The gruesome murder of a U.S. presidential aide.A secret so terrible it will change the world.Can ex-Jesuit Nicholas Branson and modern-day Cathar Jessica Jones discover the awful truth in time to save a persecuted religious group from extinction? Or will they be thwarted by a megalomaniacal pope and an ultra-secret U.S. government force?Perfect for fans of Robert Langdon and Indiana Jones!
Matthew Peters has done it again! After tantalizing us with his first Nicholas Branson novel, THE BROTHERS’ KEEPERS, I expected to be entertained and mildly intrigued with his sequel, KILLING JOHN THE BAPTIST. I mean, how does one top TBK? But I did not expect what Peters dishes out in this second book of the series: a thoroughly engrossing, globe-hopping thriller with a mind-blowing secret that could change the course of history.
Peters hooks us with interlocking storylines of a high-level governmental murder, papal intrigue, a persecuted religious group, and ex-Jesuit Nicolas Branson’s conflicted relationships with two women. The author slowly ratchets up the tension as Branson and Jessica Jones (a Cathar and religious expert in her own right) criss-cross the globe and banter their way into solving a Biblical mystery and saving the John-the-Baptist-worshiping Mandaeans from extinction.
The intrigue of he book lies in the juxtaposition of good and evil. And when Peters hurdles us into the mind-boggling denouement, we’re left questioning everything we’ve ever been fed about our governmental and religious institutions.
A tantalizing mix of well-researched fact and fiction, KILLING JOHN THE BAPTIST is a provocative, taut, well-written thriller that leaves the reader reeling with questions and thirsty to know more. I highly recommend this book and hope for another adrenaline shot of Nicholas Branson in the near future.
This is a very well-written, non-stop thriller that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed the first book in this series, and was delighted to find that I liked this second book even more. Going more in-depth on the existing characters, and introducing intriguing new characters, I found myself really caring about what happened to these people. The obvious depth of research supporting this novel is very impressive, and has led me to start some nonfiction reading on many of the historical people and locations involved in the story. I certainly hope that the future will bring more adventures in this series.
This second book from this author is as superb as his first one, I strongly recommend it. The use of actual settings make it seem to be real.
This is a sequel to THE BROTHERS’ KEEPERS, which I also have read and reviewed. It is not necessary that you read THE BROTHERS’ KEEPERS first, but I would recommend it since your reading of this novel will only be enhanced by the experience. Nicholas Branson is the main character and a very interesting one. He is a Biblical scholar, who nearly became a Jesuit, and is also the master of many languages. At this point in his life, he struggles with his faith, but he is never far from thinking about God and what it means to be a believer. He is also a recovering alcoholic, which adds texture to his thought processes and his reactions to events. Jessica is the woman who accompanies him throughout the book, although they are not lovers (you may hope they will be before long). Jessica is witty, attractive, very smart, and computer savvy, and complements the sometimes-staid Nicholas. The action involving these two and many others is virtually non-stop. The reader travels from place to place around the world, all well described by the author so that you always have a real sense of where you are. There are passages that I re-read just for the pleasure. This is a book that I had trouble putting down, and when I was finished, I was already looking forward to the next installment in the series.