THE LOST THRONE

THE LOST THRONE
Author: Chris Kuzneski
Penguin Group
G.P. Putnam’s Sons2008
First edition: Penguin UK 2008
First US edition: August 2009ISBN: 978-0-399-15582-6 $25.95512 pagesFiction

“The monk felt the wind on his face as he plummeted to his death, a journey that started with a scream and ended with a thud.”

Since THE DaVINCI CODE, there seem to be a multitude of books attempting to reproduce the action adventure success. THE LOST THRONE would fit perfectly in that category.

A man with an apparent stroke collapses on the streets in Italy in 1890. He is taken to the nearest hospital where he mutters intermittently in German and ancient Greek while his words are recorded. However, the recorder is not masterful in the languages and so the translation and the recording might not be completely accurate. Oh, if only someone could have understood what the man’s dying words meant to those who value the treasures of the past.

Nick Dial, Interpol’s head of the homicide division, is investigating the decapitation of seven Greek Orthodox monks at one of their monasteries in a secluded mountainous area. Being that there is no obvious reason for the murders, Nick is completely perplexed and searching for any reason for the violence.

Added to these events, Jonathon Payne discovers that he has missed numerous calls from a number that is unfamiliar to him. He also listens to a message regarding a life or death situation that has him wondering about who would give his number to someone who needed his help. With his partner, D.J. Jones and their training from special military forces, they investigate the call to discover a female in distress and romp from St. Petersburg, Florida to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Another plot thread weaves in the people of Sparta and how they have maintained the values to the former-times reputation. Somehow, all of these are interconnected in this swashbuckling adventure. Yes, at times even with the swords.

I personally enjoyed this novel. The short chapters, the rotating characters, the development of the story, and the experience of violence without my personal involvement of being bloody, endangered, or dirty works perfectly for me.

I did wish that the author included an afterward to make it clear the facts from the fiction. I found myself wondering if the area of the former Sparta does exist and do the people really believe in their former glorious days. Also, are there monasteries in Greece similar to the ones in this novel?

Chris Kuzneski resides in Florida. His previous novels are THE PLANTATION, SIGN OF THE CROSS, and SWORD OF GOD. I look forward to his next adventure with Payne and Jones.


Teri Davis September 20, 2009

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