This is the next in a series of the newest Bible-oriented thrillers out on the market. I have been reading them lately and devouring each that has come up for review. This one is in the same pattern as the rest of the thrillers: you find a murder scene and start traveling to put the clues together. The author has a purpose, and that is to instill thought about the accepted teachings of the Bible. This book makes the reader think about what they believe, how deeply, and how much the role of the church affects their daily lives. Paul Christopher does this all very soundly, and the book is a great beach or vacation read, like a Clive Cussler book with the biblical twist. He challenges the readers to actually look into themselves and figure out what they want the outcome be. I would not go so far as to say that this book is going to be another DaVinci Code, or Sign of the Cross. However, it is an enjoyable read with a lot of special attention paid to certain aspects of the Bible that are generally overlooked. The ending left a bit to be desired in one respect, but as with all the books dealing with Church related controversy, the author can’t actually come to a definitive conclusion about the veracity of the teachings of the Bible without being labeled as a heretic or worse by that very Church. And, as in every other book, the writer has to write the appropriate ending, leaving it open enough to the reader’s interpretation so that it is satisfying and yet conclusive. That is a very hard job to impose on any writer. I found that this book ended rather skillfully, while leaving it open just enough so the reader looks inward a bit for his or her own ideas about The Lucifer Gospels.

The Lucifer Gospel is an archeological expedition that has gone awry in the very first few weeks of the dig. Financed by a man named Adamson, the intrepid team includes a nice young college gal, Finn Ryan, and a very appealing wannabe Indiana Jones pilot/photographer named Virgil Hilts. The team sets out to find why the leader of the dig goes off early every day. They want to see what they big mystery is. What they find is an ancient medallion and a reference to a ship and another man and the young archeologist’s father. When they get to the ship, their lives are almost stilled by the henchmen working for the leader of their dig. They then find another clue to a place with a mystical/mythical cavern, and all of the profound intricacies come together with the cavern destroying itself. The scrolls, do they change mankind? So they have profound impact, was it all worth the chase? Read The Lucifer Gospel and find out. I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. A great little read.