The Sacred Bones

Published in 2007, The Sacred Bones is Michael Byrne's first novel. It is a religious thriller much as The Da Vinci Code was, and combines history, religion and politics for a unique and entertaining read. The novel focuses on ancient remains found in Jerusalem that evidence subsequently strongly shows were that of Jesus Christ. The story is set mainly in Jerusalem and Rome/The Vatican and features the complex interplay of faith, politics, religion and conspiracy theories. Among the featured characters in the story, there is no actual hero/heroine. There are some loose ends after the novel, but I guess the resolution of the story is fair enough considering the topic it delved into. (It is reminiscent of The Christ Commission by Og Mandino published in the early 80s.) The novel in itself is not as heretical as one might think, the explanations in the book were actually well thought of and conveyed. I'd rate this book 3.5 stars (out of 5).