James Becker

From Amazon:

BOHEMIA, 1741
On the northern banks of the Vltava River, an extraordinary event is taking place. Inside a private chapel, a high-born Hungarian lady is being laid to rest. But not before her heart is removed from her body, and she is buried beneath a layer of heavy stones -- lest she rise again to prey upon her victims.

VENICE, 2010
Holidaying in the world's most beautiful city, Chris Bronson and Angela Lewis discover a desecrated tomb. Inside it is a female skeleton and an arcane show more diary dating back hundreds of years. Written in Latin, it references a scroll that will provide an answer to an ancient secret. Soon corpses of young women, all killed in the same ritualistic manner, start appearing throughout the city. And when Angela disappears, Bronson knows that he must find her before she too is slaughtered. But Bronson's hunt for Angela leads him back to the Island of the Dead, and into a conspiracy more deadly than he could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts:

This is the first James Becker novel I've read and I must say that I'm not a big fan of vampire stories but I am a big fan of a well written mystery and The Noseratu Scroll more than meets this qualification. The author didn't picture the "blood-suckers" as the warm fuzzy, romantic images that have become so popular lately. Can't see anything that would be "cozy" or "fuzzy" about something that in essence wants to have you for dinner. In this case, the "vampires" were something else entirely...and in their "difference" presents a picture more terrifying than any Dracula story. Overall, I had a great time with this half historical, half spooky tale. I already have the next book. Good job Mr. Becker! show less

Beware, readers who enjoy books with a conclusion. This book has none, which unfortunately has become more common in the publishing world, I suppose as a marketing ploy to get readers to buy further books in a series. This maddens me, and if it does you, stay away from this. The novel does not have a cliffhanger ending, which would be more of an affront, in my opinion. It does end with with things on an even keel, so it has that much going for it, although as a result, the reader gets the show more sense that the book could have ended at any other point in the plot line and been as coherent.

For the subject matter, I found the writing a bit prosaic and expository. There was a LOT of explaining, and not as much action as you would expect here, although for students of history the exposition and constant review of the facts and historical background might be interesting.

The characters were so-so, and I felt never fully realized. Robin herself starts out as a cipher of sorts, a homey, mousy sort of woman who runs a bookshop, who, bewilderingly, is revealed to have the skills necessary to fight evil Italian crime rings, including a mastery of martial arts, ability to pilot a plane, a very serviceable knowledge of Latin, and a car racing license. How convenient. Equally opportune, her partner in crime, David Mallory, just HAPPENS to be writing a book about the Knights Templar when they meet up and are forced into researching the mysterious Templar scroll Robin finds. The pair manages to escape the Italians not once but three times, using her marital arts and his expertise as a former cop. This doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, in my opinion. Once maybe they got lucky. Thrice? The reader cannot help but compare the couple to Dan Brown's historical-researching adventure-finding pairs, to this couple's detriment.

A note on the author's assertions about the evils of religion: At one point, Robin snaps that she's an atheist, and the reader can't help but position the author on her side. Message: atheists, good, religious people bad. Exhibit A: the evil Italian mob, part of a syndicate of religious zealots intent on snuffing out "heresy," in their words, thus putting them in the same camp as the Inquisition and, ostensibly, the Muslim fanatics Robin and David criticize. The author has Robin postulate: "You know, I really believe that more atrocities have been perpetrated in the name of some organized religion than by every atheist and nonbeliever who has ever lived. I think you could argue that every religion is inherently evil, simply because of the way that committed believers absolutely know that they and they alone are right and therefore everybody else is wrong." She goes on to lump militant Islam in with "equally militant" Christianity. David responds with his own condemnations of religion, adding that the basis of the violence committed by believers is only ever "beliefs, not facts. It's never about facts where religion is concerned."

Now, putting aside the fact that atheism has its own set of beliefs, not facts, about the universe and its creation, and putting aside the moral equivalency of "militant Christianity" with militant Islam for the moment, the assertion that there is more evil done in the name of religion than anything else is just irresponsible and reprehensible. Perhaps the author is unaware of the 92 million killed under (non-religious) Communist regimes in Stalinist Russia and Maoist China in the 20th century alone? Hitler was non-religious, even anti-religious, himself. That's another 10 million. How about the political executions of about 2 million in the Khmer Rouge killing fields? Compare that to the approximate 3,000 people that died in TOTAL under the Catholic Inquisition.

I don't mind an author inserting his or her political or other views into his works. But those views should have a basis in reality, especially when espousing supposed historical facts. show less

From Amazon:

Assessing the contents of a lavish English estate, museum conservator Angela Lewis discovers a crate full of sealed pottery jars-one of which holds a parchment which describes the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. For Angela, the find is a miracle-a written reference to Jesus outside of the New Testament. But her discovery draws her and her husband, Chris, into a centuries-old race for the truth that they may not win...or survive.

My Thoughts:

The story line is fast-paced from show more the opening scene when the elderly Oliver-Wendell Carfax thwarts his assailant while going to his death with a smile and never slows down until the final confrontation far from Suffolk. Readers will appreciate the latest escapades of Lewis and Bronson as they follow leads while dodging two groups of assassins. Reminds you somewhat of Nick and Nora Charles. Overall, the book is a good treasure hunt story and no more ludicrous than the DaVinci Code or National Treasure. There were only two things that I found "wrong" with the book...James Becker spent sometimes way too long getting past the history and onto the story and he didn't spend much time developing the two main characters. Little flaws and they certainly took nothing away from the enjoyment of this novel. A word of warning...some people may find the premise of the story "disturbing" to their religious beliefs...but bear in mind that it is just a work of fiction....the author is never suggesting that any of it is true. show less

I liked that the author introduced some historical facts that added to the story line. I alos enjoyed the part located in Egypt as I was familiar with the locations. However, as I have been noticing in recent books, authors are taking a lot of care developing the story line until the end. Then it all happens so quickly that the reader is left asking, "what just happened and why?'