The Scrolls of Provence: The Lost History of Christianity and the Secret Order Sworn to Erase It

by J. Kimball

283 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2025

Reviews

[George Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time author, J. Kimball starts off with a smash hit of international intrigue involving academics and religious fanatics chasing after lost scrolls that could change all of Christendom.
If you like Dan Brown this book is for you.

[HeloReads98 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the vein of Dan Brown or Glenn Clover, J. Kimball takes us on a thrilling journey into a conspiracy within the Catholic Church. The premise is fascinating: a secret society serving the Pope and the Church exists to protect the secrets of Christianity. The underlying concept is well-researched, and the “what if” scenario is compelling and works brilliantly.

That said, I was left a little underwhelmed by the execution. On numerous occasions, the narrative spoils itself, revealing what will happen to the characters later on. I found this rather disappointing, as it undermined the suspense.

Additionally, some recurring sentence structures (for example, sequences of three words or adjectives separated by dots) disrupted the rhythm and style, which was otherwise solid. Certain dialogues also felt unnatural, occasionally too long or overly crafted. The letters from Jesus and Mary, in particular, read less like authentic letters and more like conventional narrative.

Despite these issues, the subject matter was fascinating, and the book made for an engaging read. Overall, it’s a gripping and thought-provoking read for anyone fascinated by historical conspiracies and secret societies.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lexi W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I am a Christian and I often think about the way Church history and doctrine were shaped. I’ll definitely be looking in to what was discussed in the book!
A reason I deducted a star is because it felt like there was a lot of time jumping that I didn’t see a need for. It very well could be the setup for the rest of the trilogy, but just a thought. Also, and I’ve seen this in other books as well, when the book describes reading first hand accounts it feels like the author adds more detail than would actually be in there to make the story fit together better.

Overall, I liked it and would continue reading the next book to see where it takes us.

NOTE: I received an advance review copy for free through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you BookSirens and J. Kimball!

[Juliet Centino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a page turner! It is beautifully written, and paints a great picture of the ancient world and current day NYC and Provence.
It was fun getting to know the characters and following them on their twisting turning story!