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    Sacred Bones
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    Sacred Bones
    Unavailable
    Sacred Bones
    Ebook453 pages6 hours

    Sacred Bones

    By Michael Byrnes

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    At the crossroads of Christian, Islamic, and Jewish faiths, an ancient artifact is stolen from a long-hidden vault located directly beneath Jerusalem's Temple Mount . . .

    So begins The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes, a page-turning novel from a new voice on the thriller scene. With the violent theft leaving thirteen Israeli soldiers and policemen dead, and the Palestinians up in arms over the desecration of sacred grounds, the tension between the two groups is dangerously high. Jerusalem is a stick of dynamite and the fuse has been lit. . . .

    Across the Mediterranean in Italy, American forensic scientist Charlotte Hennesey has been hired by the Vatican to examine the contents of a newly discovered archeological treasure: a two-thousand-year-old ossuary containing the bones of an unidentified, crucified man—the first complete skeleton of a crucifixion victim ever found. Together with Italian anthropologist Giovanni Bersei, Charlotte makes startling forensic and genetic discoveries that lead her to wonder—could these be the bones of Jesus Christ?

    With the situation in Jerusalem veering out of control and the malevolent eye of Vatican security expert Salvatore Conte watching her every step, Charlotte puts two and two together. She knows that if the mortal remains of Christ are indeed in the burial box, the implications—for history and science, for religion and the Church—are frighteningly vast. And even more immediate is the question of whether the Vatican will allow the information—and Charlotte—to see the light of day.

    Fast-paced and intelligent, blending historical fact with persuasive fiction, The Sacred Bones reads like a CSI episode penned by The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown. From a conspiracy stretching back to the days of the Templar Knights to the shifting alliances of contemporary Middle Eastern politics, The Sacred Bones is an addictively compelling thriller that calls into question many of modern religion's deepest-held beliefs about Judaism, Jesus Christ and early Christianity, and Islam . . . with stunning results.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061847080
    Unavailable
    Sacred Bones
    Author

    Michael Byrnes

    Michael Byrnes attended Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, and earned his graduate degree in business administration at Rutgers. Byrnes lives in Florida with his wife, Caroline, and daughters, Vivian and Camille.

    Read more from Michael Byrnes

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    Reviews for Sacred Bones

    4/5

    10 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Would make an exciting movie,full of surprises, and suspense, can’t wait till the next historical novel appears
    • 4/5
      I'm a sucker for these books. I always love a blend of real history and fiction with a touch of secret conspiracies. This one fits the bill nicely.

      With a good cast and, for once, very little romance getting in the way the book rolls smoothly along keeping me wanting to know more. The two sides of the story were well entwined with neither side getting boring before switching keeping them both fresh.

      An enjoyable book with a little twist near the end I liked I look forward to reading the next book which is already sitting on my shelf.
    • 3/5
      I read this fast-paced thriller in one day. Once you begin, hold onto your hat and be prepared to adjust your schedule to grab more reading time. It's an impressive first novel.What would happen if the Templars secret hiding place for the bones of Jesus Christ were discovered today in Jerusalem under the Temple Mount? That's the central story which takes twists and turns through the over heated religious atmosphere of today's Jerusalem, the gilded and secretive splendor of the Vatican and a trip or three back to the 12 th century and the ignominious end of the Templar Knights. Not perfect, but great fun. I'll be looking for his next book, The Sacred Blood.
    • 3/5
      There is a special circle of Hell so terrible Dante did not dare write about it, and it is reserved especially for Dan Brown and all the scribblers who have climbed onto the Brown bandwagon. Discerning readers know if ‘Dan Brown’ or ‘Da Vinci Code’ is mentioned anywhere on the book or in anything promoting the book – possible exceptions might be ‘If you like Dan brown, you’ll hate this – don’t bother reading it. Sacred Blood is actually less offensive than most as well as being slightly better written: although it is a follow up to Sacred Bones, published a few years ago, the back story is easy to pick up and the book works as a stand alone. A couple of years ago a sarcophagus containing a skeleton was found in a previously undiscovered tomb under Temple Mount: before the bones could be properly examined, they were seized in a ruthless and daring raid in which many were killed. Could these have been the bones of Jesus Christ? The indications were all there but the public would never know the truth thanks to the ungodly machinations of an ancient evil, an all-powerful international gang of immoral killers, one of the richest, most corrupt and oldest institutions on Earth – the Catholic Church. Like all the really big-shot baddies, the Catholics have a luxurious and heavily fortified hangout – theirs is in the heart of Rome and called Vatican City: it was to this sinister and secretive enclave that the stolen bones were delivered…Charlotte Hennessey, an American scientist brought into the Vatican to examine the bones, is miraculously cured of cancer when she in injected with their DNA: obviously, this was no ordinary skeleton. But now a few years have passed and the Evil Empire is quiet and Temple Mount has licked its wounds. Husky Israeli archaeologist Amit Mizrachi makes a bewildering discovery at Qumran and asks his friend Julie LeRoux, a renowned French archaeologist, to help him decipher it but before long they are running for their lives and the Qumran site has been destroyed. Then there is Aaron Cohen, an American-born ultra-Orthodox Jew who returned to Israel to raise a family and lead a covert sect called The Sons of Light: on the other hand we have the Muslim rulers of Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock, hard-line fundamentalists, hell-bent on the rewards they will garner in Paradise for mass slaughter of the unsuspecting in cold blood. And let’s not forget the Catholic Church and the treachery existing deep in the heart of the Holy See. A rollicking read with plenty of thrills, spills and romance, involving everything from the sacred gift of healing to the Arc of the Covenant: this is Dan brown lite, a book that does not take itself too seriously, and is all the better for it.
    • 3/5
      A "Da Vinci Code" imitation, set in Rome and Jerusalem, with flashbacks to the fiery end of the Knights Templar in Paris. The plot is a standard thriller, and the chapter ends often leave you hanging, as the next chapter changes location.
    • 2/5
      Title: THE SACRED BONESAuthor: Michael ByrnesPublisher: Simon & SchusterEdition released: June 2007ISBN: 978-1-8473-7011-2438 pagesReview by: Karen ChisholmTHE SACRED BONES is another entry in the recently well-populated field of confrontational religious themed thrillers. When a well armed, well organised small group break through the walls of the mosque in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem they appear to have been very well informed. Blowing a hole in the wall in exactly the right place to reveal an unknown burial crypt, they move straight past a number of ossuaries taking only the one deepest in the chamber. Their escape, facilitated by a stolen Israeli helicopter, leaves Palestinians outraged over the desecration of sacred ground and Israeli's equally outraged over the deaths of thirteen soldiers during the resulting fire-fight.In the meantime Italian anthropologist Giovanni Bersei and American geneticist Charlotte Hennesey have been summoned to Vatican City to analyse a mysterious archaeological treasure that could prove to be one of the greatest secrets, the ossuary contains a human skeleton, approximately 2,000 years old, obvious speared, obviously crucified. Forces within Vatican City are very troubled over the existence of the skeleton and the implications to the very foundations of belief.Starting out reading THE SACRED BONES it was very very hard to shake the feeling that if you can manage to offend 3 major worldwide religions then you've got the possibility of a run away best seller. Fortunately the story helps a little in dispelling that fear as, frankly, there's some points of supposed scientific revelation in here that were impossible for this reader (no doctor / geneticist granted) to swallow. Maybe part of the reason for that was some credibility gaps for the main "experts", who seemed to ask questions and make statements that just didn't stack up, maybe part of the reason was that the story had elements that were just too way out to be feasible and hence, the book read as an outrageous over the top thriller.And as an over the top thriller there were some really funny elements - two of the main characters in severe danger of dying in a hail of sniper bullets, and the scenes around the destruction of the car they were driving were laid out in such detail it was hilarious. The time it takes for the two experts to eventually have the discussion about "whose bones do you think they could be" - the reader can have a wonderful time playing "go on ... say it .. I dare you" games. The sinister security consultant for the Vatican "lurking" around in the shadows everywhere that Charlotte goes, who then conveniently leaves doors open for discoveries to be made. The much commented on loveliness of Charlotte - more homely geneticists obviously would not qualify for this particular task. The Irish (yes Irish) priest, with the murderous background who manages to kill a lurking, dangerous killer in the middle of Rome with seemingly nobody noticing. All great over the top stuff.THE SACRED BONES might not make it as an entrant in the encouraging controversy stakes but for a totally over the top, really silly bit of light entertainment, it was good fun to play spot the cliché in.