The
Testament
Non-series
Eric
Van Lustbader
Forge
(Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-765-31463-0 (0765314630)
ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31463-5 (9780765314635)
Publication Date: September 2006
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Braverman Shaw--"Bravo" to his friends--always knew his
father had secrets. But not until Dexter Shaw dies does Bravo discover
that his father belonged to the Order of Gnostic Observatines, a hidden
sect long believed extinct. For centuries, the Order has guarded a lost
Testament that could shake Christianity to its foundations. Dexter Shaw
was the latest Keeper of the Testament--and Bravo is his chosen
successor.
Before Dexter died, he hid the cache where only Bravo could find it.
Now Bravo, an accomplished medieval scholar and cryptanalyst, must
follow the esoteric clues his father left behind. His companion in this
quest is Jenny Logan, a driven young woman with secrets of her own.
Jenny is a Guardian, assigned by the order to protect Bravo, or so she
claims. Bravo soon learns that he can trust no one where the Testament
is concerned, perhaps not even Jenny ...
Another secret society, the Knights of St. Clement, originally founded
and sponsored by the Papacy, has been after the Order's precious cache
since the time of the Crusades. The Knights, agents and assassins, will
stop at nothing to obtain the treasure. Bravo has become both a target
and a pawn in an ongoing war far larger and more deadly than any he
could have imagined.
From New York City to Washington D.C., to Paris, to Venice, and beyond,
the race is on for the quintessential prize ... the Testament.
Review:
In Eric Van Lustbader's latest thriller, The Testament,
scholar Braverman "Bravo" Shaw is on a personal journey to seek out a
cache of secrets following clues left to him by his late father. This
cache includes the mysterious substance quintessence (the fifth
classical element after earth, fire, water, and air) which may have
been used to resurrect Jesus after his crucifixion, and a testament, a
long hidden and suppressed gospel purportedly written by Jesus after
his "death". Public knowledge of the contents of the cache could be
catastrophic to modern Christianity, and with several factions using
whatever means necessary to locate it, it is essential that Bravo find
it first.
If all this sounds familiar, it should. Millions of copies of a
similarly plotted book have been sold, and that same book was made into
a movie seen by millions more. It's something of a mystery why an
author of Lustbader's caliber needed to write such a derivative work.
There are some redeeming qualities in The
Testament.
First, and most importantly, the book is well written. Characters are
expressive and appropriately developed for a stand-alone thriller,
locales (of which there are many) are realistically depicted, and the
action is relentless. Second, the story is well plotted, if familiar.
And in a nice, personal touch, Bravo's father lives on in his memory,
and throughout the story, with italicized comments that are relevant to
the situation at hand.
It's hard not to enjoy a book by Lustbader, and in the end, The Testament
is no exception. But it is still disappointing that the story was so
conventional.
Special thanks to Book Report Network for providing a copy of The Testament for this review.
Review Copyright © 2006 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Testament? How would you rate it?
Thrillers by this author reviewed by Mysterious Reviews ...
The Testament
Forge (Hardcover), September 2006
ISBN-10: 0-765-31463-0 (0765314630)
ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31463-5 (9780765314635)
First Daughter
Forge (Hardcover), August 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7653-2170-X (076532170X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7653-2170-1 (9780765321701)
Omnimystery
keywords for The Testament
...
Location(s) referenced:
New York City, Washington
D.C., Paris, Venice,
Rome.
