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Good Friday
Does a French masterpiece by Nicolas Poussin hold the secret to the greatest conspiracy in human history?
The chance discovery of the painting thrusts two strangers - Chase Taylor and a mysterious young woman named Ariadne - into a globetrotting quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery. As a series of clues lead them into the heart of a vast conspiracy, Chase and Ariadne come face to face with a dark Brotherhood, an ancient sect sworn to protect the secret...at all costs.
From the author of DARWIN'S RACE and ESCAPE ROOM comes an unforgettable thriller about an ancient truth that asks the Should some secrets stay buried?
Author's
This is my first novel, written before the publication of DARWIN'S RACE in 2009. Why has it taken so long to publish GOOD FRIDAY? Well, I'm glad you asked...
I completed the manuscript for GOOD FRIDAY in 2003 and workshopped it with a group of fellow writers in the Washington, DC area. It was met with much excitement from these early readers and I was excited to send it to agents. Then, on my way home one night from the writers group, I stopped in a bookstore and bought Dan Brown's THE DAVINCI CODE. That very same night, I devoured the book. It was the perfect thriller in my view, a smart, puzzling thriller with an intriguing premise and great action. But my heart sunk as I read it. Because Brown's masterpiece shared the same premise as GOOD FRIDAY.
Not entirely surprising; both of us had used the incredible HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln as a key source. I was devastated. The book I had labored over for so long now seemed like a copy of Brown's novel. Of course, it differed in almost every way, but the central -- and what I thought, completely original -- mystery (no spoilers here) was the same.
I put the manuscript in the proverbial desk drawer, cleared my head, and immediately began writing DARWIN'S RACE. Still bruised by the ordeal, I added a character named Dan Brown to DARWIN'S RACE...and promptly killed him. And I have killed someone named Dan Brown in every one of my other six novels. A few sharp-eyed readers have noticed this...and now you know why.
In 2019, I shared this quirky little backstory with a dear friend who lived in New Hampshire. And in an uncanny coincidence, she told me that Dan Brown lived just a few houses down from her. And, even more incredibly, he was hosting her book club in a few weeks. During that meeting at his home, she shared my story...and Brown was gracious enough to send me an autographed edition of THE DAVINCI CODE. Inside, he wrote "I have never signed a posthumous autograph before." What a gracious gesture by a world-class writer.
So there's the backstory behind GOOD FRIDAY and it's long path to publication. Happy reading!
In addition to HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL, this novel owes a great debt to THE TOMB OF GOD by Richard Andrews and Paul Schellenberger. I encourage readers to check out this controversial book for a deeper look at the mysteries contained in this novel.
The chance discovery of the painting thrusts two strangers - Chase Taylor and a mysterious young woman named Ariadne - into a globetrotting quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery. As a series of clues lead them into the heart of a vast conspiracy, Chase and Ariadne come face to face with a dark Brotherhood, an ancient sect sworn to protect the secret...at all costs.
From the author of DARWIN'S RACE and ESCAPE ROOM comes an unforgettable thriller about an ancient truth that asks the Should some secrets stay buried?
Author's
This is my first novel, written before the publication of DARWIN'S RACE in 2009. Why has it taken so long to publish GOOD FRIDAY? Well, I'm glad you asked...
I completed the manuscript for GOOD FRIDAY in 2003 and workshopped it with a group of fellow writers in the Washington, DC area. It was met with much excitement from these early readers and I was excited to send it to agents. Then, on my way home one night from the writers group, I stopped in a bookstore and bought Dan Brown's THE DAVINCI CODE. That very same night, I devoured the book. It was the perfect thriller in my view, a smart, puzzling thriller with an intriguing premise and great action. But my heart sunk as I read it. Because Brown's masterpiece shared the same premise as GOOD FRIDAY.
Not entirely surprising; both of us had used the incredible HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln as a key source. I was devastated. The book I had labored over for so long now seemed like a copy of Brown's novel. Of course, it differed in almost every way, but the central -- and what I thought, completely original -- mystery (no spoilers here) was the same.
I put the manuscript in the proverbial desk drawer, cleared my head, and immediately began writing DARWIN'S RACE. Still bruised by the ordeal, I added a character named Dan Brown to DARWIN'S RACE...and promptly killed him. And I have killed someone named Dan Brown in every one of my other six novels. A few sharp-eyed readers have noticed this...and now you know why.
In 2019, I shared this quirky little backstory with a dear friend who lived in New Hampshire. And in an uncanny coincidence, she told me that Dan Brown lived just a few houses down from her. And, even more incredibly, he was hosting her book club in a few weeks. During that meeting at his home, she shared my story...and Brown was gracious enough to send me an autographed edition of THE DAVINCI CODE. Inside, he wrote "I have never signed a posthumous autograph before." What a gracious gesture by a world-class writer.
So there's the backstory behind GOOD FRIDAY and it's long path to publication. Happy reading!
In addition to HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL, this novel owes a great debt to THE TOMB OF GOD by Richard Andrews and Paul Schellenberger. I encourage readers to check out this controversial book for a deeper look at the mysteries contained in this novel.
468 pages, Paperback
Published January 9, 2021
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 6, 2023
3.5 stars. Not the page turner that was the Da Vinci Code, but a fun piece of fiction nonetheless.
Displaying 1 of 1 review