Definition of average for those who have read deeply in this genre

books:


	• Gospel Truths J.G. Sandom Bantam, 2007 - 432 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Gospel Truths

I have been studying the origins of Christianity for years now, and this book tells it like it is. There is a great summary on pages 166-171. When the DaVinci Code came out, I thought there could be no equal. Gospel Truths surpasses the more popular book in the story telling and in the facts-department.

Definition of average for those who have read deeply in this genre

If you're looking for the typical shocking church secret novel with Holy See corruption, mobsters, and the average joe who
can stop them all, you've found it in this book. Having said that, I would call Gospel Truths a bad book by any stretch,
but it's not a standout by any means. Having been written long before the da Vinci craze in mystery/suspense novels, and
review on here that calls this one a knock-off is nothing more than an idiot. The problem with reading this book now is
that, because there have been such great novels in the genre since it's original publication, it simply doesn't match up
with their caliber. There aren't really any 'wow' surprises to be found in this book, but it's got enough plot and content
to pull you throught to the finish.

The bottom line is if you're into the world-altering religious secret, political/church corruption genre and have read
extensively therein, this book won't do it for you. On the other hand, if your new to them or need an easy airport/plane
read, this one is perfect to suit that purpose.

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Gospel Truths

This is a compelling and well-told tale, as edifying to savor after its conclusion as it is to be swept along as it builds.
Sandom takes the search for an ancient religious text and weaves a fascinating story of history into a fast-paced thriller. The characters, led by Koster, the quirky and brilliant but somewhat socially inept hero, are as interesting as the story itself. Having read my share of contemporary thrillers and literary novels, I'd put this near the top of my list in both categories. Intriguing, gripping, fast-paced and exceptionally well written. Bravo, Mr. Sandom!

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A beautifully written, intelligent, and complex suspense novel

The year is 1991, and British police inspector Nigel Lyman has fallen from grace following a run as media darling after he solved a gruesome case involving a teacher who had dismembered several young students who attended a prestigious school. But then Lyman accidentally shot and killed another officer during a scuffle with some bad guys. Add to that the loss of his son in the Falklands war and the end of his marriage, and Lyman nearly reached his breaking point.

To top it off, he's been assigned to a seemingly insignificant but reopened case involving a powerful Vatican-connected Italian banker who presumably hanged himself off Blackfriars Bridge in London a year earlier. Like the labyrinths that will eventually provide pivotal clues, the path Lyman follows in solving the case will take turns that appear to lead directly to the center of the mystery, only to steer him in another direction entirely.

At the heart of the case is the legendary "Q" document, which is purported to be the gospel that the apostles Matthew, Mark and Luke used as source material for their own gospel accounts. It's believed to have been hidden away in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres in France. But before Lyman figures out the link to Q in Chartres, his investigation leads him to another French city, Amiens, and its cathedral --- plus a half-dozen or so people who play essential roles in the unraveling of a web of crime extending far beyond a London bridge.

It helps to get the characters straight right away: Guy Soury-Fontaine, tour guide at the Amiens Cathedral; Mariane, his sister, whose lover, Maurice Duval, mysteriously disappeared a year earlier; Joseph Koster, an American mathematician and architect who is smitten with Mariane; Archbishop Kazimierz Grabowski, Guy and Mariane's cousin who heads up the Vatican Bank; and Marco Scarcella, who has his hands in all manner of nefarious enterprises.

And then there's Countess Irene de Rochembaud, who is worthy of her own paragraph though she gets less ink in the book than the other main characters. But in this novel of superbly written scenes, the scene in which Koster meets the countess in a Paris park merits honorable mention. It provides a delightful respite from the gripping suspense that characterizes the novel as a whole.

All are in one way or another connected to the pursuit of Q, which is believed to contain passages that would undermine the foundations of Christianity. Some, of course, would love to find the document so they could threaten to expose its contents, while others want it in order to hide it all over again and protect the church. With so much at stake --- particularly the extraordinary sum of money that could fall into the hands of either camp should Q be found --- there is lots of opportunity for intrigue, corruption, murder, deception, mystery, greed and the like.

Based on a true incident, GOSPEL TRUTHS was first published in 1992 and is facing the prospect of a second successful run in light of the resurgence in popularity of religious thrillers. Sandom's novel, however, is no way typical of the current spate of Da Vinci wannabes; his is an outstanding accomplishment --- a beautifully written, intelligent, complex suspense novel. The plot and its various subplots hold together throughout, and the characters remain believable from start to finish --- a remarkable achievement considering the scope of Sandom's effort. Highly recommended.

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FABULOUS BOOK WRITTEN LONG BEFORE "DA VINCI CODE"

"Gospel Truths" is a superior read. It's both fascinating, smart and mysterious. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, believed to be Christ's own words writtin on the page, has been hidden away in a cathedral in France. If it is found and exposed, it will undermine the very essence of Christianity as we know it. Reviewer #1 has done a superb job of describing the characters, so I won't go into it again here.

Just let me say that J. has a gift for putting words together beautifully. "Gospel Truths" is filled with such beautiful passages that I found myself going back and reading them over again.

"Gospel Truths" was not an easy book to write but J. did a superb job. Books on the subject of religion are often fascinating, especially when it is thought that an actual relic exists that was hidden 1,000 years ago. It would be wonderful to have everyone to read the book in a room for a discussion.

Please buy it. It's well worth the read.

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reviews: page 1, 2

They have been drawn into a plot more insidious than anything they could have imagined?a battle to control one of religion?s greatest secrets. For English detective Nigel Lyman, it begins with the suspicious suicide of a corrupt Italian banker in London. For French-born Mariane Soury-Fontaine, it starts with the mysterious disappearance of her lover. And for American mathematician Joseph Koster, the search leads through France?s soaring cathedrals to the baffling labyrinths that masons once carefully inscribed in their floors.

These strangers are about to crack a code that dozens have died for, a puzzle whose power reaches back to the birth of the Christian faith, through the echoing halls of the Vatican, and to the dark, corrupt realms of organized crime. Now staying alive is the ultimate challenge. Because the next revelation is the most forbidden of all . . .

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