Unholy Grail

This book came as a nice surprise, especially for a first-time novel. The plot is superb, the characters are conflicted and interesting, and the information content is fascinating. An excellent read! Please, continue writing great novels like this one, Mr. Wilson.

Unholy Grail is a finely crafted tale of good versus evil, righteousness versus cold blooded murder. Like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, the bloodline of Jesus is in question; unlike Dan Brown's novel, the author's extensive research allows the reader to see both sides of the controversy through his character Britt, a professor of religion, and Father Romano, a Jesuit priest. D.L. Wilson skillfully weaves his tale of murder and ambition and religious zealotry gone astray, and the reader is reminded again that the Holy Grail was not just a simple chalice. The author's plot winds around this controversy like Le Serpent Rouge. Wilson's meticulous research included visiting Rennes-le Chateau and interviewing the theological and scientific communities. Father Romano, a non-traditional protagonist, is based on information gleaned from Jesuit priests. In fact, a copy of this book lies on a shelf of the Jesuit library. Those who were skeptical of Dan Brown's book from a religious standpoint will find this book stimulating and palatable. From Father Romano's first brush with death to the grand finale, the novel's characters are believable and the plot compelling. The novel reads like a fast paced movie, forcing you to turn the pages and providing information that the average reader will soak up with enthusiasm and debate over dinner. Wilson engineers the language, characters, plot, and setting to achieve a religious thriller rivaling any on the market. If you enjoyed Da Vinci Code, you'll like this one even better. This novel could easily be turned into a box office smash hit.

I was leery about buying a novel from a first-time author, but the book was a pleasant surprise. I couldn't put it down! "Unholy Grail" is an engrossing, well-executed thriller. The research, breathless action scenes, and intricate plotting made for a refreshing reading experience. The two main characters, Father Joseph Romano, a Jesuit priest and Brittany Hamar, a female religious professor who is having a crisis of faith, are thrown into a conspiracy that challenges accepted church doctrine. They each receive a mysterious call offering them a secret gospel written by Jesus' brother, James. When they arrive at Grand Central Station to receive the document, there is a shooting that thrusts Father Romano and Hamar into the center of a growing conspiracy. Father Romano is caught between church doctrine and his search for truth when his mentor joins a number of priests dying under strange circumstances after meeting with Hamar. To find the truth and stop the deaths, Romano and Hamar embark on a chase through Europe searching for a bizarre killer and answers to troubling revelations that conflict with religious doctrine. The chase ends with a chilling, surprising, but satisfying climax. "Unholy Grail" is a superb thriller with a tightly woven plotline and complex characters. The obvious exhaustive research makes the plot premise so believable. D.L. Wilson's first effort at fiction is nothing short of a great read.

Unholy Grail is an action-packed read that not only kept me turning the pages searching for the next plot twist, but caused me to ponder traditional religious beliefs. Unholy Grail moves beyond just a thriller and delves into how historical perceptions, religious dogma, myths, conspiracy theories, and the gray areas between fact and fiction can effect our lives. Father Joseph Romano and religious scholar Brittany Hamar are fabulous, well-developed characters who kept me glued to the fast-paced plot as they chased after a mysterious parchment, written by Jesus's brother James, and answers to why Jesuit priests are found dead, marked with the Stigmata. Their quest takes them to Vienna and across Europe through the South of France searching for evidence of Le Serpent Rouge, a possible bloodline of Christ and Mary Magdalene. The detailed location descriptions were so realistic, I envisioned myself being along for the ride. What they find in a mountaintop village high in the French Pyrenees is the Unholy Grail that could send shock waves through the Church. D.L. Wilson has taken the Religious Thriller to new heights with immaculate research providing a thought provoking astonishing novel. I have to agree with Clive Cussler's quote, "A tale rich with intrigue that grips the imagination. A must read."

Out of the blue, Father Joseph Romano gets a phone call from a man asking him to meet him at a certain time and place to discuss the Gospel of James, which describes what happened at the crucifixion. When the priest arrives at the Grand Central Station locale, a shot is fired at a woman holding a box. Someone tried to kill Brittany Hamar who is wring a book The Jesus Fraud that questions the basic tents of Christianity. Britt received the same call that Joseph did. Soon two priests including one that is a friend of Joseph dies. Joseph wants to know what Britt is working on that is so controversial that someone wanted her dead and how that ties to the dead priests. Britt tells him about a covert group the RexDeus and their inner circle Le Serpent Rouge dedicated to preserving the bloodline of Christ and Mary Magdalene. Britt has in her possession a piece of the Gospel of James that claims Mary was pregnant with Jesus' offspring. Joseph and Britt team up moving across Europe in a quest for the UNHOLY GRAIL believing the Lea Serpent Rouge has sent their minion after them. In the tradition of the Da Vinci Code, D.L. Wilson provides an exciting thought provoking religious thriller that will astonish readers with the amount of historical facts and dogma interwoven into the storyline without slowing down the action-packed story line. The two protagonists undertake the quest to quell their doubts, but find much more than they anticipated. Although the premise is over the top, the audience will appreciate this action adventure thriller. Harriet Klausner