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The Unseen
Ancient scrolls discovered by Rachel Careski threaten the power of the Church. Descendants of Pope Theopolis, sworn to protect Christianity, believe Soren Careski took possession of them after Rachel disappeared--but he is dead. Forty years later, Soren's son, Alex Careski receives an email from a dead man, he is fired from his job, shot at, his car is rammed, and his wife, Simone, is kidnapped. In London, two rare books go missing from the British Museum. The Director of Antiquities disappears. Her colleague is murdered and her would-be lover is caught up in the intrigue. Soren left boxes of diaries in Alex's cellar--will they help unravel the truth about the disappearances of Alex's wife, father, and aunt? Desperate for answers, he travels to Italy where he is kidnapped along with an enterprising young woman who is also embroiled in the deadly mysteries of the ancient scrolls.
340 pages, Paperback
Published June 4, 2019
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Towles
12 books165 followersLisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist and a passionate speaker on the topics of fiction writing, creativity, and self care. She has eleven crime thrillers in print including Terror Bay - a psychological thriller published in November of 2023. Her previous thriller, Salt Island, was the winner of The BookFest, Pencraft, Readers Choice, Readers Favorite, and Literary Titan awards. The Ridders (November, 2022) won an American Fiction Award, and her psychological thriller Hot House (June 2022) was a #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller. Lisa is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers and is deeply committed to supporting other writers. She is Board President of a Bay Area nonprofit (Bridgegood.org) and speaks frequently to groups of business leaders and writers about her platform Strategic Self Care. She has an MBA in IT Management and works full-time in the tech industry in the San Francisco Bay area. Learn more at www.lisatowles.com, strategicselfcare.blog, or follow Lisa on social media: linktr.ee/authortowles.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 19, 2019
I absolutely loved it. I dont review many books. It took over a month to read because I am a single mom. Otherwise I would have read it all in a day and in one sitting. I highly recommend to every book fan. Not just of suspense either. It's a classic. I am leaving this vague because I dont want to give anything away and I dont want to have to hide the entire review. If you loved the Davinci Code you will love this book. That is the only hint I am giving.
June 27, 2019
This story begins with an archaeologist named Rachel. She is hired fresh out of college by a mysterious benefactor to go to Egypt close to where the dead sea scrolls were found to do a dig. She discovers parchments rolled up in large stone containers. Her guide is killed, and she is kidnapped. The story is then picked up about 30 or 40 years later.
Two books are stolen from a museum. A woman is kidnapped, and cryptic emails are received. Rachel's nephew is the only person that can figure out what is going on.
I had a little difficulty keeping up who was who. The story switches between different groups of people. However, I believe that the difficulty was mine, as I had troubles concentrating. The story is excellent, and I'd love to see a sequel. It would be interesting to explore the secrets in the scrolls. I kept thinking about story even when I had to take a break from reading it.
Two books are stolen from a museum. A woman is kidnapped, and cryptic emails are received. Rachel's nephew is the only person that can figure out what is going on.
I had a little difficulty keeping up who was who. The story switches between different groups of people. However, I believe that the difficulty was mine, as I had troubles concentrating. The story is excellent, and I'd love to see a sequel. It would be interesting to explore the secrets in the scrolls. I kept thinking about story even when I had to take a break from reading it.
March 27, 2022
Who doesn't love a good McGuffin story involving skullduggery and intrigue by the Catholic Church intent on maintaining the status quo? Once again we have a pursuit of potentially damaging historical documents that powerful people need suppressed to maintain their power, and once again we are taken for a thrill-a-minute journey by a scholar determined to have the truth see the light of day.
While hardly an original plot line, The Unseen does bring a fresh energy and innovative plot twists to this tried and true thriller/mystery setup. The characters are varied, well developed, and interesting beyond their role in the story at hand. It would be nice to see some of them cast in a continuing series. We have certainly not seen all they have to offer.
I give this a vigorous thumbs-up and five stars and cannot wait to see what adventure Lisa takes us on next. I believe we are seeing the emergence of an important new voice in crime fiction.
While hardly an original plot line, The Unseen does bring a fresh energy and innovative plot twists to this tried and true thriller/mystery setup. The characters are varied, well developed, and interesting beyond their role in the story at hand. It would be nice to see some of them cast in a continuing series. We have certainly not seen all they have to offer.
I give this a vigorous thumbs-up and five stars and cannot wait to see what adventure Lisa takes us on next. I believe we are seeing the emergence of an important new voice in crime fiction.
December 13, 2021
Wow. Shades of Dan Brown!
I was given this book for an honest review. I have to say I was all-in right away. The plot like is intricately structured with deep-deep characters. There are multiple points of view, and many authors have trouble with this, but Ms. Towles does a masterful job of portraying them so each personality shines through the narrative.
I was given this book for an honest review. I have to say I was all-in right away. The plot like is intricately structured with deep-deep characters. There are multiple points of view, and many authors have trouble with this, but Ms. Towles does a masterful job of portraying them so each personality shines through the narrative.
December 27, 2022
Kind-of over my 85 y.o. head, but I plugged on!
Per the above, I guess I'm just slow, as compared to Ms. Towles, but The Unseen was definitely accurate. Atleast until about 2/3 in. Then I got it!
Her characters are real, her descriptions great.
Her knowledge is deep and diverse!
Now I know the end, maybe I should read it again!
Per the above, I guess I'm just slow, as compared to Ms. Towles, but The Unseen was definitely accurate. Atleast until about 2/3 in. Then I got it!
Her characters are real, her descriptions great.
Her knowledge is deep and diverse!
Now I know the end, maybe I should read it again!
September 8, 2021
A page turner!
This book is fantastic and will keep you guessing every step of the way. I look forward to reading more by the author. The characters are well developed and the plot is intricate, but easy to read. Highly recommend!
This book is fantastic and will keep you guessing every step of the way. I look forward to reading more by the author. The characters are well developed and the plot is intricate, but easy to read. Highly recommend!
November 14, 2021
Wow, a must-read!
The Unseen finds Rachel is in danger as ancient scrolls she has discovered threaten the power of the Church. There is a mystery, kidnapping and all of the elements needed to make this a great suspenseful edge of your seat mystery.
The Unseen finds Rachel is in danger as ancient scrolls she has discovered threaten the power of the Church. There is a mystery, kidnapping and all of the elements needed to make this a great suspenseful edge of your seat mystery.
November 22, 2020
An enjoyable read.
January 6, 2020
The Unseen is a brisk thriller of the ancient artifact puzzle type that launches quickly. A brief prolog introduces the discovery of ancient documents and the abduction of the archaeologist -- who knew being a university professor could be so dangerous?. Forty years later some books stolen from the British Museum leads the reader step by step into a generations-long conspiracy to suppress alternate early church history, a history far bloodier and more fiercely contested than anyone would like to remember. This is an essential trope of the genre. And there is an email from a long-dead antiquarian…
There are enough chases, kidnappings, shootings, vehicular assault, hot cups of tea, warm pints of ale, wild Irish ruins, narrow Boston streets, brutal thugs and dank Roman cellars to satisfy the most jaded. Foreign travel, ancient languages, and exotic locations occupy an extensive cast whose lives intertwine in sometimes surprising ways.
Each character is distinct and quirky. This helps keep them distinct and interesting enough to propel the reader on to the next reveal, which is why the pages turn. One theme concerns the dead antiquarian with the email habit. If he is still be alive, the reader wonders if or when he will appear. Did he have an agenda? Is he manipulating or protecting his son? Or is someone pretending to be him, and if so, why?
There are plenty of answers to chase through these pages.
Since the contents of the documents are a classic MacGuffin, the thing everyone is after, they are not important; all we need to know is that they include information that will upset certain people. A little Wikipedia research by readers interested in pursuing the history could fill in details the book did not need to include. The Unseen isn't here to inform you of history, it’s here take you for a ride. Enjoy it.
There are enough chases, kidnappings, shootings, vehicular assault, hot cups of tea, warm pints of ale, wild Irish ruins, narrow Boston streets, brutal thugs and dank Roman cellars to satisfy the most jaded. Foreign travel, ancient languages, and exotic locations occupy an extensive cast whose lives intertwine in sometimes surprising ways.
Each character is distinct and quirky. This helps keep them distinct and interesting enough to propel the reader on to the next reveal, which is why the pages turn. One theme concerns the dead antiquarian with the email habit. If he is still be alive, the reader wonders if or when he will appear. Did he have an agenda? Is he manipulating or protecting his son? Or is someone pretending to be him, and if so, why?
There are plenty of answers to chase through these pages.
Since the contents of the documents are a classic MacGuffin, the thing everyone is after, they are not important; all we need to know is that they include information that will upset certain people. A little Wikipedia research by readers interested in pursuing the history could fill in details the book did not need to include. The Unseen isn't here to inform you of history, it’s here take you for a ride. Enjoy it.
December 3, 2021
If ancient scrolls worth killing for, antiquarian texts stolen from the British Museum, a kidnapped wife, a message from a father long dead and a Roman dungeon weren’t enough to keep you awake, add the utter deception of a twisting plot, quirky characters who may or may not be friends or foes. The Unseen is an intelligent, fast-paced thriller I guarantee you’ll remember long after THE END. This one gets six stars.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews