The First Apostle (Chris Bronson)

This is a really fun read. A great way to kick back for an afternoon. Author does a nice job of relating characters to each other. He makes them especially enjoyable. Looking for another book by him.

Police detective Chris Bronson is devastated when he learns his best friend's life has died in a fall at her home - but when he journeys to Italy to offer condolences, he finds evidence of murder. His investigation involves deciphering a stone and working with his ex-wife to uncover the truth in this fine adventure saga.

After the success of The DaVinci Code there has been a veritable flood of thrillers about secrets that threaten to undermine the Vatican. But in most cases these earth-shattering secrets turn out to be quite boring and contrived. Becker, in his The First Apostle, presents another one of these religious thrillers. But in contrast to its competitors this book actually delivers and offers all the ingredients that make for an exciting religious thriller. There are wonderful characters that you care about as a reader, there is the excitement of the chase and the intellectual puzzles, there are all the historical details presented in a new light and there is the underlying dark secret that really IS quite shocking. I don't know whether Becker plans to write other thrillers in the same vein, but I will keep my eyes open for his next book. Definitely recommended!

Englishwoman Jackie Hampton remains behind in Italy due a change in a builders' schedule while her spouse Mark is in London on business. Two men Alberti and Rogan assume the Hampton house is empty, but see Jackie and break her neck. They next chisel away at the plaster above the fireplace until the next layer is exposed displaying an inscription carved into it. They use a digital camera to take pictures before they replaster the wall and leave. Mark receives the gruesome call. He and his best friend English policeman Chris Bronson travel to Italy. Officially her death is ruled an accident, but Chris sees evidence of a break-in. As he looks around what he believes is a crime scene, he notices the fresh plaster over the fireplace seems out of place in spite of renovation all over the house as this section is isolated from the work done and looks incomplete. He finds the concealed ancient Latin inscription "Hic Vanidici Latitant". As the Church leaders fear the impact of the find, Chris asks his former wife antiques expert Angela for help with the translation, which he learns is "Here Lie the Liars." To decipher the connotation of the message, the couple follows clues across Europe while hunters try to kill them; collateral damage of the innocent is an acceptable practice by the Vatican as the truth will shake their foundation. This is an exciting Brownian thriller based (see the Author's Notes) on "historical evidence that St. Paul was an agent of Rome." The story line, built from that premise and much more, is fast-paced and filled with non stop action as the lead couple uncovers a conspiracy that makes Da Vinci's look minor. Although the market is flooded with these types of thrillers and the exomologesis villains seem pathetic, fans will enjoy THE FIRST APOSTLE as Mr. Becker uses historical hypothesis and facts to enhance his electrifying Church conspiracy tale. Harriet Klausner