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Jonathan Weber #1
A Skeleton in God's Closet
When an ancient skeleton is discovered in Israel, will it shed new light on the life of Jesus or plunge the world into chaos?
Dr. Jonathan Weber, Harvard professor and biblical scholar, is looking forward to his sabbatical year on an archaeological dig in Israel. But a spectacular find that seems to be an archaeologist's dream-come-true becomes a nightmare that many fear will be the death rattle of Christianity.
Carefully researched and compellingly written, A Skeleton in God's Closet explores the tension between faith and doubt when science and religion collide. In the end, it’s a thought provoking page turner driven by one man's determination to find the truth—no matter what the cost.
Dr. Jonathan Weber, Harvard professor and biblical scholar, is looking forward to his sabbatical year on an archaeological dig in Israel. But a spectacular find that seems to be an archaeologist's dream-come-true becomes a nightmare that many fear will be the death rattle of Christianity.
Carefully researched and compellingly written, A Skeleton in God's Closet explores the tension between faith and doubt when science and religion collide. In the end, it’s a thought provoking page turner driven by one man's determination to find the truth—no matter what the cost.
369 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1994
78 people are currently reading
835 people want to read
About the author
Paul L. Maier
61 books134 followersPaul L. Maier was an American historian and novelist. He wrote several works of scholarly and popular non-fiction about Christianity and novels about Christian historians. He was the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, from which he retired in 2011, retaining the title of professor emeritus in the Department of History. He previously served as Third Vice President of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
September 22, 2016
With the exception of the final 50 pages, this book was tedious to read. But I had to finish it, as family members loved it and love Dr. Maier and have been asking me to read it forever.
So, what is wrong here? The writing is absolutely atrocious. Let me count the ways:
* The narration constantly engages in the flaw of telling instead of showing.
* Dialogue is wooden and sprinkled with dull humor that annoys rather than amuses.
* Character development is weak, forced and, in the case of our hero, even distasteful. Given the fact that Dr. Maier is a well known Bible scholar and leader in the conservative Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, his choice of a middle age male protagonist lusting after a much younger woman, with whom he eventually engages in a relationship that is not clearly chaste, is surprising, not to mention a bit disgusting. One has to wonder what this character reveals about it's author. Is he simply bowing to the societal norm to spice up the story or engaging in a bit of voyeurism? Either thought is disturbing. As a woman, I also found the "modern woman" character of whats-her-name annoying.
* The plot is painfully slow. The ordering is good, but it takes laboriously long to get to what we know is coming (Jesus' bones discovered!) and the climax comes too late in the book.
* The narration is full of self-important hubris. If someone even mentions in conversation over the next year that the world would radically, seismically, unalterably, change! if Jesus' bones were found, I think I might... I don't know... but it would be bad.
* The book has not aged well. Written prior to 9/11/2001, I found some of the passages referencing terrorists or extremists down right angering. I think world events have caused most readers, and I would say probably even Dr. Maier himself, to view many of these concepts differently.
Why even 2 stars? I know, I was surprised myself! Here is what I came up with after some time to think about it:
* The idea of a discovery of Jesus' bones is unique.
* The science of archeology is intriguingly presented and explained. I cannot say I understand it, but I liked learning about it - also something not commonly found.
* The press conferences (which appear regularly) were well-written. The protagonist shined and the writing seemed tighter.
* The final showdown between the books opponents was compelling. While still suffering from Maier's trademark verbosity, it addressed many of the thorny issues of both the merits of Christianity and why people reject it.
* I'm always a fan of MacGyver (google it if you're too young for this reference) plot twists.
If you love someone who loves this book, or are interested in archeology, or love Christian fiction, this book will fill your need to read. Ultimately, I wish Dr. Maier would have worked with a writer, like Jerry Jenkins (I know, not a literary pinnacle, but someone with more fiction experience), to develop the book. Pity really, it could have been amazing.
So, what is wrong here? The writing is absolutely atrocious. Let me count the ways:
* The narration constantly engages in the flaw of telling instead of showing.
* Dialogue is wooden and sprinkled with dull humor that annoys rather than amuses.
* Character development is weak, forced and, in the case of our hero, even distasteful. Given the fact that Dr. Maier is a well known Bible scholar and leader in the conservative Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, his choice of a middle age male protagonist lusting after a much younger woman, with whom he eventually engages in a relationship that is not clearly chaste, is surprising, not to mention a bit disgusting. One has to wonder what this character reveals about it's author. Is he simply bowing to the societal norm to spice up the story or engaging in a bit of voyeurism? Either thought is disturbing. As a woman, I also found the "modern woman" character of whats-her-name annoying.
* The plot is painfully slow. The ordering is good, but it takes laboriously long to get to what we know is coming (Jesus' bones discovered!) and the climax comes too late in the book.
* The narration is full of self-important hubris. If someone even mentions in conversation over the next year that the world would radically, seismically, unalterably, change! if Jesus' bones were found, I think I might... I don't know... but it would be bad.
* The book has not aged well. Written prior to 9/11/2001, I found some of the passages referencing terrorists or extremists down right angering. I think world events have caused most readers, and I would say probably even Dr. Maier himself, to view many of these concepts differently.
Why even 2 stars? I know, I was surprised myself! Here is what I came up with after some time to think about it:
* The idea of a discovery of Jesus' bones is unique.
* The science of archeology is intriguingly presented and explained. I cannot say I understand it, but I liked learning about it - also something not commonly found.
* The press conferences (which appear regularly) were well-written. The protagonist shined and the writing seemed tighter.
* The final showdown between the books opponents was compelling. While still suffering from Maier's trademark verbosity, it addressed many of the thorny issues of both the merits of Christianity and why people reject it.
* I'm always a fan of MacGyver (google it if you're too young for this reference) plot twists.
If you love someone who loves this book, or are interested in archeology, or love Christian fiction, this book will fill your need to read. Ultimately, I wish Dr. Maier would have worked with a writer, like Jerry Jenkins (I know, not a literary pinnacle, but someone with more fiction experience), to develop the book. Pity really, it could have been amazing.
September 18, 2016
I have very mixed feelings about this book, so I’m going to have to break down my review in multiple parts.
The Author: Paul Maier is a great scholar, and I have greatly appreciated his translations of Eusebius and Josephus. They are highly readable and widely acclaimed. I also read and enjoyed his historical novel Pontius Pilate, though it was a bit on the dry and scholarly side for a work of fiction. I think, however, in the case of this book, Maier would have benefited from the presence of a co-writer who could help shape his prose and make it more readable.
The Pros: The premise for the book is brilliant; a tomb is discovered at the site of ancient Arimathea that contains what appear to be Jesus’ bones, a conclusion supported by a huge amount of airtight evidence. As the shockwaves of this discovery ripple through the Christian world, a coalition of scholars is created to comb through and verify the evidence. The way the plot unfolds is gripping, the stuff of a great thriller. If I were judging the book on plot alone, it would rate 4 or 5 stars.
The Cons: However, there were some serious problems that kept me from enjoying the book. Chief among these was the fact that the characters never seemed real. Almost all of them came across as cardboard cutouts, and many of the characters were awkward stereotypes. The Irish scholar talks with a brogue that might better fit Lucky the Leprechaun, and the British leader of the expedition is full of “Cheerio”s, “Simply splendid old boy”s, and “right-o chap”. I’ve never met someone from England that talked remotely like someone who walked out of an Agatha Christie novel from the 1930s.
Second, Maier finds that he wants to include a lot of information for his readers, but can’t seem to find a good way to do a believable info dump. I found myself reading through the book and being confronted with multiple situations in which two Ph.D. level archaeologists are talking and one turns to the other and says something along the lines of, “Silly question I know, but could you just explain to me how carbon dating works once again?” These painfully clumsy moments jerked me out of the story every time. Likewise whenever a character makes a quotation in a foreign language, they always self translate, even if they’re speaking to colleagues who know the language. So a character, talking to a Frenchman might say something like “Bonne chance, mon ami. Good luck, my friend.” I’m of the opinion that, in situations like this, authors should simply leave the phrase untranslated, and if readers don’t know French, then they can look it up.
Finally, the romantic subplot in the story is awful. I feel like it’s being told by a 12 year old. It is awkward and unrealistic at every moment. I know that the author is married with children, so he presumably knows how men and women talk, but I wouldn’t know that by reading this book.
So in conclusion, A Skeleton in God’s Closet has a stellar plot with a brilliant denouement, but the author really needed someone to help him with his storytelling and characterization techniques. I don’t regret reading the book, but I don’t think I could ever recommend it as a fun read for anyone else. If you’re interested in Maier, get his book on Pontius Pilate, or check out his translation work.
The Author: Paul Maier is a great scholar, and I have greatly appreciated his translations of Eusebius and Josephus. They are highly readable and widely acclaimed. I also read and enjoyed his historical novel Pontius Pilate, though it was a bit on the dry and scholarly side for a work of fiction. I think, however, in the case of this book, Maier would have benefited from the presence of a co-writer who could help shape his prose and make it more readable.
The Pros: The premise for the book is brilliant; a tomb is discovered at the site of ancient Arimathea that contains what appear to be Jesus’ bones, a conclusion supported by a huge amount of airtight evidence. As the shockwaves of this discovery ripple through the Christian world, a coalition of scholars is created to comb through and verify the evidence. The way the plot unfolds is gripping, the stuff of a great thriller. If I were judging the book on plot alone, it would rate 4 or 5 stars.
The Cons: However, there were some serious problems that kept me from enjoying the book. Chief among these was the fact that the characters never seemed real. Almost all of them came across as cardboard cutouts, and many of the characters were awkward stereotypes. The Irish scholar talks with a brogue that might better fit Lucky the Leprechaun, and the British leader of the expedition is full of “Cheerio”s, “Simply splendid old boy”s, and “right-o chap”. I’ve never met someone from England that talked remotely like someone who walked out of an Agatha Christie novel from the 1930s.
Second, Maier finds that he wants to include a lot of information for his readers, but can’t seem to find a good way to do a believable info dump. I found myself reading through the book and being confronted with multiple situations in which two Ph.D. level archaeologists are talking and one turns to the other and says something along the lines of, “Silly question I know, but could you just explain to me how carbon dating works once again?” These painfully clumsy moments jerked me out of the story every time. Likewise whenever a character makes a quotation in a foreign language, they always self translate, even if they’re speaking to colleagues who know the language. So a character, talking to a Frenchman might say something like “Bonne chance, mon ami. Good luck, my friend.” I’m of the opinion that, in situations like this, authors should simply leave the phrase untranslated, and if readers don’t know French, then they can look it up.
Finally, the romantic subplot in the story is awful. I feel like it’s being told by a 12 year old. It is awkward and unrealistic at every moment. I know that the author is married with children, so he presumably knows how men and women talk, but I wouldn’t know that by reading this book.
So in conclusion, A Skeleton in God’s Closet has a stellar plot with a brilliant denouement, but the author really needed someone to help him with his storytelling and characterization techniques. I don’t regret reading the book, but I don’t think I could ever recommend it as a fun read for anyone else. If you’re interested in Maier, get his book on Pontius Pilate, or check out his translation work.
October 15, 2020
Dr. Jonathan Weber, a Harvard professor and Biblical scholar, is spending his sabbatical year on an archaeological dig in Israel. But a spectacular find may turn the Christian church upside down if it's real. If not, then it's the biggest hoax ever in the field of archeology, and who is behind it.
This book is so realistic and I could totally see something like this happening in today's current state of disrespect and distaste by many for Christianity. This kept my attention from start to finish, and I look forward to reading the next book More Than a Skeleton.
This book is so realistic and I could totally see something like this happening in today's current state of disrespect and distaste by many for Christianity. This kept my attention from start to finish, and I look forward to reading the next book More Than a Skeleton.
April 17, 2012
I started this book after a recommendation from a dear friend. It is not my usual read but I found the plot intriguing. I was so disappointed that I had to struggle to finish it. While the story was engaging I found the characters and the development horribly lacking.
The premise was that the bones of Jesus had been found during a dig thus disproving the Resurrection. Chaos ensued while the scientist tried to verify and authenticate the find. The biggest problem I had was the romance between Jon & Shannon. It just came about so fast and seemed totally unimportant against the weight of what they had on their shoulders. The flowery speech with each other made me nauseous.
The novel was very technical and I had trouble getting through the long stretches of architectural, scientific and academic speech. While I understood the importance it made me have to struggle to get through.
The second problem I had was that the resolution of the entire plot happened in less than 30 pages. It was over before I truly understood what and why. The author explains it but I had to go back initially to catch why Jon was on this track in the first place.
It did raise some very interesting questions as to what would happen if this ever occurred and I believe the author did a significant amount of research. The chaos was believable. I'm not sure if I would freely recommend this book to someone else or not. If I was asked about it I would say "you have to read it for yourself".
The premise was that the bones of Jesus had been found during a dig thus disproving the Resurrection. Chaos ensued while the scientist tried to verify and authenticate the find. The biggest problem I had was the romance between Jon & Shannon. It just came about so fast and seemed totally unimportant against the weight of what they had on their shoulders. The flowery speech with each other made me nauseous.
The novel was very technical and I had trouble getting through the long stretches of architectural, scientific and academic speech. While I understood the importance it made me have to struggle to get through.
The second problem I had was that the resolution of the entire plot happened in less than 30 pages. It was over before I truly understood what and why. The author explains it but I had to go back initially to catch why Jon was on this track in the first place.
It did raise some very interesting questions as to what would happen if this ever occurred and I believe the author did a significant amount of research. The chaos was believable. I'm not sure if I would freely recommend this book to someone else or not. If I was asked about it I would say "you have to read it for yourself".
April 12, 2011
The plot is fascinating, I'll give him that. Speculate: what if archaeologists discovered what looks like really could be the bones of Jesus? I geeked out over all the archaeology in this novel, less so the theology. The whole thing was marred by Maier's writing. It was seriously weak, and detracted from his scholarly strengths. His dialogue was truly unbelievable, peppered with far too many exclamation points, and the "romance" was just...awful. He can't write a female character worth beans, much less a love story that comes out of nowhere and does absolutely nothing for the story.
The story also feels like it stands outside time. This was written in the early 90s, so things we take for granted, like internet and cell phones and our constant connectivity is not present. I'd be curious to read a better writer's take on such a provocative subject, knowing how fast news now gets around this post-911 world.
The story also feels like it stands outside time. This was written in the early 90s, so things we take for granted, like internet and cell phones and our constant connectivity is not present. I'd be curious to read a better writer's take on such a provocative subject, knowing how fast news now gets around this post-911 world.
April 17, 2024
Rated upper PG/lower PG-13 for attempted murder and a super-sappy romance.
Paul Maier has a lot of well known books to his name, so I expected this one to be a lot more well written than it is. But the storytelling plods (and tells rather than shows), the dialogue is stilted, the pacing is abysmal, and I felt the theological ramifications were overplayed.
Theologically, it was exasperating to find the entire plot hinging on the “empty tomb” without anything else taken into consideration. It takes until the very end of the book for any of the characters to think about why the Church holds to the Resurrection so strongly, and the proofs in addition to the empty tomb.
And the romance — wow, that was mushy! And dramatic! And full of skimpy clothes and passionate declarations of undying love between an older widower and a fresh-faced sapphire-eyed looks-so-hot-in-shorts 20-something!
Paul Maier has a lot of well known books to his name, so I expected this one to be a lot more well written than it is. But the storytelling plods (and tells rather than shows), the dialogue is stilted, the pacing is abysmal, and I felt the theological ramifications were overplayed.
Theologically, it was exasperating to find the entire plot hinging on the “empty tomb” without anything else taken into consideration. It takes until the very end of the book for any of the characters to think about why the Church holds to the Resurrection so strongly, and the proofs in addition to the empty tomb.
And the romance — wow, that was mushy! And dramatic! And full of skimpy clothes and passionate declarations of undying love between an older widower and a fresh-faced sapphire-eyed looks-so-hot-in-shorts 20-something!
May 29, 2009
Way too predictable. There wasn't really anything that wasn't completely obvious. The dialogue was ridiculously cheesy and unrealistic. Plus, he uses italics way too much. Literally twice in every line of spoken dialogue. It was annoying to read. Also, the characters explained too much, and in a very textbook format that made it no less than absurd. And I didn't really care to hear about a 40-year-old man lusting after a 20-year-old girl every other page. The general premise of the book was interesting, but the way it was carried out was a disservice. So, that's what I think about that!
June 4, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Archeologie met een twist, zo zou ik dit boek beschrijven.
In het eerste deel van deze spannende roman Het Rama-dokument gaan we naar Israël naar een opgraving geleid door doctor Jennings. Johnathan Weber (dominee zoon) wordt door zijn oud mentor Jennings uitgenodigd deel te nemen aan de opgravingen bij Rama in zijn Sabbats jaar. Eens in de 7 jaar hebben academici in Amerika een sabbatsjaar, een jaar vrijaf om te schrijven, publiceren, reizen. Rama zou de geboorteplaats zijn van Samuel. De profeet Samuel uit de Bijbel.
Wat zij ontdekken bij deze opgravingen schokt de hele gelovige wereld. Is dit wel of niet een vervalsing? In een goed uitgesponnen verhaal wordt steeds duidelijker dat........
Zeker is dat iedereen een mening heeft en dat je het uiteindelijke slot niet ziet aankomen....... tenminste ik niet.
Ik kijk uit naar deel twee.........
Archeologie met een twist, zo zou ik dit boek beschrijven.
In het eerste deel van deze spannende roman Het Rama-dokument gaan we naar Israël naar een opgraving geleid door doctor Jennings. Johnathan Weber (dominee zoon) wordt door zijn oud mentor Jennings uitgenodigd deel te nemen aan de opgravingen bij Rama in zijn Sabbats jaar. Eens in de 7 jaar hebben academici in Amerika een sabbatsjaar, een jaar vrijaf om te schrijven, publiceren, reizen. Rama zou de geboorteplaats zijn van Samuel. De profeet Samuel uit de Bijbel.
Wat zij ontdekken bij deze opgravingen schokt de hele gelovige wereld. Is dit wel of niet een vervalsing? In een goed uitgesponnen verhaal wordt steeds duidelijker dat........
Zeker is dat iedereen een mening heeft en dat je het uiteindelijke slot niet ziet aankomen....... tenminste ik niet.
Ik kijk uit naar deel twee.........
February 16, 2014
Where do I start?
I really wanted to like this book. Alas. I cannot. The only reason I finished it was so I could feel truly justified in writing a review.
First, the positives:
It is very scholarly, and full of information nerds like me can appreciate. I enjoyed the long explanations of various scientific processes used to authenticate archaeological finds. This kind of thing has always piqued my interest, and I enjoyed those sectors of the book, even though they felt drawn-out and slow.
The concept of the book: What if we unearthed Jesus' bones? What an intriguing mystery that would be! Personally, I think this author should have loaned his scholarly expertise in research to a better writer. Frank Peretti, perhaps, could have wrangled this question with far more genuine intrigue, character development, and solid dialogue.
Now, the negatives (I should have taken notes as I was reading...):
1) Character development is severely lacking. Other than very good visual descriptions, there isn't much to go on to help the reader decide who is likeable and who isn't. Everyone speaks in the same voice, with the occasional foreign accent thrown in. I often found myself backing up a paragraph or two in order to identify who was speaking.
2) The female characters are shallow and insipid. In spite of supposedly being brilliant archaeologists, and experts in their respective fields, they do an awful lot of flirting, giggling, and teasing. The book never focuses on their intellectual or professional abilities, and zeroes in only on their ravishing beauty, their doe eyes, and their giggly school girl ways. I can't take the girls in the book seriously, and that annoys the crap out of me. There was no strong, smart, femininity, just shallow hotties. I was supposed to like these women, but I couldn't stand them.
3) The "romance" shoved into the story against its will. I suppose someone told Maier that every story needs a little romance. He should never have attempted it. (Frankly, I don't think he should ever write a female character, either. Ever.) First of all, the main character lost his beloved pregnant wife in a tragic accident a year and a half before this story takes place. The author spends some time establishing that he is still reeling over her loss, and struggling. He even has a nightmare about it at one point.
A year and a half after such a loss is a pretty likely time for a man to be seeking companionship again, even in his pain. I could see a slow friendship blossoming over time, and turning into love near the end of the book as she becomes part of his healing process. Perhaps a meeting of their minds over the important work they're doing, and a slow dawning of a loving attraction as they share adventures and mishaps together would not be out of place.
Apparently, all it takes is a pair of hot young legs and a bouncing ponytail to make him forget his dead wife in about five minutes. Literally, that's all it took. It's a cheesy, lust-at-first-sight dressed up as love plot line. His dead wife is almost never mentioned again in the entire book, except as an afterthought.
And their relationship? Utterly unbelievable, unremarkable, shallow, carnal, and stupid. No one talks like that to each other. No one. It reminded me of a twelve-year-old boy's attempt at writing a love story. (No offense to 12-year-old boys, to be sure.) Several, supposedly romantic scenes are thrust randomly into the story line to remind us that they lust...I mean love...each other! They are merely corny and insulting to anyone with half a brain.
4) The dialogue was atrocious. So many italics! How will I ever express my true feelings without italics and exclamation points!? While the vocabulary was admirable, the conversations fell flat.
5) It was too long. I like a good, long, book. The key is, it has to be good. This story could have been told in half the number of pages, with probably more effect. I was hoping for an Indiana Jones-esque story, with plenty of mystery, adventure, near-death, and that ubiquitous crazy religious zealot element. There was none of that. Most of the book was just slowly plodding along, advancing the plot by inches that felt like miles.
6) The ending. Without offering spoilers, I have to say the ending was obvious. Once the bad guy is revealed, it was easy for me to call the shots. The mystery was gone. No surprise elements. No last stand. It was tied up rather too neatly. It wasn't quite as lame an ending as Michael Crighton's Sphere, but it was predictable and two-dimensional. There was just too much convenience in it.
The only reason I stuck it out until the end of this book was in the hopes that Meier might pull out all the stops, and give us an excellent unraveling of the mystery. I truly wanted to see how it would play out. I couldn't quite let go of the hope that there could be a good story in all this, in spite of bad writing. I should have put it down halfway through. It was a waste of my time.
I really wanted to like this book. Alas. I cannot. The only reason I finished it was so I could feel truly justified in writing a review.
First, the positives:
It is very scholarly, and full of information nerds like me can appreciate. I enjoyed the long explanations of various scientific processes used to authenticate archaeological finds. This kind of thing has always piqued my interest, and I enjoyed those sectors of the book, even though they felt drawn-out and slow.
The concept of the book: What if we unearthed Jesus' bones? What an intriguing mystery that would be! Personally, I think this author should have loaned his scholarly expertise in research to a better writer. Frank Peretti, perhaps, could have wrangled this question with far more genuine intrigue, character development, and solid dialogue.
Now, the negatives (I should have taken notes as I was reading...):
1) Character development is severely lacking. Other than very good visual descriptions, there isn't much to go on to help the reader decide who is likeable and who isn't. Everyone speaks in the same voice, with the occasional foreign accent thrown in. I often found myself backing up a paragraph or two in order to identify who was speaking.
2) The female characters are shallow and insipid. In spite of supposedly being brilliant archaeologists, and experts in their respective fields, they do an awful lot of flirting, giggling, and teasing. The book never focuses on their intellectual or professional abilities, and zeroes in only on their ravishing beauty, their doe eyes, and their giggly school girl ways. I can't take the girls in the book seriously, and that annoys the crap out of me. There was no strong, smart, femininity, just shallow hotties. I was supposed to like these women, but I couldn't stand them.
3) The "romance" shoved into the story against its will. I suppose someone told Maier that every story needs a little romance. He should never have attempted it. (Frankly, I don't think he should ever write a female character, either. Ever.) First of all, the main character lost his beloved pregnant wife in a tragic accident a year and a half before this story takes place. The author spends some time establishing that he is still reeling over her loss, and struggling. He even has a nightmare about it at one point.
A year and a half after such a loss is a pretty likely time for a man to be seeking companionship again, even in his pain. I could see a slow friendship blossoming over time, and turning into love near the end of the book as she becomes part of his healing process. Perhaps a meeting of their minds over the important work they're doing, and a slow dawning of a loving attraction as they share adventures and mishaps together would not be out of place.
Apparently, all it takes is a pair of hot young legs and a bouncing ponytail to make him forget his dead wife in about five minutes. Literally, that's all it took. It's a cheesy, lust-at-first-sight dressed up as love plot line. His dead wife is almost never mentioned again in the entire book, except as an afterthought.
And their relationship? Utterly unbelievable, unremarkable, shallow, carnal, and stupid. No one talks like that to each other. No one. It reminded me of a twelve-year-old boy's attempt at writing a love story. (No offense to 12-year-old boys, to be sure.) Several, supposedly romantic scenes are thrust randomly into the story line to remind us that they lust...I mean love...each other! They are merely corny and insulting to anyone with half a brain.
4) The dialogue was atrocious. So many italics! How will I ever express my true feelings without italics and exclamation points!? While the vocabulary was admirable, the conversations fell flat.
5) It was too long. I like a good, long, book. The key is, it has to be good. This story could have been told in half the number of pages, with probably more effect. I was hoping for an Indiana Jones-esque story, with plenty of mystery, adventure, near-death, and that ubiquitous crazy religious zealot element. There was none of that. Most of the book was just slowly plodding along, advancing the plot by inches that felt like miles.
6) The ending. Without offering spoilers, I have to say the ending was obvious. Once the bad guy is revealed, it was easy for me to call the shots. The mystery was gone. No surprise elements. No last stand. It was tied up rather too neatly. It wasn't quite as lame an ending as Michael Crighton's Sphere, but it was predictable and two-dimensional. There was just too much convenience in it.
The only reason I stuck it out until the end of this book was in the hopes that Meier might pull out all the stops, and give us an excellent unraveling of the mystery. I truly wanted to see how it would play out. I couldn't quite let go of the hope that there could be a good story in all this, in spite of bad writing. I should have put it down halfway through. It was a waste of my time.
June 14, 2013
I came to this book via the author, who was known to several friends of mine (I never met him) and they said I should read his stuff, being a medievalist and scholastic type myself. (Some of my friends are unclear on the historical period delineations.)
So I did, and it was entertaining, and that's that. I mean, it's sad, but my first reaction on finishing was, "okay, what's next?"
Here's the thing. Maier's premise is really good, in terms of asking what would happen to Christianity and the world if somebody dug up Jesus' bones and it turned out the Resurrection was a lie. This is a great conversation piece! The unfortunate thing is that he takes this solid idea and buries it in a book that is trite, flat, and poorly edited. It's like Dan Brown with actual intelligence and scholastic merit, which means that it's better, but still unfortunate.
It's slow at the beginning; it took me about 50 pages to really care about anything that was going on in the story. (The last third or so is more exciting, so it's worth continuing.) Then we get into the dig itself and the findings and then all the testings, and even as a scholar who knows a lot of the details and test types and such, I got a little bored by how much it felt like Maier saying, "Look how much I know about my field! See? See how it's totally applicable to awesome things?" Particle tests are not going to get more exciting. They just aren't.
Then there was this romance. What. I have no idea where it came from, the whole thing felt incredibly forced in that "I have to have a romance for the lead" way, and I never cared at all for the beautiful woman who was incredibly smart except for the part where I as a reader never saw her doing anything all that more impressive than a well-trained undergrad, so she was smart about what...? A feminine icon Shannon is not. A well-rounded character Shannon is not. A pair of legs with an Irish temper Shannon is.
I also totally didn't buy the ending, not least because I kept hearing Syndrome's line from "The Incredibles"the whole time.
And a note on italics: I don't know whether the novelty of not working with a typewriter contributed to this or not, but it felt like half the words on the page were in italics, and often unnecessarily so. It was a bit like reading a comic book, and I hate that about comic books.
So it was good to read to mull over the main premise, but other than that, I think I'll just listen to my friends' stories of the author rather than actually reading his stuff.
So I did, and it was entertaining, and that's that. I mean, it's sad, but my first reaction on finishing was, "okay, what's next?"
Here's the thing. Maier's premise is really good, in terms of asking what would happen to Christianity and the world if somebody dug up Jesus' bones and it turned out the Resurrection was a lie. This is a great conversation piece! The unfortunate thing is that he takes this solid idea and buries it in a book that is trite, flat, and poorly edited. It's like Dan Brown with actual intelligence and scholastic merit, which means that it's better, but still unfortunate.
It's slow at the beginning; it took me about 50 pages to really care about anything that was going on in the story. (The last third or so is more exciting, so it's worth continuing.) Then we get into the dig itself and the findings and then all the testings, and even as a scholar who knows a lot of the details and test types and such, I got a little bored by how much it felt like Maier saying, "Look how much I know about my field! See? See how it's totally applicable to awesome things?" Particle tests are not going to get more exciting. They just aren't.
Then there was this romance. What. I have no idea where it came from, the whole thing felt incredibly forced in that "I have to have a romance for the lead" way, and I never cared at all for the beautiful woman who was incredibly smart except for the part where I as a reader never saw her doing anything all that more impressive than a well-trained undergrad, so she was smart about what...? A feminine icon Shannon is not. A well-rounded character Shannon is not. A pair of legs with an Irish temper Shannon is.
I also totally didn't buy the ending, not least because I kept hearing Syndrome's line from "The Incredibles"the whole time.
And a note on italics: I don't know whether the novelty of not working with a typewriter contributed to this or not, but it felt like half the words on the page were in italics, and often unnecessarily so. It was a bit like reading a comic book, and I hate that about comic books.
So it was good to read to mull over the main premise, but other than that, I think I'll just listen to my friends' stories of the author rather than actually reading his stuff.
January 31, 2013
Here's the caveat to everything that follows: the first time I read this book, I was just figuring out my own thoughts on organized religion. Raised Lutheran and Catholic, I was at the age that the bloom was starting to come off the rose (long story). Nevertheless, I've had the impression since the first read through that this book was a really fun, engaging, intelligent thriller that happened to ask a big what-if about Christianity.
Fifteen years later (or so), I found my copy and picked it up, ready for a fun reread. Imagine my disappointment when
a) the writing was plodding and dull
b) the Western world was placed on a pedestal
and
c) stereotypes peppered the entire book.
Ignoring the atrocious prose (I've apparently raised my standards, which is good), I had a big problem with the way Maier half-purports to be scientific and objective, but instead makes it clear that he doesn't take anyone seriously who expresses "liberal" beliefs or has a completely different culture than him (even the names he choose for his non-American characters make me want to spit!).
His focus on "physical vs. spiritual" resurrection was infuriating. I was always taught about symbolism in church; Sunday school and confirmation classes were full of ways to interpret scriptures. I don't buy the idea that the entire world would go to chaos if someone unearthed Jesus' remains. Yes, a third of the world's population is some type of Christian, and yes, plenty of people would be shocked if we found Jesus' bones, but for him to say it would completely eradicate all but the "fringe-liberal" Christianity is to remove any sort of credit for Christians' core beliefs. This is definitely a worst-case-scenario book, despite the way he cloaks it.
I know our world has changed since he wrote this. We're truly globally connected, and had he waited a few years to write this, it would be a hugely different story, I'm sure. Alas, he wrote it when he wrote it, and I read it again, and that is that. This is apparently the first in a series now, eh? Unless Maier's writing drastically improved and he became more knowledgeable, less bigoted, and has cut the snide "humor" at women's expense, I won't be picking up any more books from him.
Plus, you know what? Anyone who uses an ignorant stereotype about my alma mater doesn't deserve my support.
Fifteen years later (or so), I found my copy and picked it up, ready for a fun reread. Imagine my disappointment when
a) the writing was plodding and dull
b) the Western world was placed on a pedestal
and
c) stereotypes peppered the entire book.
Ignoring the atrocious prose (I've apparently raised my standards, which is good), I had a big problem with the way Maier half-purports to be scientific and objective, but instead makes it clear that he doesn't take anyone seriously who expresses "liberal" beliefs or has a completely different culture than him (even the names he choose for his non-American characters make me want to spit!).
His focus on "physical vs. spiritual" resurrection was infuriating. I was always taught about symbolism in church; Sunday school and confirmation classes were full of ways to interpret scriptures. I don't buy the idea that the entire world would go to chaos if someone unearthed Jesus' remains. Yes, a third of the world's population is some type of Christian, and yes, plenty of people would be shocked if we found Jesus' bones, but for him to say it would completely eradicate all but the "fringe-liberal" Christianity is to remove any sort of credit for Christians' core beliefs. This is definitely a worst-case-scenario book, despite the way he cloaks it.
I know our world has changed since he wrote this. We're truly globally connected, and had he waited a few years to write this, it would be a hugely different story, I'm sure. Alas, he wrote it when he wrote it, and I read it again, and that is that. This is apparently the first in a series now, eh? Unless Maier's writing drastically improved and he became more knowledgeable, less bigoted, and has cut the snide "humor" at women's expense, I won't be picking up any more books from him.
Plus, you know what? Anyone who uses an ignorant stereotype about my alma mater doesn't deserve my support.
July 24, 2011
This book, a bit of light reading on one level, succeeded in creating an alternative world that shaped the way I look at this one. Even if when I didn't have my nose in the book I started to think about the world around me as though the body of Jesus had been found and had to consciously shift myself into rejoicing that the flesh and bone that the apostles touched never would be recovered in some grave.
in terms of the author's execution, I also thought the book was excellent. I found the plot rich with authentic detail. I thought the characters were much more developed and well-rounded than anything I have read in overtly Christian fiction. This book is definitely worth reading, especially in the Resurrection season.
in terms of the author's execution, I also thought the book was excellent. I found the plot rich with authentic detail. I thought the characters were much more developed and well-rounded than anything I have read in overtly Christian fiction. This book is definitely worth reading, especially in the Resurrection season.
November 15, 2019
The premise is good and I read it all the way through (well, I did skim the more technical aspects of archaeology tools), but overall, meh. The romance was so flowery and ridiculous. I appreciated the way Catholics were portrayed when in so many other similar books, they are bad guys or perpetrators, but the author's other biases also came across. Just not my cup of tea.
August 21, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
March 14, 2021
I loved the premise of this book - what if the body of Jesus were found today? The implications for our society and what it means to live your values, backed up by religion or not, were incredibly thought-provoking and my reading experience was overall enjoyable.
This book had a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing for my preference. I also found there to be a lot of mini-conflicts that were brought up and immediately fixed within two pages - why bring it up if it weren't going to be a larger issue?
This book had a lot of telling and not nearly enough showing for my preference. I also found there to be a lot of mini-conflicts that were brought up and immediately fixed within two pages - why bring it up if it weren't going to be a larger issue?
April 16, 2022
I loved the insight into the archeological process this story provides. An exciting and engaging story that insights healthy questioning about the Christian faith but remains redemptive.
I read this as a teenager and really enjoyed it and was challenged in healthy ways in my faith by it - it made me a stronger believer! But, I would not recommend only because it has a couple of sensual romantic scenes that I wisely skipped over as a teen and therefore forgot about until this reread.
I read this as a teenager and really enjoyed it and was challenged in healthy ways in my faith by it - it made me a stronger believer! But, I would not recommend only because it has a couple of sensual romantic scenes that I wisely skipped over as a teen and therefore forgot about until this reread.
November 3, 2023
Extremely well written mystery, I was shook when I got to the end
December 23, 2024
Dit boek is heel knap om historische feiten en personen heen geschreven. Het is fictie, maar zou 25 jaar geleden zomaar echt gebeurd kunnen zijn
May 29, 2019
I have wanted to read this book for many years, but only recently purchased a used copy and started the task several weeks ago.
My admiration for Maier begins with my admiration for his father, and the ministry he began of the Lutheran Hour radio program. I've appreciated the several times I've heard Dr Maier, the son, interviewed about various historical topics, and being one who's had a cursory interest in archaeology I was intrigued by how this book would play out.
The story line, for the most part, is highly believable, though there challenge for me was slogging through more detail than I considered necessary. Perhaps because of the nature of the topic, Dr Maier considered such detail a requirement of the topic, but even as one who has several books on biblical history and introductory archaeology, it was more than I wanted to know. But perhaps I was wanting to be entertained more than instructed, and I was looking for a novel and adventure. To be fair, however, the subject matter was somewhat technical, and all the major players were "technicians" in the craft.
Character development was a bit lacking, and I say that as an aspiring author who fears I will do far worse, but there was, for be, an unfortunate flatness in much of the personalities. There were, however, occasional points where a scene revealed a depth in a person very well, and again, as one who hopes to publish someday, I camped on those portions longer than others trying to identify what made those passages succeed at capturing my emotions. I'm not sure I could identify all the elements but they kept me going enough that I wanted to finish the book.
The conclusion of the story was somewhat satisfactory, somewhat not. The trip from climax to denouncement was, as is often the case in Christian fiction, too abrupt and in a few ways expected. Life rarely is neatly packaged, and unfortunately, general market fiction often is much more life-like in that regard than Christian. Ends left loose, while posing potential aggravation, would have been more satisfying for me.
Overall the story was good and I'm glad to have read the book after so many years of telling myself I would. There's enough likability in the protagonists for me to have enjoyed them and rooted for them, and while I think the archaeological and scientific details were excessive, they were structured into the novel in such a way that they could be skimmed over without losing the story.
I know Dr Maier has written additional fiction. At this point, I'm satisfied with completing this one.
My admiration for Maier begins with my admiration for his father, and the ministry he began of the Lutheran Hour radio program. I've appreciated the several times I've heard Dr Maier, the son, interviewed about various historical topics, and being one who's had a cursory interest in archaeology I was intrigued by how this book would play out.
The story line, for the most part, is highly believable, though there challenge for me was slogging through more detail than I considered necessary. Perhaps because of the nature of the topic, Dr Maier considered such detail a requirement of the topic, but even as one who has several books on biblical history and introductory archaeology, it was more than I wanted to know. But perhaps I was wanting to be entertained more than instructed, and I was looking for a novel and adventure. To be fair, however, the subject matter was somewhat technical, and all the major players were "technicians" in the craft.
Character development was a bit lacking, and I say that as an aspiring author who fears I will do far worse, but there was, for be, an unfortunate flatness in much of the personalities. There were, however, occasional points where a scene revealed a depth in a person very well, and again, as one who hopes to publish someday, I camped on those portions longer than others trying to identify what made those passages succeed at capturing my emotions. I'm not sure I could identify all the elements but they kept me going enough that I wanted to finish the book.
The conclusion of the story was somewhat satisfactory, somewhat not. The trip from climax to denouncement was, as is often the case in Christian fiction, too abrupt and in a few ways expected. Life rarely is neatly packaged, and unfortunately, general market fiction often is much more life-like in that regard than Christian. Ends left loose, while posing potential aggravation, would have been more satisfying for me.
Overall the story was good and I'm glad to have read the book after so many years of telling myself I would. There's enough likability in the protagonists for me to have enjoyed them and rooted for them, and while I think the archaeological and scientific details were excessive, they were structured into the novel in such a way that they could be skimmed over without losing the story.
I know Dr Maier has written additional fiction. At this point, I'm satisfied with completing this one.
November 24, 2013
I bought this book because a good friend who's interested in a lot of the same things as I recommended it. Honestly, it was one of the most poorly written novels I've ever read! I had just been reading manuscript submissions for the publisher I volunteer for sometimes, so my critical hat was on, but oh my! If I had written slush feedback about this one it would have said;
'Rejected. This novel holds lots of potential, as the premise is unique and interesting, and the twist of who the villain is was unexpected, but the dialogue was unconvincing (who in real life actually says the name of the person they're talking to after every other sentence?) and needs deep editing. The writer uses an excessive amount of exclamation marks and italicization, and has over-shared his research. The main female character is so one-dimensional that I spent most of the book thinking that she was the bad guy, disguising herself so deeply that she appeared shallow. This needs a THROUGH edit and some re-writes and then there might be something worth resubmitting.'
The age gap between the professor and Shannon made me really uncomfortable too; how hard would it have been to make her a bit older, and have her wear more clothes?! He came across as really sexist, even when talking about his dead wife. The ending was also really abrupt - after taking forever and a day to get to the action, it was all over so fast I felt let down.
Because I'd heard such good things about the book, I was wondering if there was something wrong with me, so I came to Goodreads to see some other reviews of it, and while there were a lot of people who gave it five stars, there were a few hundred or so who agreed with me. There were several reviews that between them covered the various points of contention I had, but this is my favourite of them:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I'd read the sequels to see if his writing got better with practice, but I wouldn't go out of my way, and I definitely wouldn't spend anymore money on them. Sorry! I wish I had a better review, because I really respect the author and his worldview (I'm Lutheran too), but this was really poorly done!
'Rejected. This novel holds lots of potential, as the premise is unique and interesting, and the twist of who the villain is was unexpected, but the dialogue was unconvincing (who in real life actually says the name of the person they're talking to after every other sentence?) and needs deep editing. The writer uses an excessive amount of exclamation marks and italicization, and has over-shared his research. The main female character is so one-dimensional that I spent most of the book thinking that she was the bad guy, disguising herself so deeply that she appeared shallow. This needs a THROUGH edit and some re-writes and then there might be something worth resubmitting.'
The age gap between the professor and Shannon made me really uncomfortable too; how hard would it have been to make her a bit older, and have her wear more clothes?! He came across as really sexist, even when talking about his dead wife. The ending was also really abrupt - after taking forever and a day to get to the action, it was all over so fast I felt let down.
Because I'd heard such good things about the book, I was wondering if there was something wrong with me, so I came to Goodreads to see some other reviews of it, and while there were a lot of people who gave it five stars, there were a few hundred or so who agreed with me. There were several reviews that between them covered the various points of contention I had, but this is my favourite of them:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I'd read the sequels to see if his writing got better with practice, but I wouldn't go out of my way, and I definitely wouldn't spend anymore money on them. Sorry! I wish I had a better review, because I really respect the author and his worldview (I'm Lutheran too), but this was really poorly done!
October 19, 2010
Review of "A Skeleton In God's Closet"
The is based on the 'discovery' of Jesus bones along with other artifacts that 'prove' its authenticity. It is very thorough in its academic approach to the archeological aspects of the story - perhaps too much so, in some cases. I found myself skimming through some of the more dry scientific stuff to get back to the story. The story itself, however, is well written. I especially appreciated the skill in which the author described the scenery and even the emotional turmoil of the main character, Dr. Jon Weber. However, i did find some of the romantic scenes a bit 'cheesy', if I may say. That part of the story just didn't read as natural. Over all, however, I enjoyed the book - the intrigue, the subterfuge and the disturbing question itself - what if Christianity is a grand hoax? I caught myself feeling disheartened and disillusioned along with the 'world' as the story progressed - the mark of good story telling, I think! I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in investigative stories, archeology, and of course, Christian fiction
The is based on the 'discovery' of Jesus bones along with other artifacts that 'prove' its authenticity. It is very thorough in its academic approach to the archeological aspects of the story - perhaps too much so, in some cases. I found myself skimming through some of the more dry scientific stuff to get back to the story. The story itself, however, is well written. I especially appreciated the skill in which the author described the scenery and even the emotional turmoil of the main character, Dr. Jon Weber. However, i did find some of the romantic scenes a bit 'cheesy', if I may say. That part of the story just didn't read as natural. Over all, however, I enjoyed the book - the intrigue, the subterfuge and the disturbing question itself - what if Christianity is a grand hoax? I caught myself feeling disheartened and disillusioned along with the 'world' as the story progressed - the mark of good story telling, I think! I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in investigative stories, archeology, and of course, Christian fiction
May 25, 2020
Positives - this is a unique plot, and I appreciate how thoughtful the cultural ramifications of finding Christ’s body would be. The only other like is that I had waves of archaeology nostalgia.
Negative - this is so poorly written. It is doused in cliches, such as flat characters, insensitive religious/racial passages. The dialogue is absolute garbage, and I found myself rolling my eyes countless times.
The love story is a total waste. It feels hollow and cliche. Its also highly inappropriate on so many levels.
The author positions are blatant. It feels like he writes Jon (protagonist) from his world view. I don’t appreciate how he not only puts down Islam, but also Christian Lefts - for that matter, he doesn’t treat Christian Rights any better either. There would be plenty of edits if this was written in present day.
Also, I felt that the ending was contrived, and felt really Scooby-Doo-like. Again, peppered in cliches.
Bottom line: being written in 1994, it doesn’t age well. It’s a great idea for a story, and it CAN/WOULD inspire someone’s faith, but it’s writing/execution is low-quality.
Negative - this is so poorly written. It is doused in cliches, such as flat characters, insensitive religious/racial passages. The dialogue is absolute garbage, and I found myself rolling my eyes countless times.
The love story is a total waste. It feels hollow and cliche. Its also highly inappropriate on so many levels.
The author positions are blatant. It feels like he writes Jon (protagonist) from his world view. I don’t appreciate how he not only puts down Islam, but also Christian Lefts - for that matter, he doesn’t treat Christian Rights any better either. There would be plenty of edits if this was written in present day.
Also, I felt that the ending was contrived, and felt really Scooby-Doo-like. Again, peppered in cliches.
Bottom line: being written in 1994, it doesn’t age well. It’s a great idea for a story, and it CAN/WOULD inspire someone’s faith, but it’s writing/execution is low-quality.
December 26, 2020
I was disappointed by this book, particularly since I have met the author and found him to be a very wise, thoughtful pastor. Like me, he is an LCMS Lutheran, and I expected his novels to have the same quality - of writing and of theology - that his sermons do.
Unfortunately, they do not.
The book (and its sequels) were an interesting look into archaeology, and there were some compelling plot points/moments, but the way he played with theology... was not okay with me. Especially since I spent part of each book thinking that he was promoting a heresy ("Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead," "Jesus has returned to earth but not revealed himself," etc.). The explanations given for why the characters temporarily believed these heresies were flimsy at best.
I did enjoy the subtle, good-natured humor directed at Catholicism. (Apologies to my Catholic friends ;) And there was some strange inter-denominational conference that resulted in the Lutherans admitting they numbered the commandments wrong! *claps* We seriously need to admit that.
---
read 5/17/2018
Unfortunately, they do not.
The book (and its sequels) were an interesting look into archaeology, and there were some compelling plot points/moments, but the way he played with theology... was not okay with me. Especially since I spent part of each book thinking that he was promoting a heresy ("Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead," "Jesus has returned to earth but not revealed himself," etc.). The explanations given for why the characters temporarily believed these heresies were flimsy at best.
I did enjoy the subtle, good-natured humor directed at Catholicism. (Apologies to my Catholic friends ;) And there was some strange inter-denominational conference that resulted in the Lutherans admitting they numbered the commandments wrong! *claps* We seriously need to admit that.
---
read 5/17/2018
August 25, 2015
Lekker spannend. In Amerika is het gewoon een sabbatsjaar te hebben. Om artikelen te schrijven of onderzoek te doen. De briljante wetenschapper Jonathan wordt ontboden bij de Paus.Hij doet in het vaticaan een verontrustende ontdekking. Met veel vragen vertrekt hij naar Israël om daar mee te werken aan een veelbelovende archeologische opgraving bij de plaats Rama. Wanneer Weber na enige tijd stuit op een unieke vondst lijkt de droom van iedere archeoloog voor hem werkelijkheid te worden. Deze droom verandert echter met één slag in een nachtmerrie bij de volgende ontdekking: een 2000 jaar oude brief. Nog nooit heeft een archeologische vondst de wereld zo op zijn kop gezet als het Rama-document. Jonathan koppelt zich aan Shannon Jennings, om meer gegevens te vinden. Er ontspint zich een spannend kat en muis spel. Wat is waar en wat niet.
May 5, 2014
This one's a mystery for archaeology geeks. What if the old joke, "Cancel Easter. They found the body." came true? Dr. Jonathan Weber discovers the body of Jesus of Nazareth buried in Ramallah. Or does he? He and his companions endeavor to verify the authenticity of their find. In the meanwhile, news of the discover leaks out and the world has to deal with the consequences of a Christ who has not risen. It's an intriguing concept and I did get caught up in the mystery. However, the book did come across as biblical scholar fan fiction. I love Dr. Maier's non-fiction and his lectures, but as a novelist--especially when writing scenes of romance--he has much to learn.
October 25, 2020
Meh...I just reread this this past week and wasn't super impressed. I liked the archaeological storyline just fine--and all the Israel stuff was a yay---but the writing was HORRENDOUS. This author creeps me right out---seems like a really sleazy weirdo. Every time a woman is mentioned, her form and sexual vibe has to be described in detail---yet he never mentions much about the men having this affect on the women. The conversations between characters are straight out of a superhero comic...or are otherwise laced with creepy joking that no decent men would ever use with one another. Still, I'll probably keep the book as I do enjoy archaeology stories...but it's definitely cringe-worthy.
December 26, 2021
Not being a prodigious nit-picker, but an intelligent reader, I found this book to be excellent. Of course, without some knowledge of real-world archaeology and textual criticism, I may fall back on picking nits as well. And, while I am a conservative evangelical preacher, I don’t demand fictional characters to step outside of real-world people in order to bow to self-made moralists. (oh,my!) The book is packed with complex plots and counter-plots, intrigue, romance (withOUT immorality implied), and had me quite engaged, and even viscerally upset at developments, always wanting to get to the next page! Wonderful ride, Paul!! Thank you!
January 26, 2018
I found the MP3 CD for this book on the library shelf and picked it up for something to listen to on a road trip. It was interesting enough to keep my attention, but I'm not sure I could have read it all the way through. I did not appreciate the shallow characterization, especially of the women, and the romance stuck out of the story like a sore thumb.
May 13, 2013
This book is a good read for anyone who likes reading historical fiction, action/adventure books and religious fiction. It's well paced with a good plot and interesting characters. The story line is intriguing with some thought provoking concepts.
May 21, 2019
It was OK. A little corny regarding the romance. The most interesting aspect of the book was the impact it would have on the world if there were such a discovery that would put Christ's identity into question.
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