A Reader's Opinion: THE LOST BOOK OF WONDERS by Chad Brecher
A READER'S OPINION
THE LOST BOOK OF WONDERS by Chad Brecher is a historical thriller about the quest for the Garden of Eden that Marco Polo supposedly sought and perhaps found but kept the secret safe for centuries. Safe, until a canal is dredged in Venice and a box is found with some of Polo’s artefacts inside. These come into possession of Dr. Ellie Griffiths an archaeologist, and Alex Stone an earnest undergraduate student. These items soon lead Ellie and Alex on an adventurous and life-threatening quest, as there exist others who are interested in finding the Garden for their own ends, one for the betterment of humanity, the other for his own selfish purposes. Both will do anything they can to find Eden!
This is an ambitious 474-page debut novel from Chad Brecher and one that fans of Allan Quatermain and Indiana Jones will especially like. It has Biblical elements, historic people and places, and even the promise of finding Eden’s Tree of Life, the leaves of which have amazing curative properties. History buffs will appreciate the lengthy historical sidebars that Ellie and Alex get into, but which can be skimmed over if you find them too protracted, without interfering in the storyline.
Overall, a good, action-filled historical adventure thriller that will have you flipping the pages as fast as you can read them at times. While some plot turns are telegraphed by the author (or experienced readers may see coming a mile away e.g., Alex & Ellie = Adam & Eve), other twists come as much of a surprise to the reader as they do to the characters themselves. Definitely a worthwhile read, and proof that a good story can be told without profanity or sexual elements.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars | Content Rating: 0 Hearts | Reviewed by: James M. Fisher
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Venice is sinking. As engineers struggle to save the city from its watery fate, a metal chest is discovered beneath the surface of a murky canal. Tossed into the waters in 1355, it contains the long-lost possessions of none other than the famed explorer Marco Polo. When the chest is brought to light, its discovery stirs an ancient society from the shadows of history. Convinced that Polo died without revealing all he found during his voyage to the East, the society will stop at nothing to collect the pieces of the puzzle Polo left behind.
A continent away, another clue has emerged. While on a mission to recover looted artifacts in war-torn Iraq, Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Griffin, an expert in pre-Biblical and Biblical archeology, happens upon an unusual wooden box. When her expedition goes horribly wrong, Ellie is left broken, but with the box. Determined to uncover the significance of this mysterious find, Ellie teams up with Alex Stone, a precocious graduate student, and soon, the two embark on a journey that takes them across the world in pursuit of the greatest treasure imaginable, a prize searched for and dreamed about since the beginning of time.
Historical Mystery/Thriller | April 6, 2017 | 474pp | Publisher: Deeds Publishing
Format Read: E-Book | Source: Provided by the author or publisher
