Mara Document, The

by Michael Jordan

At a remote stone circle on the Tuscan estate of the Romagnesi family, a small boy named Sergio is destined to make a horrific discovery that will eventually cost him his life. Ben Schaeffer, a lapsed British TV documentary maker, is bequeathed a file of papers including photographs of a copper scroll thought to be over 2,000 years old. The file contains a confused account of the scroll's history and provides obscure hints of its whereabouts. A deathbed letter from his friend persuades Ben to embark on a quest. Lorenzo (Enzo) Cortesini, a Florence-based surgeon, bears reluctant responsibility towards the Romagnesi family who covets possession of the scroll to further both an extreme religious cult and political aspirations. Enzo and Ben join forces in the search for the scroll. As the mystery of its location is revealed, disturbing information also begins to emerge about its nature. The reason for Sergio's tragic death is linked to the scroll, but only when it is finally located and examined does the full extent and significance of its content become clear. This demands radical decisions.

Paperback

About the author

Michael Jordan was born in Lancashire, England, in 1941. He studied Natural Sciences at London University, and went on to become a successful BBC television presenter of wildlife programs in the 1980s. His love of writing began at about that time, when his focus of interest switched to ancient religions and cults, for which today he is best known as a non-fiction author. He has a current list of 26 published works.

In 2001 he wrote a highly controversial book, published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, Mary, the Unauthorised Biography, about the origins of the Marian cult, which was subsequently sold worldwide in various languages.

Michael's first venture into fiction writing, The Seventy Ninth Heresy, evolved from his years of research into the field of ancient religions and their origins.

Currently he lives in Devon.