HUNTING THE KING - REVIEWS
On the eve of the American assault on Iraq, a startling discovery comes to light: the possible burial location of the family of Jesus Christ—potential proof that Christ produced offspring. American archaeologist Molly O’Dwyer believes she can find the site, but she has many rivals, including a Muslim who sees the site as the salvation of his own country, a ruthless fellow archaeologist, and Saddam Hussein’s former chief of intelligence. This is a very readable thriller, with a large cast that only occasionally threatens to bog the story down. Clenott takes a risk, setting the tale in Iraq during the American invasion but focusing not on the conflict itself but on a story that exists outside of it. And, yet, he does a fine job of making his readers feel the violence of the invasion without overwhelming us with it: the war is always there, in the background, but it never takes our interest away from the Da Vinci Code–like draw of this compelling variation on the familiar theme of a lost artifact that could change the world.
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ForeWord Magazine, By Aimee Sabo
Ever since Dan Brown published his bestselling THE DA
VINCI CODE in 2004, thrillers about religious history have become a lucrative,
if predictable, staple of the publishing world. To stand out from the stacks, it
seems, would take an act of divine intervention.
Peter Clenott proves the skeptics wrong with an intelligent debut about the race
to uncover the most prized archaeological find of all time:the tomb of Jesus
Christ. The tale begins on the eve of the 2003 Iraqi invasion, when a museum
curator stumbles across a cryptic guide to the messiah's remains, allegedly
buried somewhere in the Iraqi desert. As the chaos of war ensues, the secret
spreads across the globe, eventually reaching the protagonist, American
archaeologist and biblical expert Molly O'Dwyer. With the backing of a Polsi
financier, Molly soon embarks on an action-packed adventure to find Jesus' tomb
with the U.S. military, Iraqi fighters, and a slew of other 'bad guys' on her
tail.
Fans of intellectual thrillers and historical fiction will finda worthy new
voice in Clenott. With the ease of a seasoned novelist, he takes readers from
the bowels of Abu Ghraib and the streets of ancient Jerusalem to the stuffy
offices of Boston academia and the desert enclave of a devout imam. Like THE DA
VINCI CODE, HUNTING THE KING is based on the premise that Jesus had a child by
Mary Magdalene with descendents that survive to this day. But by blending
religious intrigue with contemporary politics and an eclectic cast of characters,
Clenott manages to create a story that is entertaining and wholly his own.
The author's best invention may be Molly O'Dwyer,a genuinely likeable heroine
who more than holds her own in a man's world. An ambitious scientist, she is
also an observant Catholic whose heart and mind don't always agree. Her quest to
find the truth without sacrificing Jesus's soul "and the soul of every other
human being on this planet who believes in him" adds a provocative layer to the
story. Molly's spiritual searching sometimes bring her into contact with
supernatural phenomena, which may put off some readers. Her own natural
skepticism provides a fitting counterbalance.
For fifteen years Clenott has worked in social services aiding victims of fire,
flood, domestic abuse in Massachusetts. This is his first published book in a
planned series featuring Molly O'Dwyer. Given such an auspicious start, the
sequel can't come too soon.
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Boston Literary Magazine, By Robin
Stratton
Mysticism collides with danger in this suspense-filled, larger than life
adventure. Well written and fast paced, Peter Clenott's HUNTING THE KING thrusts
readers into the heart of Iraq during the first days of the war, raising
questions about the role America played in the violence, while following an
earnest trio of Truth Seekers who will stop at nothing in their pursuit of the
prince of Peace.
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Brunswick Times Record , By William D. Bushnell
American archaeologist Molly O’Dwyer has a thorny problem that will likely get her killed. How does she tell the world that the Son of God isn’t the Son of God after all, that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, that he survived the crucifixion and lived to raise a daughter? And there are a lot of people who would kill to prevent her from proving it.
“Hunting the King” is Peter Clenott’s chilling intellectual thriller that has archaeologists, mercenaries, government agents, Vatican spies, and Muslim terrorists all in a desperate and deadly race across the harsh Iraqi desert to discover the bones of Jesus. Even more exciting than Dan Brown’s wildly popular “The Da Vinci Code”, this is a cerebral adventure loaded with religious and political implications, ancient codes, symbols, and secret messages, as well as the dangers of betrayal, double-cross, and murder.
Clenott was born in Portland, graduated from Bowdoin College, and writes novels and screenplays. This latest effort is a masterful, fast-paced tale of intrigue and suspense, with an original plot, gripping narrative, and vividly convincing characters. Best of all, Clenott’s smooth style, intricate plotting, and timely setting make this a fascinating and entertaining story.
Molly O’Dwyer is a bright, energetic, and tenacious archaeologist. In Egypt in 1998 she and an Iraqi colleague discovered ancient Hebrew scrolls that suggest that Jesus did not die on the cross, but rather survived and fathered a daughter named Hannaniah.
The Iraqi hid much of the scrolls’ secrets from Molly, fearing what this evidence would mean to the rest of the world. Several years later, however, Molly pursues her own leads to Afghanistan where she finds a burial chamber that proves Hannaniah existed and may have actually organized numerous Jewish communities throughout the Middle East beyond Roman control.
She also uncovers evidence to suggest that Hannaniah’s burial is in Iraq and that her father, Jesus of Nazareth, is buried there, too. But her findings are cruelly suppressed by government, religious and academic authorities.
In 2004 she is unexpectedly approached by a mysterious consortium and asked to lead an archaeological expedition into Iraq to find Hannaniah’s tomb. Apparently not everyone thinks Molly is a crackpot. Unfortunately, the Iraq war is raging now and such an expedition is not only unlikely but probably lethal as well.
Financed by a Polish gangster, Molly’s party sneaks into Iraq as a Polish Army unit, but by now everyone knows who they are and what they are after, and they all want a piece of the action. Some people will do anything to ensure the truth is never told, others see a big money payoff, and still others want to use Jesus’ bones as leverage for political and religious reasons. And they all want Molly dead.
Deciphering ancient Hebrew codes as clues, Molly smartly leads her pursuers all over the deserts of Iraq, avoiding ambushes, suicide bombers, and questioning her own motives. She knows the enormity of her conclusions will shock all the world’s religions, but she is driven to find the truth, no matter what the consequences.
However, she cannot really trust anyone, not even her own colleagues, most of whom are working for someone else with entirely different motives. Treachery, double-cross, and murder affect every move until the final showdown at a remote burial mound in the desert where Molly uncovers the real truth about Jesus and his daughter.
The result is a stunning and satisfying conclusion that will surprise and leave the reader gasping. This is a terrific adventure story well told.