The Last Gospel

Jack Howard #3

by David Gibbins

History is full of secrets. Secrets that have remained hidden for thousands of years. And we have no idea what many of them are. We know they're there, under the ground, at the bottom of the ocean, hidden away, just waiting for someone to unlock them.

Enter Jack Howard, one of the greatest archaeologists of his day, a man who never stops believing, never gives up hope that out there might be the next big discovery. But when he and his best friend Costas are interrupted during a dive off the coast of Sicily that might possibly reveal the final journey of St. Paul, Jack has no idea what lies in store...

Their journey takes them to one of the great lost libraries of antiquity, destroyed by the eruption of Pompeii, into the heart of ancient Rome and the holiest sites of Jerusalem. Their quest? So earthshattering that there are men who would kill anyone and anything in their path to conceal this secret... the secret of the origins of Christianity itself, and of THE LAST GOSPEL.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Action, Archaeology

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 21, 2008

About the author

Canadian-born underwater archaeologist and novelist. Gibbins learned to scuba dive at the age of 15 in Canada, and dived under ice, on shipwrecks and in caves while he was still at school. He has led numerous underwater archaeology expeditions around the world, including five seasons excavating ancient Roman shipwrecks off Sicily and a survey of the submerged harbour of ancient Carthage. In 1999-2000 he was part of an international team excavating a 5th century BC shipwreck off Turkey. His many publications on ancient shipwreck sites have appeared in scientific journals, books and popular magazines. Most recently his fieldwork has taken him to the Arctic Ocean, to Mesoamerica and to the Great Lakes in Canada.
After holding a Research Fellowship at Cambridge, he spent most of the 1990s as a Lecturer in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies at the University of Liverpool. On leaving teaching he become a novelist, writing archaeological thrillers derived from his own background. His novels have sold over two million copies and have been London Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. His first novel, Atlantis, published in the UK in 2005 and the US in September 2006, has been published in 30 languages and is being made into a TV miniseries; since then he has written five further novels, published in more than 100 editions internationally. His novels form a series based on the fictional maritime archaeologist Jack Howard and his team, and are contemporary thrillers involving a plausible archaeological backdrop.

Reviews

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 2 out of 5]

Υπάρχουν βιβλία που δεν ξέρεις γιατί τα διαβάζεις, και υπάρχουν βιβλία στα οποία δεν ξέρεις τι διαβάζεις!

Δυστυχώς, το "Χειρόγραφο" του David Gibbins είναι ένα βιβλίο που ανήκει στην δεύτερη κατηγορία. Το θέμα με το οποίο καταπιάνεται, ούτως ή άλλως, είναι κάπως 'επικίνδυνο', μιας κι ασχολείται με ένα χειρόγραφο που αποδίδεται στον Ιησού τον Ναζωραίο, και εμπλέκονται σ' αυτό πρόσωπα που (για τον έναν ή τον άλλο λόγο) θεωρούνται "ανέγγιχτα". Δεν ξέρω δηλαδή κατά πόσο θα έστεκε εξ' αρχής ένα κυνήγι θησαυρού για την ύπαρξη ή όχι του Χριστού και για το αν άφησε πίσω του γραπτές μαρτυρίες από το χέρι του.
Όμως δεν είναι αυτό το μόνο πρόβλημα του βιβλίου. Ορμώμενος από μια ιστορία που αφορά τον αυτοκράτορα Κλαύδιο, καταλήγει στη λίμνη Τιβεριάδα, βάζοντας τους δόλιους τους ήρωές του να περιδιαβαίνουν στα υπόγεια νερά και τις κατακόμβες της Ρώμης, στους υπονόμους του Λονδίνου, στον Πανάγιο Τάφο και δεν συμμαζεύεται. Ναι, πολλά από τα στοιχεία που χρησιμοποιεί υπάρχουν - ή έστω, βασίζονται σε παρόμοιες ανακαλύψεις. Ναι, το υπόλοιπο είναι φαντασία, το 'χει παραδεχτεί ο ίδιος ο συγγραφέας. Όμως η σύνδεση μεταξύ όλων αυτών είναι σκέτος αχταρμάς! Πολύ μπλαμπλα, πολλές άσχετες και λεπτομερείς περιγραφές, πολλές πληροφορίες που δεν δένουν μεταξύ τους (απλά για να αποδεικνύει ο David Gibbins και ο Τζακ Χάουαρντ το -αναμφισβήτητα- μεγάλο εύρος των γνώσεών τους επί παντός επιστητού) δημιουργούν ένα χαοτικό, αφηρημένο και... ό,τι να 'ναι αποτέλεσμα που κουράζει. Πραγματικά δεν θυμόμουν σε ορισμένα σημεία τι είχα διαβάσει στην μόλις προηγούμενη παράγραφο!

Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν υπάρχει κανένας λόγος να διαβάσει κάποιος το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο, εκτός αν -όπως εγώ, τρομάρα μου!- θέλει και είναι αποφασισμένος να διαβάσει τα άπαντα του David Gibbins με τη σειρά.

[J. Else · Rating 2 out of 5]

With this book, its the author that brings the story down. It tries to imitate works by Dan Brown but falls short in many aspects. The ideas were fascinating, the plot intriguing, but I think it would have been told better in the hands of another author (like Dan Brown). The book never really came to life.

1. Characters: All characters were lacking in any depth or charisma. Plus the characters all seemed to have the same voice. Long conversations got confusing to try and figure out who was saying what. The book also lacks in a strong female lead throughout the book.

2. Historical basis: This book slams constant historical stories in your face. It takes a while as a reader to figure out where you are. I did enjoy the flashbacks to Claudius' life. It made more sense than the present day constant explanations about the past. Its like the scope of the history became too much for the plot.

3. Plot: It tries to be fast paced, but to attempt to do this, it cuts out descriptions and puts pure historical explanation for its pacing. Places and character movements are not clear, and i had to keep re-reading to find a miniscule mention of a set up. In addition, these characters elude to a backstory (Gibbons' prevous books?), yet the backstory is never fleshed out. Its mentioned many times, but its never summarized. This story is also told in a way that you can't read a bit here and there. It requires a longer attention span to get into a scene because of the length of historical descriptions. This is not always something I can give to a book being a busy mother. Now the story had some thoughtful moments which I enjoyed. It had a rich vocabulary as well.

4. Ending: Can we say Deux ex Machina???? The end confrontation did not make sense. It was just sort of resolved. Seemed like the author fizzled out big time. The end was a disappointment. Though I did appreciate the final flashback, I do not think the final "revelation" was ever fully revealed. At least with DaVinci Code you get the final piece of the puzzle. I am not sure this author had a good revelation so just sort of cut it off?

This book never reached its full potential. Though I did enjoy moments here and there, but the ending left me bummed out. What was all that build up for??? I'm still not sure. I'd give it 2-1/2 stars if I could but not 3.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rant...only read if you have time and patience :-)

Update - have completed and I think that, overall, it was enough to keep me entertained (somewhat) - but I am really starting to dislike these novels that feel like they part text book - I buy these books for enjoyment/entertainment - not because I wish to become an armchair expert in topic area. It forces the author to create a bumbling, sidekick character that is always having things explained to him/her in minute detail - please - its tedious to read and the book could be far more enjoyable without all the distraction.

Example, Do we really need to read "I hope that ceiling is stable", said bumbling sidekick. "yes - it's blah, blah stone from blah, blah time, circa blah' said lead caracter. Once used as blah, blah, the (insert ancient race) used it for blah, blah and bla blah. Then (another race) started to use it for blah, blah, and realised that is could be used for blah, blah. See the ancient carving technique, they used bla blah to shape the stones so that they fit perfectly together. The design is based on blah blah, another .....continues for approx another 2 pages or so....

Instead - for parsimony/sanity of the readers sake could it be "I hope that ceiling is stable", said bumbling sidekick. "Yeah - me too" said lead character. "Should be though. Looks like it is made from blah, blah stone according to blah, blah design. Other structures from that time are still standing firm, so we might just be in luck".


Just about to start reading - will let you now if it is worth the 32.95 I paid today (28/6/08).

[Rajish Maharaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, addictive read. Filled with lots of adventure. Travelling from one country to the next.
It turned out to be a good read. A bit heavy on details, if you like that in a novel thdn you would love this. Maybe could have slightly tonned it down a bit aith the details as sometimes i zoned out with the long explanations on various topics.
But all in all i couldn't put it down. Definetly worth a 4 stars.

[Mariakok · Rating 1 out of 5]

Απογοήτευση. Πολύ πολλυλογία με την υπόθεση να βαλτώνει συνεχώς και με τους ήρωες να πετάγονται ανά την υφήλιο για να συνδυάσουν τα ασύνδετα. Ευτυχώς τέλειωσε....

[Tracey- Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good in-depth historical read. The only downside to this read was that there was such a lot of Historical facts To read about.

[kostas vamvoukakis · Rating 3 out of 5]

το μεγάλο πρόβλημα όλων των βιβλίων του gibbins είναι ότι ο τύπος είναι αρχαιολόγος και κολλάει υπερβολικά στις λεπτομέρειες και φλυαρεί ασταμάτητα... δεν είναι κακό... σε κάνει εύκολα να βαρεθεις και δεν έχει τέλος....

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a tried and true formula to these types of books: A clue reveals the possibility of some ancient artifact or truth that will change the world, but to find this most-sought after item will require a group of intrepid explorers and scientists to find the next clue(s) in remote locations around the globe. To get these clues involves thrilling, near death escapes and the genius ability to piece together obscure clues. These teams are also being pursued by violent cabals who have for hundreds of years prevented these artifacts or truths from being revealed. Both sets of teams are usually well-organized, funded, and connected. This formula works and the majority of the books are a great deal of fun to read.

This book by David Gibbins, the third of his that I have read, starts out with this formula, but then it completely abandons it and becomes almost a college lecture. The team is searching for what may be the lost gospel of Jesus. It's an interesting premise. The biggest problem is that his characters move from location to location, easily entering into the secret chambers. And then they just sit and talk and talk, conjecturing on history and what may have happened thousands of years ago. And they keep on talking throughout the book, which does not exactly make a thrilling story.

Another problem is that the shadowy, evil organization that is trying to stop our intrepid heroes barely makes an appearance in the story. This has to be the lamest group ever to appear in a novel. This group poses absolutely no threat to anyone and their reason for existence really isn't explained very well.

I wish this book had been more thrilling and engaging. It's a bit dry. I keep reading David Gibbins's books, hoping that they reach the level of a James Rollins, who has perfected these types of books. And everytime I am somewhat disappointed.

[Conyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the quote on the front says, it is a combination of Indiana Jones and Dan Brown. It showed me that I need to learn more about Roman/Greek history...

I think the story line was pretty good, and it was nice to read an adventure story without a lot of cussing and sex.

I saw that a lot of the reviewers here kept picking on the amount of detail in the book. I think a lot of it was necessary, especially for people like me who are not as familiar with Greek/Roman history. And, when you take traditional views of events and introduce alternative theories, you need to show the reader how you ended up at the final destination.

I would also like to remind people that this is a work of fiction. Of course he shouldn't be opening ANYTHING in uncontrolled conditions - but, it's fiction people - relax! This isn't an archaeology tutorial. And, he does make the comments, several times in fact, that he shouldn't be doing it. So, for people who aren't as familiar with archaeological procedure, he at least lets them know that what the character is doing isn't status quo.

So for anyone with a general interest in archaeology and adventure, I'd say give it a try. For anyone who is going to get all bent out of shape over technicalities, pass it by.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

None of the discoveries made in this book were destroyed! Not even the burial that had an unexploded WWII ordnance right by it, I was totally shocked it wasn't demolished after our intrepid heroes found the site! I liked this book much better than the one before it, partially because of what I just wrote above =), partially because it was much easier to follow and partially because it covered historical stuff I was a bit more familiar with.
Even though there was a lot of long exposition/history lessons I didn't find that it slowed the story down any and enjoyed reading the historical info. Plus this time, I didn't mind the flash backs to AD times, mostly because those parts were just to flesh out the story and the characters didn't deduce exactly what had happened. Though, if differing views of early Christianity bother you, you may not like this one as well, but it is fiction and I enjoyed the story. Now to check out the next one.

[Albin · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Gibbins' "Last Gospel" is an archaeological thriller that takes readers on a deep-sea adventure intertwined with ancient secrets. The novel centers around Jack Howard, a marine archaeologist, who uncovers a mysterious shipwreck in the Mediterranean. This discovery leads him and his team into a perilous quest for a lost gospel, rumored to contain explosive revelations that could reshape religious history.

Gibbins, a real-life archaeologist, infuses the narrative with authentic detail about underwater exploration and historical research, making the ancient mysteries feel tangible and exciting. The plot is a race against time, as Jack and his team face off against powerful forces determined to keep the gospel's contents hidden. The book expertly blends historical intrigue with modern-day action, featuring thrilling underwater sequences and deciphering of ancient texts.

"Last Gospel" is a compelling read for those who enjoy historical thrillers with a strong archaeological bent, reminiscent of authors like James Rollins or Clive Cussler. It's a well-researched and engaging story that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

[Yanper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ένα από τα πιο βαρετά βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει. Μία ακατάσχετη φλυαρία, ένας ατελείωτος βομβαρδισμός πληροφοριών με λεπτομερείς και άχρηστες περιγραφές. Περιμένεις ότι κάποια στιγμή θα αποκτήσει κάποιο ενδιαφέρον, θα υπάρξει λίγη δράση για να σε βγάλει από το τέλμα που σ’ έχει ρίξει αλλά μάταια. Θα μπορούσε κανείς εύκολανα πει πως είναι μία κακή απομίμηση των βιβλίων του Dan Brown.

[Giorgos Kafetzis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δύσκολο και επικίνδυνο θέμα η συνομωσιολογία γύρω από θρησκεία. Ωραίο σαν βιβλίο περιπέτειας με αρκετά μεγάλο εύρος πληροφοριών ιστορικών κλπ αλλά μέχρι εκεί. Ανάλαφρο μεν μέτριο δε.

[Zete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αν εξαιρέσεις λίγο την μετάφραση είναι ένα εξαιρετικό βιβλίο με ίσως λίγο παραπάνω από όσα χρειάζεται λεπτομέριες σε σχέση με την αρχαιολογία. Βέβαια αν σου αρέσει η λεπτομερείς περιγραφή και διψάς για εξτρά παράπλευρη γνώση είναι ότι πρέπει! Όντως χειρίζεται ένα πολύ λεπτό θέμα σαν βιβλίο μα δεν σε απογοητεύει καθόλου.

[Soho_Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having developed a recent habit of reading my wife’s library books, I find myself unable to pass up a chance to read anything she borrows even if I’ve taken a dislike to the author on previous attempts. This is how I ended up reading “The Last Gospel”, the third in David Gibbins series of novels about all action archaeologist Jack Howard.

Jack and his friend and colleague Costas have just located a shipwreck off the coast of Sicily that may have been the ship St. Paul was shipwrecked in, as told in the back of the book of Acts. They are interrupted by Maurice and Maria, who have made another fantastic discovery in Pompeii that suggests a Roman Emperor not only faked his death, but may have been in possession of the only words ever committed to print by Jesus Christ, the so-called Last Gospel of the title.

A trail of clues leads to a number of underground and underwater burial chambers, including one under the City of London. There are surprisingly as well as disappointing discoveries and they cross paths with people they were following in Gibbins' previous novel “Crusader Gold”.

Having not particularly enjoyed Gibbins' previous novels, I thought I might find this one a little more interesting. As a Christian, the parts about Jesus promised some appeal; as a Londoner, the setting of a part of the novel just around the corner from an old job offered a personal touch and studying Pompeii in Latin classes all those years ago evoked memories. Everything was in place for a story I could enjoy.

And I didn’t. In “Crusader Gold” there was an obvious enemy and a tangible thread that made a story based in a section of history I have no interest in. In “The Last Gospel”, it is pretty much the opposite. The mystery story here held more interest, but it was wrapped in a really dull plot. This time around, information was key and it felt at points as if I were reading a textbook or someone’s lecture notes far more than it did an adventure novel.

This style meant that any attempts to make the novel more exciting seemed horribly contrived. What enemies there were appeared from nowhere and disappeared back there just as quickly. Unlikely objects were suddenly placed in the way and a late and improbable revelation involving a character so minor as to be a virtual nonentity set the next novel up, but added nothing to this one.

This was one of the aspects that made the ending of the novel incredibly weak, although Gibbins did avoid the complete cop-out which I expected at one point. One advantage to this is, I suppose, that the weak and disappointing conclusion was entirely in keeping with the rest of the novel.

It’s a good thing libraries are still a free resource, as any outlay for this book would have been too much. Even on Amazon, the postage charge to buy a 1p copy makes it a poor value. If you’re in need of a decent book, the “The Last Gospel” is the last place you should look.

[Kost As · Rating 4 out of 5]

Λίγα λόγια για το βιβλίο:

Ο φίλος μας, ο Jack Howard, αυτός ο φοβερός αρχαιολόγος, και η ομάδα του (μαζί με τον Κώστα Καζαντζάκη, όχι, δεν έχει καμία σχέση με το γνωστό συγγραφέα-ποιητή) ανακαλύπτουν ένα ναυάγιο, το οποίο με συνοπτικές διαδικασίες αποδεικνύεται ότι ήταν ένα από τα πλοία που μετέφεραν τον Απόστολο Παύλο στην Ιταλία. Και έτσι ξεκινά ένα κυνήγι στοιχείων, το οποίο φαίνεται να κρύβει την ανακάλυψη ενός κρυφού Ευαγγελίου, αυτού το οποίο έγραψε ο ίδιος ο Ιησούς.

Ο David Gibbins είπε να ρίξει μέσα στο μίγμα του λίγο περισσότερο Dan Brown αυτή τη φορά. Νομίζω ότι το αποτέλεσμα δεν είναι κακό, παρόλο που προσπαθεί να συνδυάσει πολλά και διαφορετικά ιστορικά στοιχεία και καμία φορά κουράζει. Κατά τα άλλα νομίζω ότι είναι αρκετά ευρηματικός ο Mr. Gibbins όταν σκέφτεται πού αλλού να βάλει το Jack Howard να βουτήξει για να εξερευνήσει (δεν έχει αφήσει τρύπα για τρύπα, με την καλή έννοια), ενώ δε μπορώ να πω ότι ξετρελάθηκα με το ότι κάθε τόσο ο συγγραφέας μάς μεταφέρει στην αρχαία εποχή και μας περιγράφει συμβάντα της εποχής εκείνης, ωσάν να ήταν το βιβλίο ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα. Παρόλα αυτά, κέρδισε τα 4 αστεράκια από εμένα, μιας και για άλλη μια φορά προσφέρει απλόχερα γνώσεις πάνω στην αρχαιολογία και (κυρίως) στη ρωμαϊκή εποχή (όχι ότι θυμάμαι τίποτα από αυτές να παραθέσω, αλλά οκ!!).

Θα συνιστούσα το βιβλίο σε εκείνο τον αναγνώστη, τον οποίον συναρπάζει η αρχαιολογία, γιατί, αν δεν είναι αυτής της συνομοταξίας, μάάάάάλλον θα κουραστεί ολίγον τι από τις λεπτομερείς περιγραφές του συγγραφέα.

Υ.Γ.: Ξεκινώντας το βιβλίο, ο συγγραφέας μάς ενημερώνει ότι πολλά στοιχεία του βιβλίου είναι προϊόν φαντασίας, ενώ στο τέλος μας εξηγεί πού βασίστηκε για να στηρίξει τη θεωρία του, χωρίς, όμως, να μπορεί να αποδείξει ότι είναι αληθινή, κάτι το οποίο παραδέχεται αντρίκια! Α, και πολύ διαβασμένος ο Gibbins, όπως πάντα! Αυτά.

[Bruce Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really about 3.5. Good but not great.

The premise - Claudius, once emperor of Rome, faked his death by poison and lived out his golden years in obscurity in the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. He and his friend Pliny the Elder were killed in the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. But Claudius left behind a Gospel of Jesus he wrote when he met Jesus in 23 AD at the Sea of Galilee.

Jack Howard and his pal Costas Kazantzakis are brought in to help validate the find at Herculaneum, but the container is empty! They travel to Rome, then London, then Southern California, then finally Jerusalem in their search for the Lost Gospel, al the while tracked by the mysterious Vatican conciliam.

My trouble with the book is that Jack and Costas solve the archaeological puzzles too quickly. And sometimes Jack swipes objects from the several finds over Costas's objections and contrary to all archaeological standards. Ancient documents are exposed to air and miraculously remain intact. I know, the story must move or the reader will get bored.

The book is packed with references to actual First Century historical events. That alone was well worth the read.

[Felicity Terry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever sat sipping tea while a friend bored you detail by minute detail, hour by excruciating hour, relating stories about their 'adventure' holiday? Well, that's pretty much how I felt reading this.

A book I would have given up on way before its 542 page ending if it wasn't for the carrot that made me anticipate something of note, of excitement, of interest even, was about to happen that the author kept dangling in front of my nose.

OK, so with its carbonised centuries old bodies, secret tunnels, Vestal Virgins and a long lost document that not everyone is happy about being discovered this wasn't completely without merit its just that the expected 'thrills and spills' were too few and far between to maintain my interest, the author having an awful tendency to never run with them.

Copyright: Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper.

[وسام عبده · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a very real patient reader. But, after three novels for Divid Gibbens I have to confess that Gibbens need more than patience to read his novels. Each novel includes about 1/3 its volume about the diving and how to dive in uncommon places under irregular conditions. Sometimes, I fill that Gibbens wrote "Archeological Diving for Dummies".
The worst is that, a novel about the lost Gosbel without any discussion for the Gosbel development or how it came to us.
I have to think again and again before reading his new novel "The Tiger Warrior" and forget it on my shelves.

[Trena · Rating 4 out of 5]

My pet hates in life
1)when book sets change cover designs halfway through .Messed up my book shelf more than once/
2) I read the same book twice because its got 2 names.I kept thinking gosh this so like the other book!!!!
Still good.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lost gospel written by the hand of Jesus. . . Who can say if it exists or not? What would the value be? This book is a rocking adventure on the trail of a great biblical treasure that may or may not have existed. The research and the historical conjecture weaves a wonderful tale. I loved it.

[Chole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Gibbins novels. I like the way he takes myth/historical events and takes me on a thrill ride. This ride takes us through Pompeii, the Roman empire, and Jesus. What's not to like?

[David Zavesky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not an interesting book. I won't be reading anymore books from this author.

[Nyssy · Rating 1 out of 5]

🙄really?

[Fullmapes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unable to finish. Narrator sounds conceited.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The copy I read is called the Last Gospel, rather than the Lost Tomb, but it looks like the same book: Jack Howard #3.
As to the book: it starts off with a massive if only. If only Claudius hadn’t been poisoned. This is OK. There are a few more “if only”s before the story gets going, and then it’s all action, globe circling adventure.
Mainly we see our hero Jack Howard and his faithful side kick Costas doing dangerous archaeology underwater, in sewers and generally in all sorts of claustrophobia inducing places in the search for a potentially world changing scroll. And not only that he and his team are being watched by a faceless and ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy the artefact.
That's the story, and as a story it’s OK. Costas is a good character, Jack less so. He does try to be a little self mocking at times but is generally a cardboard character with little humour or charm. And as for the others, they co exist.
If the history he uncovers had been true we would all be history fans, as it knits all different first century AD characters like the actors in a TV soap opera to Claudius, and makes that century look like the smallest of small worlds.
It is a work of fiction, but somehow our credulity is stretched, and as for suspension of disbelief, that is over stretched and simplistically.
It became a challenge to actually finish the book. Some bits were easy reading, a lot wasn’t, but it was actually curiosity provoking and I’m glad I stuck with it.
The descriptions of the SCUBA diving archaeology were detailed as was the archaeological data collection in general. But as for the IMU he works for, all I can say is I wish it actually existed in Cornwall, we need some injection of investment here. And a university that can afford to jet set its staff around the world at a moment’s notice would be a welcome boost to the economy.
As a tale it’s OK.
Maybe we’ve had too many Dan Brown type books in recent years, and generally I like them. I’m not sure I’d read another of David Gibbon’s however. Still it’s a yarn and adequately escapist. In our current climate that’s certainly a good thing.

[Brittney Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: 5 stars

Note: This is the 3rd book in the Jack Howard series so this will not be an in-depth review.

Last month, I wasn’t really in a reading mood so I didn’t read near as many books as I usually do in a month’s time. In order to get out of my slump, I decided to read the next book in one of my favorite series, and that was the 3rd book in the Jack Howard series, The Lost Tomb by David Gibbins. This book follows the marine archaeologist, Jack Howard, and his team of experts that specialize in a variety of different fields as they go on another globetrotting expedition to uncover the truth behind another one of archaeology’s/history’s greatest mysteries, and this time it’s the search for evidence of Jesus the man before he became the figure from the Gospels that we all know.

As I have mentioned in other reviews, I love history, especially ancient world history, so much so that I am majoring in it in college. I have always dreamed of being an archaeologist and having awesome adventures and even though, I don’t think that will be possible for me anymore; I still love reading/watching them. This book and series in general is full of exactly what I crave in this particular genre because it feels authentic and real, even if it isn’t.

I also liked that the ideas expressed here concerning Christianity are very similar to the beliefs that I have. Because I don’t believe exactly the way that others in my family do, they believe that I am atheist, but actually I am not- I just don’t agree with the practice of having multiple dominations or having to be in the church building every time to doors are open. I believe that you can worship wherever you are and that you don’t need an organized place to do it. This book shared a lot of the same ideas with me, and I found myself highlighting a lot of passages to show my family to prove that I am not the only one who has the ideas that I do.

All in all, this was a great installment to the series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. 5 stars and still a favorite series!!!!!

[Mark McKerracher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Gospel's intricate plot unfolds mystery after mystery, layer upon layer, and it would spoil the fun if I were to reveal any of these mysteries here. But in summary: archaeologist Jack Howard and his sidekicks travel the world, trying to retrieve a lost ancient manuscript, by way of a forgotten female cult spanning the ancient world. The blurb sells this as an Indiana-Jones-meets-Dan-Brown kind of adventure, but it is more (and in some ways better) than that. The Dan Brown element is basically represented by a sinister branch of the Catholic church - and it feels to me like a bit of a bolt-on to substantiate the Dan Brown comparison; it doesn't exactly permeate the whole story, as it should if it's going to provide real menace. As for Indiana Jones... the protagonist and his sidekicks do travel the world following clues and getting into dangerous and claustrophobic scrapes - but our hero, Jack Howard, is a modern archaeologist with an encyclopaedic knowledge of seemingly every branch of history and archaeology. Quite a bit of the narrative is taken up with his monologues, expounding the next relevant bit of antiquity and his own theories. This is largely because the author has devised such an archaeologically intricate, ingenious and well-researched plot - but it's a shame that so much of it has to come out in lectures by the omnipotent Dr Howard. By contrast, Indiana Jones would never have the luxury of time to recount the history of the oracles whilst flying a helicopter.

[Gauthier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was easy to read and entertaining. The plot was interesting enough and Gibbins offers plenty of information for curious readers. However, the book falls short of expectations in several respects. First, the "treasure hunt" is all too easy. Jack, the main protagonist, seemed to always find the answer right on time. The authors makes our heroes travel from Herculaneum to Rome to London to California, and to Jerusalem from one page to another. Second, there is the concilium that is supposed to be a powerful organization that aims to prevent Jack from making his discovery. However, he barely has more than two encounters with said organisation and he easily removes the threat every time. It lacks credibility when we are supposed to believe that organization has successfully performed its job for 2000 years with fare more powerful opponents than Jack.
The main upside of this book is that you have a lot of information and interesting hypothesis. The downside is that it overwhelms the reader because every little discovery Jack and his friends make seem to be groundbreaking. Again, it lacks credibility. Overall, interesting but not a must-read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the story, though i do agree with some other reviewers that occasionally it is a but verbose in explaining things. I would expect Costas to have more of a working knowledge about some of the things he asks about. But the mystery itself is fun, though the leaps of understanding sometimes a bit difficult to follow. I did enjoy how it tied several mysteries from antiquity together, but it all had a bit of a feeling of “yea, right”. It never quite made it to the extremely high standard of Dan Brown. It is a plausible story line, but in my humble opinion only barely. I still enjoyed it, I don’t read these kind of books in an effort to learn about what happened, anymore than I read Tolkien to learn about history. I loved how it tied ancient events in London, Rome, Herculaneum, and Jerusalem together, and I very much appreciated the Author’s note at the end revealing which things he made up or manipulated. All in all a very enjoyable way to spend a couple of days of my vacation.