Product Description

The new, brilliantly high-concept religious conspiracy-theory thriller from the author of 'The Righteous Men', set against the backdrop of the world's bitterest conflict. April 2003: as the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities is looted, a teenage Iraqi boy finds an ancient clay tablet in a long-forgotten vault. He takes it and runs off into the night ! Several years later, at a peace rally in Jerusalem, the Israeli prime minister is about to sign a historic deal with the Palestinians. A man approaches from the crowd and seems to reach for a gun -- bodyguards shoot him dead. But in his hand was a note, one he wanted to hand to the prime minister. The shooting sparks a series of tit-for-tat killings which could derail the peace accord. Washington sends for trouble-shooter and peace negotiator Maggie Costello, after she thought she had quit the job for good. She follows a trail that takes her from Jewish settlements on the West Bank to Palestinian refugee camps, where she discovers the latest deaths are not random but have a distinct pattern. All the dead men are archaeologists and historians -- those who know the buried secrets of the ancient past. Menaced by fanatics and violent extremists on all sides, Costello is soon plunged into high-stakes international politics, the worldwide underground trade in stolen antiquities and a last, unsolved riddle of the Bible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1027 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 567 pages

Review
Praise for 'The Righteous Men': 'The biggest challenger to Dan Brown's crown ! a highly charged, theologically accurate tale' Mirror 'Compulsive reading ! successfully blends ancient teachings with the highly charged ways of the 21st century ! bears all the hallmarks of a blockbuster' Daily Express 'The best thriller I've read in years.' Piers Morgan 'More readable than The Da Vinci Code -- the sense of menace is darker and the characters more believable' Esquire

Piers Morgan
`The best thriller I've read in years.'

Esquire

'More readable than The Da Vinci Code - the sense of menace is darker and the characters more believable'

Customer Reviews

A bit disappointing, to be honest.
I read Sam Bourne's 'The Righteous Men' and then 'The Final Reckoning' and was captivated by both and had high expectations for 'The Last Testament' but sadly, these expectations were not met.

The plot was a little too predictable and was filled with some useless points to the plot - I won't give anything away. Let's say I wasn't as hooked as I have been with previous books of Bourne's. I'd rate this as the worst of his books... But if you need something to read on a plane/train or on a long car journey, I wouldn't disregard it completely.

Very Good
A good read. Believeable characters and a plot, while slightly unbeleiveable, that keeps you gripped until the end.

Entertaining Fiction
If you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, then you'll enjoy The Last Testament. If you thought the Da vanci Code was unrealistic and you couldn't take it seriously, because you are a strict atheist and lack the ability to engage in fantasy, or a religeous zealot who considers it blasphemy, then don't bother: buy yourself a new Bible or something instead.

This book seems to have got a slating from a lot of strange people, who take life far too seriously. Major criticisms I have read include, the author describing a cup of coffee as "steaming", when the reviewer doesn't believe its proper for a cup of coffee to steam. Well if that sort of thing really bothers you then maybe you should avoid works of fiction like this, go outside and exercise to let let off a little of your own steam!

Anything by Sam Bourne makes great light reading for the beech or the sofa.