First published 2012
Biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons believes he has made an extraordinary discovery. Hidden for centuries, a parchment letter may have been written by Jesus Christ himself. The document was stolen from the Vatican Library in the 1500s and presumed lost forever. Jonathan confides his find to several experts under strict secrecy. He also tells a family friend that someone he once trusted plans to sell the priceless artifact. Days later, Jonathan lies dead in his study from gunshot wounds. Police find his wife Kathleen hiding in the closet, clutching the murder weapon. Kathleen suffers from Alzheimer's disease but has known about her husband's ongoing affair. Investigators believe she killed Jonathan in a jealous rage. The ancient parchment has vanished. Their daughter Mariah must prove her mother's innocence and discover who really murdered her father. She faces a dual mystery: clearing Kathleen of murder charges and tracking down what may be the most valuable religious artifact ever found.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, crime, academic
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-drama, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Vatican Library
Period: 1500s
292 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: death, murder, violence