The Sacred Bones
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Product Description
Fast-paced and intelligent, blending historical fact with persuasive fiction, The Sacred Bones is an addictively compelling thriller that calls into question many of modern religion's most deeply-held beliefs. Jerusalem is a ticking time bomb ...An ancient artefact is stolen from beneath Temple Mount. With thirteen Israeli soldiers dead, and the Palestinians outraged over the desecration of the sacred ground, tensions are running high. Detectives must work against the clock to identify the stolen relic and the thieves, before civil unrest escalates to deadly proportions. Meanwhile, in Vatican city, American scientist Charlotte Hennesey and Italian anthropologist Giovanni Bersei have been secretly summoned to analyse a mysterious artefact, that could prove to be history's darkest secret: a human skeleton, approximately 2,000 years old, and bearing the unmistakeable marks of crucifixion ...With the malevolent eye of Vatican security expert Salvatore Conte watching her every move, Charlotte must work against the clock to uncover an astonishing truth that threatens the very foundations of belief.And there's a more immediate question to face: whether the Vatican will allow this information - and Charlotte - to see the light of day . ..
About the Author
Michael Byrnes is the founder and CEO of a highly successful multi-million dollar insurance brokerage firm. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. The Sacred Bones is his first novel.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read a number of "Da Vinci Mode" books in the past few years, and have developed a great love for the genre, despite some readers' reservations. However, out of the books I have read, I would rate "Sacred Bones" second only to Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons". The plot is a little more complex than is usual in this genre (which may deter some readers), and provides a fascinating (if slightly fictional) insight into the differing cultures of Christianity and Islam in Jerusalem.
The plot is action-packed, quick moving, and Michael Byrnes' style of writing is second to none. The characters are very realistic, and one imagines this as a far more stimulating film than the Da Vinci Code. At last we have an author in this genre who truly knows his craft and writes in a slick, intelligent, and concise manner.
A welcome refreshing change from the usual "Da-Vinci-Mode" novels.
The plot is action-packed, quick moving, and Michael Byrnes' style of writing is second to none. The characters are very realistic, and one imagines this as a far more stimulating film than the Da Vinci Code. At last we have an author in this genre who truly knows his craft and writes in a slick, intelligent, and concise manner.
A welcome refreshing change from the usual "Da-Vinci-Mode" novels.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I came across this thriller by Michal Brynes. I nearly did not buy it as the publishers advertised it as "a worthy competitor to Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code" as I am sick that one seems to have to compare all novels with Dan Brown's work. Well, glad that I was not put off.
Michael Brynes presents the reader with a fast-paced and intricating plot which grips one with page one. One simply wants to know what happens next. I found this particularly amazing as the main trust is fairly predictable. Predictability leads very often to boredom, but not here as the religious and political dimensions in the middle-east and how one deals with them are really fascinating. The twist and turns keep suspense from beginning to end.
It is nice as none of the religions are giving predominance. It is shown how constant violence effects the human soul and that there are far too many having an interest in keeping violence. So all in all, Michael Brynes proves to be a great and compelling story teller and entertains his readers superbly, but there is something to think about as well.
Michael Brynes presents the reader with a fast-paced and intricating plot which grips one with page one. One simply wants to know what happens next. I found this particularly amazing as the main trust is fairly predictable. Predictability leads very often to boredom, but not here as the religious and political dimensions in the middle-east and how one deals with them are really fascinating. The twist and turns keep suspense from beginning to end.
It is nice as none of the religions are giving predominance. It is shown how constant violence effects the human soul and that there are far too many having an interest in keeping violence. So all in all, Michael Brynes proves to be a great and compelling story teller and entertains his readers superbly, but there is something to think about as well.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book to be an average read only. There are far worse books in this genre than this one, as there are far better. The book was typical of the religious thriller/dark secret genre - including a sexy and smart female protagonist (Dr. Charlotte Hennessey), the evil Vatican Secretary of State in Cardinal Santelli, an assassin named Salvatore Conte, and a hidden tomb/scrolls that would destroy Christianity if revealed.
I won't go into too much detail with the plot as previous reviewers have written on it already and the book's synopsis does the job adequately. In fact, you could read the synopsis and not need to read the book at all - it does exactly what it says on the tin. There are largely no surprises, and very few twists and turns. Suffice to say the plot is set in two locations - 1) the Vatican where Hennessey and her colleague Dr. Bersei investigate the contents of an ossuary containing, surprise surprise, a crucified man 2) Jersualem where the Jewish and Muslim authorities try to restore order following a theft from the Temple Mount. Here, a British arachaeologist, Graham Barton, also discovers an ossuary (along with eight others) similar to the one in the Vatican.
Hennessey is a strange protagonist in that she is largely peripheral to the plot. Indeed, the plot would have been exactly the same if she wasn't in it. Her role is to investigate the Vatican's ossuary, but it is Bersei who makes all the discoveries and drives this side of the story along. She seems to be there as a plot device for a sequel. The book's ending is not conclusive (the only surprise throughout the book), the question of the identity of the occupant of the Vatican's ossuary is not conclusively revealed or closed, although strongly hinted at and questions remain as to what to do with a sample of the bones' DNA, which has strong healing powers. Here the plot for a sequel is mapped out as Hennessey is suffering from cancer of the bone.
All in all I would cautiously recommend it if you enjoy this genre and have nothing else to read.
I won't go into too much detail with the plot as previous reviewers have written on it already and the book's synopsis does the job adequately. In fact, you could read the synopsis and not need to read the book at all - it does exactly what it says on the tin. There are largely no surprises, and very few twists and turns. Suffice to say the plot is set in two locations - 1) the Vatican where Hennessey and her colleague Dr. Bersei investigate the contents of an ossuary containing, surprise surprise, a crucified man 2) Jersualem where the Jewish and Muslim authorities try to restore order following a theft from the Temple Mount. Here, a British arachaeologist, Graham Barton, also discovers an ossuary (along with eight others) similar to the one in the Vatican.
Hennessey is a strange protagonist in that she is largely peripheral to the plot. Indeed, the plot would have been exactly the same if she wasn't in it. Her role is to investigate the Vatican's ossuary, but it is Bersei who makes all the discoveries and drives this side of the story along. She seems to be there as a plot device for a sequel. The book's ending is not conclusive (the only surprise throughout the book), the question of the identity of the occupant of the Vatican's ossuary is not conclusively revealed or closed, although strongly hinted at and questions remain as to what to do with a sample of the bones' DNA, which has strong healing powers. Here the plot for a sequel is mapped out as Hennessey is suffering from cancer of the bone.
All in all I would cautiously recommend it if you enjoy this genre and have nothing else to read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very predictable.
This book dosn't come to life until the final third, and that's not terribly exciting, the other two thirds are taken up by shedloads of Historical and Biblical facts and figures,... Read more
Published 7 months ago by mike
The Sacred Bones
I find myself reading a lot of these types of books just now and they have all been very good and thought provoking. Read more
Published 11 months ago by W. Macpherson
The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes
This book combined with the Sacred Blood would be an ideal product suitable for a film, if it can be done with two other books published by another writer, this book and the Sacred... Read more
Published 12 months ago by prctms
Hmm - bit predictable really
Good summer holiday read but yet another "Jesus didn't die, where could his bones be?" sort of book. Read more
Published 21 months ago by J. Beech
A great first novel - Sacred Bones
I agree that Michael Byrnes is a competitor to Dan Brown but his history seems a little more accurate as proved in his later books. Read more
Published 23 months ago by rhosymynydd
Outstanding
This is Michael Byrnes first book and by coincidence the first one I have read of his. What an outstanding book it turned out to be. Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Wendy Jones
A gripping read
Both Sacred Bones and Blood are superbly written and leave no stone unturned in this captivating storyline. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2010 by Racy11
Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes
Excellent read and leads into his second book Sacred Blood so essential to read sacred bones first. His 'interpretation' of historic facts has to be taken with a big pinch of salt... Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by Mr. Anthony W. Tyler
They all blur together after a while
YOu can't really blame the author for his product.... it's actually an alright book.... however to be honest all of these books just blur together now. Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2009 by A. G. Williams
Best read for a long time
I have only recently discovered the books of Michael Byrnes, and although I read the sequel first, (The Sacred Blood)a book I could not put down, I find that Michael's books are... Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2009 by Mrs. Jacqueline Yarwood
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