#REVIEW: Judas the Apostle by Van R Mayhall Jr

Title: Judas the Apostle

Series: The Sicari #1

Author:  Van R Mayhall Jr

Published Date: Aug 7^th 2012

Publisher: iUniverse

Format: ebook

Pages: 300

ISBN: 9781475931556

Genre: fiction

Add to: Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: Ancient language expert Dr. Clotile Lejeune is happily living a quiet life in Seattle when her world is profoundly shaken. After she learns that her estranged father has been murdered, Cloe must travel with her son, J. E., back to her Louisiana hometown to unlock the mysteries of a two-thousand-year-old oil jar her father has left in her care—a jar inscribed with the name Judas Iscariot. Anxious to find her father’s killer and dispel her own personal demons, Cloe has no idea that what she is about to uncover has the potential to set the international religious community on fire.

With the help of a mysterious cleric, her son, and a letter from her father, Cloe soon realizes the African oil jar her father picked up during the war may be the most important relic discovered in centuries. But it is only the beginning. Across the globe, a billionaire arms merchant is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake in his pursuit of the jar and its contents.

In this religious thriller, the race for answers takes a language professor on a dangerous quest across three continents in order to discover the identity of Judas Iscariot. Now only time will tell if Cloe can find out what the past is reaching out to tell her—before it is too late.

My Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Throughout the story it is packed with different theories about why Judas, easily the most hated man in the Bible, betrayed Jesus to those who were after him. I admit to a large fascination with Judas, and more than a little sympathy for him. This book was a great way for me to feed my need for more information.

It is a fictionalized account of a man who accidentally stumbles upon a clay jar during World War II, and brings it home, where it stays on his mantle until present day. Suddenly, forces are at work to gain possession of the jar, which include killing the now elderly man, and going after his daughter and her son with murderous intent, before they can figure out what exactly is inside the jar itself.

The author wrote the book well, allowing enough detail in the book so that readers could visualize the scenes in their minds, while not becoming cumbersome and bogging the storyline down. The action was well-placed, and kept the storyline going at a decent clip.

The next in the series promises to be just as good.