- Paperback: 388 pages
- Publisher: Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd; paperback / softback edition (7 July 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0715634410
- ISBN-13: 978-0715634417
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 387,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'All the makings of a blockbuster here, in the book charts and on the screen.' (SUNDAY SPORT )
'fascinating... vivid and poignant' (REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE )
'brilliant plotting... fast-paced fascinating... thought provoking, and the journey, both physical and emotional, undertaken by the main protagonists in discovering it is truly page-turning stuff. (CRIMESQUAD )
'a good fast read that will make an afternoon in front of the fire fly by' (DEADLY PLEASURES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'fascinating... vivid and poignant' (REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE )
'brilliant plotting... fast-paced fascinating... thought provoking, and the journey, both physical and emotional, undertaken by the main protagonists in discovering it is truly page-turning stuff. (CRIMESQUAD )
'a good fast read that will make an afternoon in front of the fire fly by' (DEADLY PLEASURES ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'All the makings of a blockbuster here, in the book charts and on the screen.' SUNDAY SPORT 'fascinating... vivid and poignant' REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE 'brilliant plotting... fast-paced fascinating... thought provoking, and the journey, both physical and emotional, undertaken by the main protagonists in discovering it is truly page-turning stuff. CRIMESQUAD 'a good fast read that will make an afternoon in front of the fire fly by' DEADLY PLEASURES
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Last Templar is the latest book, since the Da Vinci code, to use as its hook the Order of the Knights Templar and the secrets about the life of Christ they may or may not have discovered back during the Crusades.
As such it is highly derivative and lacks real orginality. Yes, the secret that is eventually revealed may differ from the other books riding on Dan Brown's coat tails, but the expected elements are all present and correct. There is the academic who uncovers the central plot and is placed in danger as a result. There are the duplicitous elements within the Vatican who will go to any length to keep the secret. There is the globe-trotting and the discovery of hidden artefacts and there is the obligatory quantity of dicing with death and miraculous escape. Oh, and a romantic sub-plot is thrown if for good measure.
In other words The Last Templar offers nothing new. Accepting that the question remains however, is it any good? The answer is, yes. As far as this sort of genre novel goes its not a bad effort. Its fast paced, the plot is sound, with no gaping holes, and the characters are just about rounded enough to make the reader believe in and where appropriate care about them. The suspension of disbelief is required in places, especially the opening scene where knights charge out of Central Park and into a New York museum, but isn't hard to achieve with the way the book is written. The whole thing is also short and tight, with no flab to distract or bore the reader.
Overall then The Last Templar is a perfectly servicable disposable read. It will not win any awards for originality or style, but in a market flooded with Da Vinci code-style adventures it is does have the distinction of being both readable and entertaining.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I agree with a lot of other reviewers.
The opening scenes are so visual and unusual that you just know the writer was thinking in terms of a script ..... 4 knights in armour riding slowly through crowds outside a New York museum, and then on up the steps until they are confronted by a security guard ..... I mean. That HAS to get your attention.
Thereafter the tension, pace and plot build nicely. But by about half way things start degenerating into a traditional chase interspersed with increasingly unlikely and over-dramatic scenarios.
But still there is the tantaslising idea of the discovery of something far more tangible than the grail - something of this earth and yet so important as to be likely to destroy all human faith.
And then we reach the end where the author totally chickens out and leaves you feeling so deflated that you wonder why on earth you bothered. I actually flung my copy into the dustbin! All that tension and promise and then - - - absolutely nothing except a wishy-washy moralistic dilemma and a few bits of paper being consumed by the sea.
My advice is to not even bother with this book. I just hope to heavens nobody ever thinks of filming it or, if they do, someone has the guts to imagine what might have been written on those pages before the waves take them.
GHASTLY. I wasted my money and time and will certainly never want to read anything else this author writes.
The opening scenes are so visual and unusual that you just know the writer was thinking in terms of a script ..... 4 knights in armour riding slowly through crowds outside a New York museum, and then on up the steps until they are confronted by a security guard ..... I mean. That HAS to get your attention.
Thereafter the tension, pace and plot build nicely. But by about half way things start degenerating into a traditional chase interspersed with increasingly unlikely and over-dramatic scenarios.
But still there is the tantaslising idea of the discovery of something far more tangible than the grail - something of this earth and yet so important as to be likely to destroy all human faith.
And then we reach the end where the author totally chickens out and leaves you feeling so deflated that you wonder why on earth you bothered. I actually flung my copy into the dustbin! All that tension and promise and then - - - absolutely nothing except a wishy-washy moralistic dilemma and a few bits of paper being consumed by the sea.
My advice is to not even bother with this book. I just hope to heavens nobody ever thinks of filming it or, if they do, someone has the guts to imagine what might have been written on those pages before the waves take them.
GHASTLY. I wasted my money and time and will certainly never want to read anything else this author writes.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In Raymond Khoury's 'The Last Templar' we begin with an exciting armed robbery of a Vatican exhibition at the Met in New York, by four horseman dressed as knights. An unusual start, but sets the tone for an entertaining book.
In the story we follow historian Tess Chayki and FBI agent Reilly as they are on a quest to find the thieves. But they become involved in something that is much more important than a mere robbery, but something that will shake the Vatican's foundations.
The story is a novel one, but nothing too surprising with conspiracy stories that are around these days. I did enjoy the mixture of the crime story set with a historical backdrop. And the flashbacks to olden times with the Knights Templar themselves in action was enjoyable. The story does lose pace a little towards the end and becomes more of a love story than an adventure chase.
But I enjoyed this, and would recommend it as a fun read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A script for a B movie
The book sounded so interesting from the blurb. It turned out to be a disappointment and a bit more like a B movie script than a great thriller. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Vicki Ford
Pretty Good
Pretty standard for this sort of novel as others have said, but entertaining for a long journey or a wet afternoon. Not too 'American' to put off the UK reader. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mrs. S. Partridge
Better than Brown
As many have said before this is along similar lines (as are a whole host of of novels) to Dan Brown's works however having read this and Brown's works I think this trumps them by... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Pjk Patching
Good but predictable
a very good start but as you continue through the story it becomes very predictable. I found that i wanted to read the book and not put it down but it was a bit dissapointed in the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. Shaun Connolly
Simple Review
The book was a fantastic read for me. I have had an interest in the Templar Knights since accidentally stumbling across them and being immediately engaged by the mystique of their... Read more
Published 20 months ago by DBPM
The Lost Temper
I loved the potential that this book held for me but drawn out scenes and forgettable character construction led me to loose the plot lots of times and the sheer drag of this book! Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2010 by D. Hunter
Terribly Predictable yet unbelievably far fetched
I'm rather loathed to spend too much time on writing a review for Raymond Khoury's book, 'The Last Templar'. Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by S. Mohammed
Painful
Getting through this book was a painful experience. Part of the reason for this was that I was listening to it as an MP3 recording I borrowed from my local library. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by SJJones
A pretty good, but not great, read.
Four horsemen dressed as knights templars, commit a spectacular robbery on opening night of an exhibition of Vatican treasures at the New York Metropolitan Museum. Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2009 by NoWireHangers
the last templar
bit of old templar history ,a bit of modern day crime of templar antiqueties, if you like dan brown templar series you will enjoy this.
Published on 4 Sep 2009 by D. clark ramsey
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