The
Reincarnationist
Non-series
M. J. Rose
Mira (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-7783-2420-6 (0778324206)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2420-1 (9780778324201)
Publication Date: September 2007
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): A bomb in Rome, a flash of bluish-white light, and
photojournalist Josh Ryder's world exploded. From that instant nothing
would ever be the same.
As Josh recovers, his mind is increasingly invaded with thoughts that
have the emotion, the intensity, the intimacy of memories. But they are
not his memories. They are ancient . . . and violent. A battery of
medical and psychological tests can't explain Josh's baffling symptoms.
And the memories have an urgency he can't ignore—pulling him
to
save a woman named Sabina . . . and the treasures she is protecting.
But who is Sabina?
Desperate for answers, Josh turns to the world-renowned Phoenix
Foundation—a research facility that scientifically documents
cases of past life experiences. His findings there lead him to an
archaeological dig and to Professor Gabriella Chase, who has discovered
an ancient tomb—a tomb with a powerful secret that threatens
to
merge the past with the present. Here, the dead call out to the living,
and murders of the past become murders of the present.
Review:
From the first page to last, The
Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose
is one of those compelling mysteries with such an original
concept
that it is hard to put down.
Today’s madness, with a fear of terrorists and the deaths and
injuries caused by suicide bombers, is an interesting parallel to an
ancient time with madness of a different kind, when a mandate came down
that every Roman must be a Christian. Anyone who does not obey will be
killed. And so the slaughter by Roman soldiers begins. One man, Josh
Ryder, a photographer for the Associated Press in Rome to photograph
the Pope, experiences both. While waiting for the Pope, he is badly
injured by a suicide bomber. Unconscious, his mind returns to a
previous
life in 391 AD as a Roman named Julius with a brother, Drago,
and in love with a Vestal nun, Sabina, who is pregnant in defiance of
the laws of Rome. As he and his brother run to avoid the Roman
soldiers, Drago is stabbed. Josh awakens knowing he must help his
brother, yet he is in a present day hospital.
Over the next few months, Josh repeatedly returns to the past but is
unable to control how and when it happens. He lives in fear of his own
mind, constantly disturbed by the thoughts of a troubled young man in
ancient Rome and of a woman he knows he loved and knows she is waiting
for him.
Josh works with the Phoenix Foundation, specialists in regression
therapy, to help him understand what is taking place in his life. He
meets an archaeologist who's working on an ancient tomb in which Josh
ultimately comes to believe is the love of his life, Sabina. But
someone else thinks the tomb contains a priceless treasure worth
killing for.
The
Reincarnationist
is at its best a captivating and intriguing story of love and mystery.
The fascinating characters, descriptive narrative, and unforgettable
ending make for a truly remarkable book.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Reincarnationist and to Authors on the Web for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Omnimystery keywords for The Reincarnationist ...
Location(s) referenced: Rome.