Friday, July 24, 2015

Riddle of Solomon by D.J. Niko



Publisher:    Medallion Press
Published:   July 1, 2013
ISBN:       978-1605425290
Genre:    Suspense
Format:   Ebook   
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FIVE HEARTS

In the midst of an archaeological dig in Saudi Arabia Sarah Weston and anthropologist Daniel Madigan, stumble on a rare, ancient scroll.  When local Bedouins attack the dig site, take demand the scroll and threaten their lives if they don’t leave, Sarah and Danny do what any self-respecting scientist would do—they start digging into the history of the object.

They turn first to a specialist in ancient languages—an Israeli working at King Saud University.  While she offers some help, the puzzles of just where the scroll came from remains.  When Danny and Sarah return to the dig site it is to find it in flames and raiders intent of destroying everything in their path.  Determined more than ever to solve the puzzle of the scroll they venture beyond the Saudi desert and make their way to Israel. 

But their mission is not without missteps and intrigue.  A man by the name of Briton, Trent Sacks is also looking for the scroll.  He believes that he is, in fact, the last descendant of the House of David in the line of Solomon.  He is determined to prove he is the Jewish Messiah.  Step by step he dogs Sarah and Danny’s steps…or are they following in his?  With danger at every turn and death following them where ever they venture next, Sarah and Danny are more than ever convinced that the scroll holds the key to more than just a buried treasure.  Can they find the truth before Sacks finds them?

I read D.J. Niko’s THE TENTH SAINT a few years ago and really enjoyed the story as well as the characters.  Sarah and Danny aren’t fresh out of college kids off on an adventure—they are mature adults, approaching their 40’s.  They are intelligent, creative, strong willed and perfect foils for each other.  In THE RIDDLE OF SOLOMON, draws on Biblical and historical lore and knowledge to weave a fabulous story.  I’m glad I started the book while on vacation because I pretty much sat for two days straight reading the almost 500 pages, unable to put it down except when I was just too tired to stay up and read any longer. 

Archelogy and anthropology fascinate me, but readers do not have to be fans of either to really enjoy the RIDDLE OF SOLOMON.  All you need is to be looking for a good story with well-drawn characters.  Niko doesn’t just tell a good story—her scenes are fleshed out with marvellous descriptions of the locales the characters find their way in to.  When the story wends its way to India, and Niko describes the litter, debris and treatment of the Ganges, the reader knows exactly not only what it looks like but how it smells.  When she describes the fine sheen of sand covering Sarah’s arms in the desert, you know just what it feels like.  Niko knows how to evoke visceral responses in her readers and does a fabulous job bringing them out. 

If you are looking for a truly outstanding read, RIDDLE OF SOLOMON is definitely one to check out.  You do not have to have read book 1, THE TENTH SAINT to be up to speed but I’d recommend picking it up if for no other reason it too is a great read.



This is an objective review and an endorsement of this book.


 

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