The Sacred Bones: A Novel

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 304 pages
• Published by: William Morrow March 13, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0061146072
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0061146077
• Book Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Da Vinci Code knockoffs will welcome Byrnes's first novel. When an ancient stone burial box known as an ossuary is stolen from a secret crypt beneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, readers will immediately intuit that the bones contained in the box are those of Jesus Christ, even though it takes quite a bit longer for the characters to admit as much. American geneticist Charlotte Hennesey is summoned to the Vatican along with Dr. Giovanni Bersei, an anthropologist, to study the ossuary. Back in Jerusalem, Arabs, Jews and Christians bicker, protest, fight and scheme against one another both within and outside the Temple Mount. A ruthlessly efficient Vatican hit man, Salvatore Conte, hovers over the action. Venal cardinals, contemptuous Israelis, Knights Templar and evil popes round out a familiar cast. Byrnes puts a more contemporary spin on his material than most authors of religious thrillers.
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Product Review
" …A pacy read with plenty of surprises…" -- Hampstead & Highgate Express (UK)

"A breathless race through real historical fact laced generously with artistic license. …An immensely enjoyable read." -- Bookseller (UK)

"A terrific thriller melding biblical puzzles with modern-day archaeology and the immense knowledgegleaned by forensic science. Action-driven" -- Publishing News (UK)

"Byrnes puts a more contemporary spin on his material than most authors of religious thrillers." -- Publishers Weekly

"Exciting, intelligent and incredibly true to life." -- Simcha Jacobovici, co-author of The Jesus Family Tomb

"Fans of historical thrillers with religious overtones will eat this up…" -- Library Journal

Reader Reviews
With an abundance of writing on Jesus as of recent, it would be easy for one to overlook a novel like The Sacred Bones. You'd be well-off putting down one of those other "controversial" titles and picking up this one. Written with a flair for suspense, The Sacred Bones certainly satiates those who enjoy history and/or religion, but doesn't leave you neck-deep in either Biblical references or entirely fictional content. Byrnes has crafted a wonderful, thought-provoking, non-controversial title that any fan of suspense, be it historical or not, can enjoy. From the opening sequence to the page-turning discoveries of the main characters, I think you'll find yourself finishing this one long before you'd like to. A definite thumbs-up for Byrnes on his first work. I will be on the lookout for anything he has on the horizon.