Relic: The Quest for the Golden Shrine

by Tom Egeland, Tara Chace (Translator)

Overview

A masterful concoction of history and intrigue, referred to by critics as "the Norwegian Da Vinci Code"
 
A golden relic, containing an ancient manuscript that could change the course of history, has been hidden in a monastery, but nobody knows where. One determined man sets out to find this sensational artifact and to trace its origins. His quest takes him to a scientific intelligence organization in London, a Middle Eastern outpost, and a Crusaders' castle in a French village, as layer by layer he reveals the religious mysteries inside the Shrine of Sacred Secrets.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780719521737
Publisher:	Hodder
Publication date:	11/29/2011
Edition description:	Canadian Edition
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Tom Egeland is the author of the The Guardians of the Covenant.

Editorial Reviews

"This intelligently crafted international thriller will appeal to fans of Dan Brown."  —Booklist

"A page-turner of the first order. . . . This well-written, accessible, and exciting read should please fans of The Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones movies."  —Library Journal

"A complex and fast-paced conspiracy thriller of Old Norse myth, Ancient Egyptian superstition, and Christian secret societies. With codes, runes, hidden maps, [and] archaic symbols, it's a treat for all fans of Steve Berry, Raymond Khoury, and Dan Brown!"  —Kate Mosse, author, Labyrinth on The Guardians of the Covenant

From the Publisher

Yet again, the discovery of a long-lost document threatens the foundations of Christianity in this mixed bag of a thriller from Norwegian author Egeland (Circle's End). This time, the religious McGuffin is the Q manuscript, a Greek document that was supposedly the source for the gospels and contains additional suppressed sayings of Jesus. The manuscript may be hidden inside a golden shrine unearthed during an archeological dig in Norway. Eccentric Bjorn Belto, the designated site inspector, has spirited away the shrine to prevent it from being illegally shipped out of the country. Belto's efforts to preserve the artifact take him to London and Israel, besides leading him to the truth about his father's death in a climbing accident decades earlier. Belto's quirks are the best part of the book, which loses momentum consistently as it goes along. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

First published in 2001 in Norway as Circle's End two years before Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Egeland's (The Guardians of the Covenant) breakthrough work is strikingly similar to Brown's book in tone and subject (enough to explain readers' speculations of Brown's plagiarism) but adds to the academic mix red herrings, a Robert Ludlum-like veil of paranoia, excellent characterization and backstory, and elements of Indiana Jones adventure and high jinks. From the first chapter to the final pages, this is a page-turner of the first order as archaeologist Bjørn Beltø travels from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean in search of answers to the riddle of the Golden Shrine. VERDICT This well-written, accessible, and exciting read should please fans of The Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones movies.—David Clendinning, West Virginia State Univ. Lib., Institute

Library Journal