The
Secret Scroll
Non-series
Ronald Cutler
Beaufort Books (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-8253-0515-2 (0825305152)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8253-0515-3 (9780825305153)
Publication Date: February 2008
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis
(from
the publisher): Josh Cohan, a work-obsessed archaeology professor, has
a recurring dream about a great secret. He follows his instincts to the
Judean desert, where he makes a fantastic discovery an ancient scroll
which seems to have been written by Jesus Christ. The Israeli
Antiquities Authority has a claim on the scroll, but another, more
sinister organization wants the scroll as well. The Guardians, members
of an ancient extremist religious sect, are willing to kill to get what
they want.
Josh joins the government-sponsored team of translators who believe the
scroll might be genuine, and falls in love with Danielle, the fiery
daughter of one of the translators. When a friend turns up dead and
Danielle goes missing, Josh realizes that the scroll might be more
powerful and controversial than he had ever imagined. Will Josh be able
to prevent something terrible from happening to the woman he loves
without giving up the most important discovery mankind has ever made?
Review:
Ronald Cutler's debut novel, The
Secret Scroll, is an imaginative tale that reaches to the
center of Jerusalem where the great religions of the world converge in
a single city.
Josh Cohan, a disillusioned Professor of Archaeology at the University
of Pennsylvania, takes a much-needed sabbatical from the politics of
the university museum hierarchy where he is employed and travels to
Israel where he has been many times before. While he is driving through
the hills of Masada where there is so much history, he feels he is
meant to go to find a hidden cave. When he finds the cave, he unearths
an ancient cylinder containing a scroll that he could tell has been
buried for many years. Although it is a requirement of the law to
present any archaeological find to the Israeli Antiquities Authority
(IAA), Josh decides to take it to his hotel for his own expert
examination. After all, it had been buried for at least 2000 years; a
few more days wouldn’t hurt. With surgical gloved hands he
removes the scroll and sees that the words are written in Aramaic, a
language he had studied at the university. He translates a few
sentences and it becomes aware that these words were written by the man
known today as Jesus Christ.
Josh turns over the scroll to the IAA which consists of seven men of
different faiths. It is their responsibility to investigate the find,
and when finished attest to its authenticity or declare it a fraud.
Because of the nature of the scroll, the men decide it would be best to
keep the discovery a secret. Even if it was a fraud, much unwelcome
chaos could be brought to bear. If it proved to be true, it would
change the beliefs of many churches and synagogues around the world.
Everyone agreed, including Josh. There was one among them, however, who
though he agreed did not keep the secret. This man was a member of a
secret, very prejudiced religious cult dating back at least 200 years.
The cult hated Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, and any other
sect that did not believe as they taught. They had already killed, and
now they were willing to kill again to get their hands on the scroll
and destroy it. As Josh tries to discover the man in the IAA who had
betrayed them, their leader (the "Master”) kidnaps the woman
Josh loves, whose safe return is guaranteed in exchange for the scroll.
Cutler cleverly weaves history,
scholarly writings, and a fictional story with (admittedly) a fair
amount of speculation into a very suspenseful novel that races toward a
thrilling conclusion. The "damsel in distress" aspect is a bit
overdone, but otherwise the plot is well reasoned with believable
characters.
The Secret Scroll
is not only very well written and inventive, it is a thought-provoking
novel that is both enthralling and entertaining.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Secret Scroll and to Meryl L. Moss Media Relations for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Omnimystery keywords for The Secret Scroll
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Location(s) referenced: Israel.