn’t your typical hero—he starts out as a stockbroker and finds himself drawn into something much bigger after a chance discovery. The historical layers, especially around the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls, added a sense of depth and grounded the story in real-world intrigue.

[Faith Hignight · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you think this book is about a ‘Bethlehem Scroll’ or about archeology or even about anything remotely resembling any of these things well then you will be sorely disappointed. As was I. It is about a sleazy stock broker who makes consistently bad choices trying to make an easy buck by working with a mobster. If you like that sort of thing then enjoy! I don’t and I didn’t.

[Jacki Beights · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insure of the plot

This book was too devious for me to understand, so many twists and turns, I got lost trying to figure out if any character in the story was honest, ethical, worthy of admiration, anything. Will read another to discover whether I want to read any other books by Thompson. Sorry.

[Satrajit Sanyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts of this book set in Bethlehem were very well written and a fascinating read. But most of the book was about the main character''s rise to wealth through greed and skirting the edges of legality. I found him hard to like. And what a silly ending. If the world wasn't ready for the scroll to be seen, it would never have been found in the first place.

[Lori Slivensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by the book. I had read another book by the author and really liked it. There was very little archaeology in thia story. It was more a bunch of shady money deals done by a morally challenged lead character.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Story

When I first started reading it swept me up. This is a great mystery, but at the heart of it, it is the retelling of The Christmas Story from a humble shepherd boy's point of view. This story is a great thrill ride and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[Sherrie T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Bill Thompson is a master of archaeological mystery. I highly recommend all of his books. I have read several to date, and have not been disappointed. He keeps the story interesting (I don't ever skim over sections, I savor every word).

[Mrs. Lawanta B. Vecchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Archaeological Mysteries especially dealing with Biblical Times. I really enjoyed the Brian Sadler "The Bethlehem Scroll" book. I have downloaded book #2 of this series and look forward to reading it.

[bob ricketson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

I enjoy books that contain historical highlights. I have to say the ending surprised me. Makes me wonder how a second book might develop. Details of the story were nicely intertwined.

[chelsea sykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good Read

For any lover of anything historical mixed in with a little God Father mixed in with a little wonder. This book has it ALL, and will have you on the edge of your seat!

[PIETER · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an interesting plot and story. Well done. However, the central character, Brian Sadler, is less than I would like. He seems morally corruptible and falls into dangers mostly of his own making. The action spans Israel, Egypt, New York and Dallas.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broker, Mob and an ancient scroll

This is an intriguing story about the first hand account of a shepherd boy that met the Baby Jesus and the adventure of a man finding it.

[FRAN MIZE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book

I really couldn't put it down. So many cliff hangers and the possibility of The Bethlehem Scrolls. Lost a lot of sleep on this one and can't wait for the next one.

[Clinton Gann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting series hopefully it will cover lots of different periods.

[Kathleen Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of man's failure to learn

An opportunity of greed, deceit and infidelity.
Mr. Thompson is a wonderful story teller I couldn't put it down. Great!

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

blah

Not what I expected. Barely any archaeological reading and mostly hot sex , and a lot of runaround don’t think I’ll read anymore

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I changed my 4 to a 3 after I thought about it. The ending wasn't as good as his other books. It held my attention in parts of the book, but other parts it wasn't as good.

[Emily Warfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

it had a promising start but took too much time building the back story

[Alison McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun ride!

I study a lot of history so I needed a pleasure book, Bill Thompson has provided that. I was unsure at first but after.4 books I am a fan!