First published 2013
A Catholic priest breaks free from an Ethiopian prison after forty years of captivity. His crime was claiming to know where Christ's cup from the Last Supper lies hidden. A mortar blast destroys his cell walls during the Ethiopian Civil War, giving him his first taste of freedom in decades. Old and wounded, he flees into the jungle where he meets two Western journalists and a freelance photographer seeking shelter from the fighting. As they treat his injuries, he tells them his extraordinary story about the location of the holiest relic in Christianity. The tale captivates the three Westerners, who decide to join him in searching for the Grail. Their quest leads them through war-torn Ethiopia and eventually to Rome, where they face murderous tribes, deadly assassins, and fanatical monks. The journey tests not only their courage but also their hearts as romance blooms between the journalists and photographer amid the danger.
Genres: christian-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, quest
Setting: Ethiopia, Rome
Period: 20th-century
461 pages · Kindle Edition · Center Street
Content warnings: violence, war