The Seed of the Dogwood Tree
By Greg Cicio

     Michael Sinclair and Bruce Plantard are best friends and archaeology students who, while on a field trip to the Mendips, make the discovery of a lifetime. Hidden in an old mine are the diaries of Baldwin, King of Jerusalem at the time of the First Crusade. Believing that they have the clues to finding various priceless relics, they embark on a second secret expedition with the help of Bruce's mysterious Uncle Edmond and find the Blood of Christ and the True Cross. But other people are going to be interested in these things too, and thus begins a thrilling inspirational adventure involving genetics, secret cults, legends and science fiction as the two students set in motion a train of events that is going to have far-reaching consequences.

      At first it sounds like the sort of tale that might feature Indiana Jones, but think again. This novel has more twists and turns than a switchback. Blending elements of science, religion and legend together like the strands of a tapestry, perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that there are so many surprises in what starts out like a conventional treasure- hunting yarn, and this is all to the good. To its detriment, there seems to be little description of the places where the story is set (and this reviewer knows the Mendips very well), and the lack of visual images of such an outstandingly beautiful and unique place is a shame; the same goes for Edinburgh. Some of this lack is made up for in the first-person narrative, as Michael tells his tale sounding breathless at times, as though he is talking into a tape recorder or scribbling in a diary, which gives an immediacy and humanity to the momentous events. All in all, a thought-provoking and unusual read.