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Quest
The coauthor of the Destroyer series brings an age-old quest to modern-day New York in this “brilliant [and] imaginative” thriller ( The New York Times Book Review ).
When a jewel-encrusted, gold saltcellar appears for sale in New York, speculation around the piece soars. The gems alone make the vessel incredibly valuable, but some are convinced something even more priceless hides nothing less than the legendary Holy Grail. After the owner of the piece is brutally murdered and the cellar taken, speculation turns to conviction—and a deadly hunt for the missing artifact is on.
Claire Andrews knows nothing of riches, glory, or mythical relics; she only wishes to avenge the death of her father, who was killed after putting his gold saltcellar on the market. She enlists the help of NYPD detective Artie Modelstein to hunt down the men responsible. But their search for truth lands them unwittingly in the middle of a mystery that has spanned centuries—a lethal quest for power from which no one escapes unscathed . . .
Filled with sharp allusions, breathtaking suspense, and clever twists, this is a “surprisingly gripping” fast-paced thriller perfect for fans of The DaVinci Code and The Rule of Four ( Kirkus Reviews ).
When a jewel-encrusted, gold saltcellar appears for sale in New York, speculation around the piece soars. The gems alone make the vessel incredibly valuable, but some are convinced something even more priceless hides nothing less than the legendary Holy Grail. After the owner of the piece is brutally murdered and the cellar taken, speculation turns to conviction—and a deadly hunt for the missing artifact is on.
Claire Andrews knows nothing of riches, glory, or mythical relics; she only wishes to avenge the death of her father, who was killed after putting his gold saltcellar on the market. She enlists the help of NYPD detective Artie Modelstein to hunt down the men responsible. But their search for truth lands them unwittingly in the middle of a mystery that has spanned centuries—a lethal quest for power from which no one escapes unscathed . . .
Filled with sharp allusions, breathtaking suspense, and clever twists, this is a “surprisingly gripping” fast-paced thriller perfect for fans of The DaVinci Code and The Rule of Four ( Kirkus Reviews ).
608 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
101 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Richard Ben Sapir
9 books18 followersUnder this name, Richard Ben Sapir wrote standalone
thriller/fantasy novels.
Under the name Richard Sapir, he was the creator and original author, with Warren Murphy of the immensely popular series The Destroyer.
thriller/fantasy novels.
Under the name Richard Sapir, he was the creator and original author, with Warren Murphy of the immensely popular series The Destroyer.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 11, 2017
I absolutely love this book.
Sapir has a way of making people real so that you can understand their frustrations and determinations. This book combines a clever whodunnit with the search for The Holy Grail in somewhat modern times. It also includes an incredible amount of history and gemology that is beyond the scope of normal everyday life for most people.
Who did it?
Who survives?
Who doesn't?
For these you need to read the book.
What really happened to The Holy Grail?
The book is cleverly written fiction. Who knows?
But it does show that spectacular gems have a life, and history, and level in society, and message all their own.
Absolutely worth reading.
Sapir has a way of making people real so that you can understand their frustrations and determinations. This book combines a clever whodunnit with the search for The Holy Grail in somewhat modern times. It also includes an incredible amount of history and gemology that is beyond the scope of normal everyday life for most people.
Who did it?
Who survives?
Who doesn't?
For these you need to read the book.
What really happened to The Holy Grail?
The book is cleverly written fiction. Who knows?
But it does show that spectacular gems have a life, and history, and level in society, and message all their own.
Absolutely worth reading.
February 3, 2017
It had something of an interesting premise (a modern day search for the holy grail) and a surprising crossover between cultural worlds (Chasidic Brooklyn, British spies, an innocent, rich young Midwestern woman in love with a Jewish police officer, and the Queen's secretary), but in the end it was somewhat stilted and filled with two dimensional characters and bad dialogue.
Apparently, this book was a sensation when it was published in 1987. I found it rather flat. It was at least distracting, but I would not recommend this to regular readers of mystery thrillers.
Apparently, this book was a sensation when it was published in 1987. I found it rather flat. It was at least distracting, but I would not recommend this to regular readers of mystery thrillers.
March 3, 2019
I’ve read this book a few times before. I think I still have a paperback copy, but when I found it a little while ago on amazon as an ebook I had to buy it.
It’s a fascinating story, even now, on possibly my fourth time reading it. My imagination provides quite a cast for the movie in my imagination, but I would love to see a real movie. Another book by this author was made into a movie - The Body, with Antonio Banderas. (I’ve seen that a few times too, although I don’t recall ever reading that book!)
It’s a fascinating story, even now, on possibly my fourth time reading it. My imagination provides quite a cast for the movie in my imagination, but I would love to see a real movie. Another book by this author was made into a movie - The Body, with Antonio Banderas. (I’ve seen that a few times too, although I don’t recall ever reading that book!)
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June 22, 2019 Nice quest!
Well, the novel has its charms, the 80s style and atmosphere make it different, realistic and with other style than the post Da Vinci Code novels about historical fiction. (this books is like two decades older than the Dan Brown novel)
It's more suspense than action, but the historical research is good and also the peek at the high world of gems.
The protagonist couple is some time really annoying but I guess their romantic arch was meant to look believable. My favorite character was the British captain.
Well, the novel has its charms, the 80s style and atmosphere make it different, realistic and with other style than the post Da Vinci Code novels about historical fiction. (this books is like two decades older than the Dan Brown novel)
It's more suspense than action, but the historical research is good and also the peek at the high world of gems.
The protagonist couple is some time really annoying but I guess their romantic arch was meant to look believable. My favorite character was the British captain.
May 28, 2022
Quest is a hit
Second book I've read from the author, this one lacks the cutting edge of the far arena, but presents a formidable heroin determined to uncover the truth. If you like history you'll like this book
Second book I've read from the author, this one lacks the cutting edge of the far arena, but presents a formidable heroin determined to uncover the truth. If you like history you'll like this book
December 17, 2018
A well crafted mystery which is a Grail story. History, theft, and murder most foul. I couldn’t put it down.
February 9, 2020
Ditched it about 30% of the way in. Boring, not enough action for the subject matter, and didn’t care about the characters.
February 23, 2024
Great Intrigue
Well written and great read. Well reached to enlighten the reader on the history of gems and beliefs over the course of centuries
Well written and great read. Well reached to enlighten the reader on the history of gems and beliefs over the course of centuries
January 19, 2016
“Quest” eBook was published in 2015 (originally published on paper in 1987) and was written by Richard Ben Sapir (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...). Mr. Sapir authored or co-authored many novels.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ (barely) because it contains scenes of Violence, some Mature Situations and Mature Language. The setting of this Mystery Thriller novel is mostly in New York, New York during the 1980s, with a few other locations around the world thrown in. The primary characters are Claire Andrews, a young, attractive woman of means, and Detective Artie Modelstein of the New York Police Department.
Andrew’s father had come to New York to sell an Elizabethan era salt cellar. What made this item special was all of the jewels that adorned it. Unknown to Mr. Andrews, hidden inside was a piece of religious history. Mr. Andrews is murdered, and then the salt cellar is stolen.
Young Miss Andrews comes to New your intent on finding who killed her father and what happened to the salt cellar. Along the way she meets Modelstein who works in the Frauds/Jewels department of NYPD. Modelstein finds Andrews attractive, but thinks she has unrealistic expectations of getting the salt cellar back.
Captain Rawson shows up from the UK. He also claims the salt cellar was stolen from his family just after World War II. They begin to find evidence that the jewels have been removed from the salt cellar, and are being sold off separately. A series of murders, some in New York, others in Europe, seem to follow any who have been associated with the salt cellar or it’s jewels. Andrews does an incredible job of historical research to find the trail of the salt cellar and it’s jewels through history. Her discoveries eventually place she and, now fiancé, Modelstein squarely in the murder’s sites.
This is an older novel and the story feels that way. It was an interesting read of 11 hours for this 404 page novel. I liked the story, but I thought it was a little weak. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ (barely) because it contains scenes of Violence, some Mature Situations and Mature Language. The setting of this Mystery Thriller novel is mostly in New York, New York during the 1980s, with a few other locations around the world thrown in. The primary characters are Claire Andrews, a young, attractive woman of means, and Detective Artie Modelstein of the New York Police Department.
Andrew’s father had come to New York to sell an Elizabethan era salt cellar. What made this item special was all of the jewels that adorned it. Unknown to Mr. Andrews, hidden inside was a piece of religious history. Mr. Andrews is murdered, and then the salt cellar is stolen.
Young Miss Andrews comes to New your intent on finding who killed her father and what happened to the salt cellar. Along the way she meets Modelstein who works in the Frauds/Jewels department of NYPD. Modelstein finds Andrews attractive, but thinks she has unrealistic expectations of getting the salt cellar back.
Captain Rawson shows up from the UK. He also claims the salt cellar was stolen from his family just after World War II. They begin to find evidence that the jewels have been removed from the salt cellar, and are being sold off separately. A series of murders, some in New York, others in Europe, seem to follow any who have been associated with the salt cellar or it’s jewels. Andrews does an incredible job of historical research to find the trail of the salt cellar and it’s jewels through history. Her discoveries eventually place she and, now fiancé, Modelstein squarely in the murder’s sites.
This is an older novel and the story feels that way. It was an interesting read of 11 hours for this 404 page novel. I liked the story, but I thought it was a little weak. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
February 25, 2008
I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is long, but it is an epic tale that delivers as a page-turner too. It is the story of an old salt cellar that is found and one woman's investigation through time (while dealing with its current day theft and murders surrounding it) to find out where it came from. Sounds kind of boring, but it isn't. This book is in the spirit of Indiana Jones. However, I should note that this book is out of print and hard to find. Still, you won't be disappointed if you make the effort to locate it.
April 3, 2011
I had read the Body and the Far Arena many years ago. They were wonderful but much of Sapir's other work was the Destroyer series which I never had interest in reading. On starting this, I had difficulty getting interested in the main character and put the book down twice. Eventually that character became quite compelling and the story around her became very engaging. It's certainly not your typical "Grail Myth" story and being built around the New York gems business makes it colorful in its own way.
April 16, 2022
This book has it all - that's why it's my favorite
I loved this story the first time I read it more than 30 years ago. It has everything - it's a thriller, a mystery, a love story, a history lesson. The action takes the reader around the world and back again, from small-town Ohio to New York City, from London and Paris to ancient Greece and Rome, from Jerusalem to even-older China. The chase is on - who will solve the riddles and reclaim the most sought-after relic of all time?
I loved this story the first time I read it more than 30 years ago. It has everything - it's a thriller, a mystery, a love story, a history lesson. The action takes the reader around the world and back again, from small-town Ohio to New York City, from London and Paris to ancient Greece and Rome, from Jerusalem to even-older China. The chase is on - who will solve the riddles and reclaim the most sought-after relic of all time?
November 13, 2016
I think this story works so well because the characters are so well written. Even the less important ones, the ones who appear only for a page or two, are well thought out, have motivations and meaningful points of view.
I also loved The Far Arena by Sapir, and I think I'll read more of his works - after I finish my thesis of course! :)
I also loved The Far Arena by Sapir, and I think I'll read more of his works - after I finish my thesis of course! :)
August 6, 2012
The search for a lost relic interspersed with flashbacks of the object's history. I loved this book when I was 12 or 13. Have not been able to track a copy down recently. Maybe a quest of my own is imminent?
January 12, 2017
I read this book 30 years ago or so. Would I feel the same about it today, dunno. But at the time, it was in my top 10 novels ever. Of course the premise had not been exploited to death at that time...
May 26, 2009
Another very fine book by Sapir. He's an excellent writer. I much prefer his more serious books to his Destroyer series books.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews