Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from JustRead Tours and Wayside Press. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Mystery
Recommended Age: 15+ (mystery, intrigue, suspense… there’s nothing too adult in this book for younger readers but it is aimed at an older audience)
Pages: 282
Synopsis: The legendary Shroud of Turin is the most studied and controversial religious relic in human history. The ancient linen cloth bears the inexplicable image of a crucified man, alleged to be that of Jesus of Nazareth. What if it was real? What if the Shroud contained a secret powerful enough to alter the course of human history….and what if it fell into the wrong hands?
Manny Lusum is convinced the Shroud is the genuine article, and obsessed with proving it scientifically. Grace Barden is not only Manny’s best friend, but also secretly in love with the physics student and soon-to-be Catholic priest.
Across the globe, three grisly murders and the theft of a secret manuscript thrust Grace and Manny into a generations-old conspiracy of biblical proportions. From New York to Rome to the inner sanctum of the Vatican, they struggle to untangle a bizarre mystery surrounding the controversial artifact. In a dramatic confrontation between faith and the ultimate evil on the world stage, Grace and Manny are pushed to the edge of an abyss, balanced on the brink between heaven and hell.
I had never really read a Christian focused mystery book (not even the Da Vinci Code, don’t tell my momma), but I really enjoyed this one. I thought the plot was intriguing and the writing was superb. The book was mostly fast paced and heart pounding. There were a lot of twists and turns and in the end I was very surprised. I really liked this book and I really liked seeing the character development of the main characters.
However, I felt that the book could have focused a bit more on the side characters and some backstory. And I also felt that the plot slowed down a lot in some parts, so the pacing was a bit weird. But the pros definitely outweigh the cons for me in this one.
Verdict: A mystery you will love if you liked The Da Vinci Code.
PopTheButterfly Reads 
glad you loved it! thanks for posting 🙂
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