Treasure of the Templars

The novel opens with a brief prologue in which , while evacuating an ancient Scottish castle in 1897 a University of Chicago archaelogist Roddy McGinnis discovers a journal written by Peter Stirling a memeber of the Knights Templar entrusted with concealing their treasure horde from the Papacy and the French King who had outlawed their movement in 1307 He transported it to what is now the Soutwerstern United States and the journal points to its exact locationMc Ginniss sets out to uncover the treasure .He is beset by modern Templars anxious to use the treasure to finance their rebirth. With newly recruited bodyguard Marcus Flood and his schoolteacher niece Merliss he sets out for the abandoned canons of New Mexico with a Templar agent Helverson unwittingly recruited as a guide If the enmity of Helverson were not enough of a problem there are some train robbers who stumble across the party and torrential floods to considerSturdy action -there is an especially well written and vivid fight scene -and brisk narrative pace keep this interesting throughout although I found Marcus'ruminations on religion and war (he is an ex -monk )to be tiresomely sophomoric .This aside Champlins book is exciting and vivid Western writing with an appeal wider than the usual genre audience

In 1898, archeology professor Roddy McGinnis is supervising a dig in a medieval dungeon when he unearths the journal of a 16th century Scottish know by the name of Peter Stirling. The knight had died in that dungeon after being tortured to reveal the location of t`e gold treasury of the Knights Templar. Now McGinnis has discovered a map to the treasure's resting place in the New World, where Stirling and a group of Templar knights had been sent to hide it. Although that ancient order of warrior monks was disbanded, a shadow organization still survives and wants that fabled treasure for themselves. Former Trappist monk Marcus Flood meets McGinnis when an attempt is made on the professors life by modern remnants of that ancient order. Flood agrees to act as McGinnis' bodyguard and, together with the professor's niece, they set out to elude the Templars and locate a legendary treasure somewhere in the vastness of New Mexico. Treasure Of The Templars is a riveting read from first page to last!