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Readers of The Messiah Secret will find themselves in a world of exciting mystery, intrigue and even hints of romance between recurring characters British police officer Chris Bronson and British Museum conservator Angela Lewis in James Becker’s third religious thriller novel.
 
In a formula similar to Dan Brown’s novels (recurring characters, Christianity mystery plot, scientific and historical factoids), this book introduces two new characters: the evil, cruel and deadly Father Michael Daniel Killian who believes his actions are justified by virtue of his perceived sense of call from God; and research geneticist JJ Donovan who is willing to go to any means to accomplish his goal which remains a mystery until the end of the book.
 
The intrigue begins in the Prologue in the year AD 72 on the Silk Road, as nine men transport a heavy wooden crate. What is inside this crate?  Why must all die, except for one man?  A story of foreign travel, archeological discovery, genetic curiosity, hieroglyphic scripts, forgery and gremoire (an ancient magician sourcebook of spells and incantations) fill the pages of this book. Historical references and hypotheses and fascinating insights into the world of pre-Christendom result in the answer to these two questions.
 
While author Becker entertains and informs, this reviewer found the first fourteen chapters moved too slowly and some chapter endings seemed to serve little purpose other than to increase the word count. The book would have been tighter had there been some serious editing i.e. if the last sentence in chapters three, seven and eleven had been omitted, and if some names had been changed: Father Kill(ian) was too obvious; NoJoGen (for the Not Just Genetics company) was distracting.
 
But, in chapter fifteen, the novel’s pace picked up.  Things changed, dramatically!  From that point on, this reviewer was “hooked” as the whirlwind adventure (that begins in the UK, moves to Egypt and then India) evolves as mercenaries follow close behind Chris and Angela while they try to decipher the meaning behind a mysterious poem:
 

“And then the son of Yus of the purified

Instructed that the light which had become

The treasure was to be taken from Mohalla

And returned from whence it came.

And Isaac journeyed long and far

With his trusted followers into the

Valley of flowers and there fashioned

With their own hands a place of stone

Where they together concealed and made

Hidden the treasure of the world for all

Eternity until the heavens shall be rent asunder

And all shall tremble in the face of judgment.

With their shadows ever before them

From the rising to the setting

Beyond the meeting point where waters

Tumble toward the mighty river that flows never

Then turned to face the glory

Between the pillars and beyond their shadows

Into the silence and the darkness formed of man

To rest forever.”

Does good triumph over evil?   Are the questions from the Prologue ever answered?  Do Chris and Angela learn the meaning of the poem?  What is JJ Donovan’s goal?  And what of Father Killian?
 
The ending intricately weaves the bits and pieces of the story, revealing an ending that surprises and encourages the reader to seek out author Becker’s next book which hopefully won’t be too long a wait!