James BeckerRezensionen

Very average (NOT "explosive" ) novella relating search by police and poorly defined Russian organized crime and Italian hired thug criminals.

Bohemia, 1741. En el interio de una capilla privada están dando sepultura a una dama húngara de alta cuna. Antes de ser enterrada, le sacan el corazón del cuerpo... por temor a que se levante para cobrarse nuevas víctimas.
Venecia, 2010. Chris Bronson y Angela Lewis, durante sus vacaciones en la ciudad más hermosa del mundo, descubren una tumba profanada. En el interior, hay un esqueleto de mujer y un diario que habla de un pergamino perdido que proporcionará una respuesta a un antiguo secreto.
En la ciudad empiezan a aparecer cadáveres de jóvenes asesinadas del mismo modo ritual. Y, cuando Angela desaparece, Bronson sabe que debe encontrarla antes de que ella también sufra la misma suerte. Su búsqueda lo conduce a la Isla de los Muertos, la parte más lúgubre de la Serenísima.

Año 72: Un grupo de guerreros atraviesa un yermo montañoso. Solo ellos saben lo que transportan, y harán el mayor de los sacrificios para proteger su secreto. Año 2010: Angela Lewis se encarga de hacer el inventario de las pertenencias del fallecido Oliver Wendell-Carfax, asesinado en su mansión de la campiña inglesa. En el proceso, encuentra una serie de jarras de cerámica y en una de ellas se halla un antiguo pergamino con datos sobre la vida de Jesús de Nazaret. Es el primer testimonio de este tipo que ve la luz desde el Antiguo Testamento. Angela y su exmarido, el inspector de policía Chris Bronson, emprenden la búsqueda de una reliquia de incalculable valor, pero el asesino de Wendell-Carfax les pisa los talones.

El detective Chris Bronson es enviado a Marruecos a investigar las misteriosas muertes de dos turistas. Allí comienza a seguir una serie de pistas que le conducirá desde un bullicioso mercado marroquí a las desérticas cuevas de Qumrán; desde los ecos siniestros de un túnel completamente inundado bajo la ciudad de Jerusalén, hasta una fortaleza azotada por el viento, cuyo nombre significa muerte. Amenazado a cada paso por un grupo de peligrosos individuos que tienen sus propios planes, se ve envuelto en un misterio que lleva sin resolver desde tiempos bíblicos, pues la piedra que debe encontrar es más antigua y mucho más mortífera de lo que nunca habría podido imaginar.

Una mujer inglesa es hallada muerta en una casa cerca de Roma. Su consternado marido recurre a la ayuda de su mejor amigo, Chris Bronson, quien descubre una antigua inscripción sobre una losa de piedra de la chimenea. La traducción de la inscripción es: “Aquí yacen los mentirosos”. Pero ¿quiénes son los mentirosos? ¿Mienten para proteger algo? Buscando por Europa, Bronson destapa una serie de pistas que lo remontan a los oscuros inicios de la cristiandad; a un cáliz decorado con símbolos misteriosos; a un código secreto oculto junto a un pergamino... Y a una conspiración mortífera que, en caso de ser revelada, hará que los cimientos del mundo moderno se tambaleen.

The story was exciting, but for me, it was a little too "cookie-cutter". I will however be reading the second book of this series, but not right away.

Cathars, Albigensian Crusade.

A reasonably competent if predictable romp in the "Da Vinci Code genre". Far from the best I've read but certainly not the worst. The characters are a little wooden (especially the bad guys) and we're treated to fairly clunky expositions more than once.½

A fairly decent romp in the "Da Vinci Code genre". Not the best I've ever read, but far from the worst. The story is somewhat predictable if you're familiar with this sort of story, but still enjoyable and plays out well.

Just once, I'd like to read a book of this type where the ancient secret/treasure actually survives the story to become known to the world. Sadly, not this time.

First read in this series, and probably the last
Search (unsuccessful) for the lost treasure of the Knights Templar.½

Banale, sconclusionato e parecchio forzato.
Ennesimo figlio del successo del Codice da Vinci. L'autore abbozza una poco convincente e poco convinta teoria di un complotto protocristiano architettato addirittura da Nerone, ci aggiunge i soliti dubbi sul Vaticano, un paio di anonimi protagonisti inglesi, un professore spagnolo, qualche morto di troppo e condisce il tutto con una spruzzata di mafia, che non guasta mai.
Ne esce un polpettone anche facile da leggere, ma noiosissimo e scontato, borioso e facilotto allo stesso tempo, con personaggi piatti che però hanno un fiuto da detective che manco Holmes... E situazioni banali, forzate e dimenticabilissime.

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of The Da Vinci Code, and I love stories like this that include real historical mysteries. One of my favorite parts was actually the Author's Note at the end, because it added even more historical context to the events in the book. I didn't love the relationship between the two main characters; I actually thought Robin was quite mean to David most of the time. This is not the first book in the series, though, and it's definitely possible that the dynamic between them is explained in an earlier book. Regardless, I think the Knights Templar are fascinating and the plot rather than the characters is what really made this book for me. The Templar Brotherhood is a fast-paced story with a thrilling mystery at the center, and if you like The Da Vinci Code or similar stories, you should absolutely give this one a try. Thanks to First to Read for the advance copy.

Has the whole of Christianity been living a lie? Hopefully not, but the premise behind this book would have us thinking that it might. We meet DS Bronson (not surprisingly known as “death wish “) who goes to help his best friend when his wife dies very suddenly in Italy. This leads to discoveries involving The Vatican and The Mafia, delivering a great deal of violence and hectic journeys across Europe. The ending, in Barcelona, is quite a satisfactory one.
The characters are interesting - Chris Bronson is obviously very good at his job, and his ex-wife, Angela, proves to be very helpful with her contacts in languages and ancient history. The Vatican Cardinal is really believable, fearing for his religion, and the Mafia are just as you would expect, although with a touch of humanity at the end which is both good and surprising, and allows our new heroes to go on to other things.

Haven't read it yet

Beware, readers who enjoy books with a conclusion. This book has none, which unfortunately has become more common in the publishing world, I suppose as a marketing ploy to get readers to buy further books in a series. This maddens me, and if it does you, stay away from this. The novel does not have a cliffhanger ending, which would be more of an affront, in my opinion. It does end with with things on an even keel, so it has that much going for it, although as a result, the reader gets the sense that the book could have ended at any other point in the plot line and been as coherent.

For the subject matter, I found the writing a bit prosaic and expository. There was a LOT of explaining, and not as much action as you would expect here, although for students of history the exposition and constant review of the facts and historical background might be interesting.

The characters were so-so, and I felt never fully realized. Robin herself starts out as a cipher of sorts, a homey, mousy sort of woman who runs a bookshop, who, bewilderingly, is revealed to have the skills necessary to fight evil Italian crime rings, including a mastery of martial arts, ability to pilot a plane, a very serviceable knowledge of Latin, and a car racing license. How convenient. Equally opportune, her partner in crime, David Mallory, just HAPPENS to be writing a book about the Knights Templar when they meet up and are forced into researching the mysterious Templar scroll Robin finds. The pair manages to escape the Italians not once but three times, using her marital arts and his expertise as a former cop. This doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, in my opinion. Once maybe they got lucky. Thrice? The reader cannot help but compare the couple to Dan Brown's historical-researching adventure-finding pairs, to this couple's detriment.

A note on the author's assertions about the evils of religion: At one point, Robin snaps that she's an atheist, and the reader can't help but position the author on her side. Message: atheists, good, religious people bad. Exhibit A: the evil Italian mob, part of a syndicate of religious zealots intent on snuffing out "heresy," in their words, thus putting them in the same camp as the Inquisition and, ostensibly, the Muslim fanatics Robin and David criticize. The author has Robin postulate: "You know, I really believe that more atrocities have been perpetrated in the name of some organized religion than by every atheist and nonbeliever who has ever lived. I think you could argue that every religion is inherently evil, simply because of the way that committed believers absolutely know that they and they alone are right and therefore everybody else is wrong." She goes on to lump militant Islam in with "equally militant" Christianity. David responds with his own condemnations of religion, adding that the basis of the violence committed by believers is only ever "beliefs, not facts. It's never about facts where religion is concerned."

Now, putting aside the fact that atheism has its own set of beliefs, not facts, about the universe and its creation, and putting aside the moral equivalency of "militant Christianity" with militant Islam for the moment, the assertion that there is more evil done in the name of religion than anything else is just irresponsible and reprehensible. Perhaps the author is unaware of the 92 million killed under (non-religious) Communist regimes in Stalinist Russia and Maoist China in the 20th century alone? Hitler was non-religious, even anti-religious, himself. That's another 10 million. How about the political executions of about 2 million in the Khmer Rouge killing fields? Compare that to the approximate 3,000 people that died in TOTAL under the Catholic Inquisition.

I don't mind an author inserting his or her political or other views into his works. But those views should have a basis in reality, especially when espousing supposed historical facts.

So the author does a good job of explaining things such that it isn't 100% necessary to have read the other books in order to understand what is going on. However, I would still say that this novel is best enjoyed as part of the series so that you can really get into the plot and feel a good connection with the characters. It was something that I had difficulty with because I didn't really understand the interaction between Robin and David. There were also some other characters that were part of this story that kind of confused me; their actions and feelings didn't make sense to me given their role in this story. However, I chalked it up to the fact that I don't have the necessary background. It is clear when reading this novel that the author has done a great deal of research and really knows his Templar material! While this information is intriguing, at times it was overwhelming and unnecessary. It's also not the most action-packed story I have ever read; the first 50 pages were them simply trying to decode a document and it took a loooong time. While this may be accurate in its portrayal of the process, it makes for slow reading. The story does pick up after a while, and it was pretty interesting, but again, there were so many details thrown at you that it can be hard to keep it all straight. Overall, this was an interesting story but it is best enjoyed if you have read the previous books in the series. It had a bit too much detail and not enough character work for my liking, so for that reason, I'm giving this a 2/5 stars.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and First to Read program for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com

I have a thing for tales of the Nights Templar, and enjoy the writing of James Becker, so this book was a no-brainier! It certainly did not disappoint, it is action packed and delivers an engaging plot.

The main characters are well developed, and draw you into the story. The "bad"guys, or more precisely the representatives of the Catholic Church, are as always in religious conspiracy stories deplorable and utterly ruthless.

This tome continues the authors ability to write historically thrilling fiction! This one is a keeper!

While I never seek to discredit anyone's work, I felt that this book could use a little more showing and less telling. The writer, James Becker, over explained everything a little too much. He needed to leave a little to our imagination. It's really a pet peeve of mine when a writer goes into too much detail. It quite bogs down the story.

I felt the premise or plot of the book was good, just needed a little less action and more intrigue, of course in my opinion. The writing, outside of the over the top detail, was not too bad. The only thing I fear, is that this is the latest book in the series. Normally I see this kind of thing in a first book of a writer, where over the next few books the writer improves. I'm not sure if this is the case here, being that I've only read the latest book. But I feel his writing needs some improvement.

3.5 stars½

Lots of action and fast paced but fairly predictable. Everybody is looking for a lost relic, one bad guy wants it so he can make more money and the other bad guy - a priest - wants to destroy it as it's discovery would have serious implications for christianity.

From Amazon:

Assessing the contents of a lavish English estate, museum conservator Angela Lewis discovers a crate full of sealed pottery jars-one of which holds a parchment which describes the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. For Angela, the find is a miracle-a written reference to Jesus outside of the New Testament. But her discovery draws her and her husband, Chris, into a centuries-old race for the truth that they may not win...or survive.

My Thoughts:

The story line is fast-paced from the opening scene when the elderly Oliver-Wendell Carfax thwarts his assailant while going to his death with a smile and never slows down until the final confrontation far from Suffolk. Readers will appreciate the latest escapades of Lewis and Bronson as they follow leads while dodging two groups of assassins. Reminds you somewhat of Nick and Nora Charles. Overall, the book is a good treasure hunt story and no more ludicrous than the DaVinci Code or National Treasure. There were only two things that I found "wrong" with the book...James Becker spent sometimes way too long getting past the history and onto the story and he didn't spend much time developing the two main characters. Little flaws and they certainly took nothing away from the enjoyment of this novel. A word of warning...some people may find the premise of the story "disturbing" to their religious beliefs...but bear in mind that it is just a work of fiction....the author is never suggesting that any of it is true.

From Amazon:

BOHEMIA, 1741
On the northern banks of the Vltava River, an extraordinary event is taking place. Inside a private chapel, a high-born Hungarian lady is being laid to rest. But not before her heart is removed from her body, and she is buried beneath a layer of heavy stones -- lest she rise again to prey upon her victims.

VENICE, 2010
Holidaying in the world's most beautiful city, Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis discover a desecrated tomb. Inside it is a female skeleton and an arcane diary dating back hundreds of years. Written in Latin, it references a scroll that will provide an answer to an ancient secret. Soon corpses of young women, all killed in the same ritualistic manner, start appearing throughout the city. And when Angela disappears, Bronson knows that he must find her before she too is slaughtered. But Bronson's hunt for Angela leads him back to the Island of the Dead, and into a conspiracy more deadly than he could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts:

This is the first James Becker novel I've read and I must say that I'm not a big fan of vampire stories but I am a big fan of a well written mystery and The Noseratu Scroll more than meets this qualification. The author didn't picture the "blood-suckers" as the warm fuzzy, romantic images that have become so popular lately. Can't see anything that would be "cozy" or "fuzzy" about something that in essence wants to have you for dinner. In this case, the "vampires" were something else entirely...and in their "difference" presents a picture more terrifying than any Dracula story. Overall, I had a great time with this half historical, half spooky tale. I already have the next book. Good job Mr. Becker!

The Lost Testament by James Becker is one of those edge of the seat thrillers that you can’t put down, a la Dan Brown. Perhaps not as detailed or intricate as some of this type of thriller, but certainly the pace is kept up. The story flows effortlessly between Cairo and London and you can feel the rising panic in the pages as the plot progresses. A great escapism novel.

I'm sure that the 'Moses', linked to the word 'stone', gives you a fair clue as to what this one is about.

Unfortunately, this is another one that begins well enough, but which could have been much better. Becker decides to slip into an already well-worn formula, even though the other one of his I read previously 'The First Apostle', I remember as being really quite good. Makes you wonder if his publisher asked him if he had a 'Me Too' historical/religious artefact thriller lying about and Becker rush finished this one and they pumped it out.

What really irritated me, is something that happens in many of this type of book. It is the 'technique' of having the characters explain to each other, at great length, the historical or technical information the author feels the reader needs next to understand the novel or the next development in the story. Having the information conveyed by a character, rather than the author just putting the necessary information into the narrative, always makes me wonder how lucky our plucky hero is to stumble across the leading experts in their various fields with total recal and photographic memories. And it annoys the whathaveyou out of me. 'The Moses Stone' does it at nearly every turn. It's not alone in doing this, as I've said, but it really got to me before the end of the story.

I may have to think twice before reading another of his.

All action adventure in the post-Da Vinci Code genre. This is not bad at all. Chris Bronson is a likeable hero, the premise is interesting and the big reveal towards the end was breath-taking, if a touch far-fetched.

The publishers that brought you Dan Brown, a new title deserves your attention: The Lost Testament by James Becker. Tucked away in the Vatican archives a piece of parchment shouldn't be stolen in 1965, but it was. The parchment contained information that would rock the foundation of Christianity and one of the Roman Catholic faith's core tenets: the immaculate conception. It never was deciphered or sold on the market, until recently. It was rediscovered in a Cairo soul, triggered an advanced monitoring system in the Vatican and instructions sent out to the secret P2: You must destroy it, and those who have taken it. P2 members in the UK, Egypt, Spain and France are faced with a tough challenge. As the dead count rises, British Museum historian Angela Lewis is asked for help. Her ex-husband, undercover police officer Chris Bronson proved to be of great value, if life is treasured. The Lost Testament is a entertaining page turner. Short chapters with cliff hangers at every end. What twist in the story line would be next, if you're only halfway the book? Highly recommended for lovers of religion meets suspense meets mafia like practices. In between innocent shop keepers and historians. Never expect a dull moment here.