Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn
A Storm Syrell and Harry Bennett Mystery
Howard Books (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5631-1 (1416556311)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5631-2 (9781416556312)
Publication Date: May 2009
List Price: $24.00
Review: Davis Bunn takes the reader on an extraordinary adventure mystery with Gold of Kings, introducing three memorable characters on a quest, seeking a cache of sacred artifacts.
It was the dream of Sean Syrrell, a wealthy dealer in arts and antiques, to find a treasure that would be the discovery of his life. When he realizes he's been marked for death, he arranges the meeting of three people he believes can complete his life mission. He contacts Emma Webb, an attorney as well as an agent with the Treasury Department, and instructs her to give an envelope containing a key to his granddaughter, Storm. The key is to his bank vault, in which are stored important papers as well as instructions to follow upon his death. He then asks his good friend Harry Bennett, an old dog treasure hunter, to protect Storm, who may be in as much danger as Syrrell. When Syrrell dies and the three meet, they know they are looking for a treasure, but what is it? Their only answer they're given is, that they'll know it when they find it.
The author does a wonderful job introducing conflict and uncertainty within the trio. Harry is certain they will be successful, though isn't sure exactly what that will ultimately mean. Storm is confident of her own abilities as dealer of antiquities, but has lived in the shadow of her great uncle. Will she be able to live up to his expectations? And though Emma is an outsider here, she really wants to participate in the journey. Her job as a Federal agent, though, gives the others pause; is she committed to working with them, or is she secretly participating on behalf of the US -- or some other -- government?
There is much more here to recommend. The settings, from Florida to London and Paris to Cyprus, are beautifully depicted. The plot, combining ancient history in a modern fictional story, compares favorably with the best thrillers. Gold of Kings is a remarkable novel, and is highly recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Gold of Kings and to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
If you are interested in purchasing Gold of Kings from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right. Gold of Kings (Kindle edition) is also available. Learn more about the Kindle, Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.
Synopsis (from the publisher): A dealer in art and antiquities, Storm Syrrell arranges her life as she does her work -- into neat, orderly categories. But when her grandfather is murdered, all certainties are crushingly replaced by suspicions. She struggles to understand his death -- and decipher the frayed leather journal she finds hidden in his vault. Storm soon realizes that, far from being simply a discreet art broker, Sean Syrrell was a trusted go-between in the highest ranks of business and government in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
But not all of Sean's associates were quite so lofty. Enter Harry Bennett, a scruffy professional treasure hunter just released from a Caribbean jail, followed by Emma Webb, a US government lawyer with links to Interpol. Storm pushes her doubts aside, locks the door to her Palm Beach art gallery, and opens herself to the quest begun by her grandfather.
Their trail leads them ever farther afield -- London, France, Istanbul, Cyprus -- and ever deeper into danger. The thrill of the search is haunted by Storm's determination to bring Sean's murderers to justice. Storm and Harry in turn are targeted by an unknown assassin and saved from death only by Harry's split-second reactions.
Their quest homes in on the Copper Scroll of Qumran and controversial claims made by the Jewish historian Josephus. Hidden beneath the dust and mysteries of two thousand years lies the reason behind Sean Syrrell's murder and the find of a lifetime: a fortune in gold of great historical significance. Storm begins to grasp the potential magnitude such artifacts will have on contemporary religion and politics -- especially the competing historical claims to Jerusalem. Some seek to claim the gold for the treasure it represents; others are determined to destroy it. With the tangled motives of greed and power now in focus, old allies become new enemies. Through this, something unexpected tugs at Storm. The sacred relics represent a formidable metaphor to an ancient faith; will her search include a renewal of her own faith?
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