Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I simply couldn't get into this book, such hard work. It's unusual for me to give up on a book but this one beat me. Would hesitate to read another by this author.

It starts innocently enough with a staged dig to launch an underground project in Leiden, Netherlands. But the discovery of a naked man covered in blood in a tunnel beneath the city is anything but. Then university professor Peter de Haan, who witnessed the cave-in and discovery of the man, discovers a cell phone in his pocket, mysterious messages on it that vanish as quickly and mysteriously as they come, and his good friend Judith missing. By some unknown hand, he is sent on a 24 hour mission through the city, discovering an underground society that struggles between wanting to be known and kept hidden. But all he cares about is finding and saving Judith.

I love a good thriller and am intrigued by secret societies. This is definitely a thriller, complete with assassination attempts and a man running to save his friend despite having no idea who is driving him forwards and having little idea what he is doing and where he is going. But it also felt a little bizarrely like a tour guide of Leiden. We followed Peter as he traveled down this street and turned a corner onto that one and returned to this street via that way, but I still have zero idea where in Leiden anything was. I appreciated the moments Peter took to reflect on a museum or monument and the familiarity with the city, but I was most definitely "lost" all the time and sometimes wondered if this was a guide book. If I could remove the city from the story, it was much less confusing, so, by the end, I had no clue where Peter was, but sure enjoyed the story.

I don't think this book is for someone who has little familiarity or knowledge of Judeo-Christianity as it plays heavily in this book, to the point of majorly involving a secret Christian society called Mithraism. Bible verses were quoted everywhere and the stories of Christ and the disciples who spread his story were prevalent, but not always explained. Even though I was raised Lutheran and have a solid foundation despite not practicing anymore, I still had a hard time following the religious elements. I had never heard of Mithraism, so it was kind of like being reminded of what I was raised with and then someone coming in to say, "Well, actually, it should really go this way..." But the Mithraism was a little easier to follow as the story progressed along with the author's telling of it. What was most confusing, though, was the repetition and continual re-interpretation of each Bible verse.

What really confused me for most of the book was where the prologue fit it. I hate prologues that barely tie into the story, so kept wondering how on Earth it fit. On one hand, it's heavily religious, but it takes place in Spain whereas the main story is set in the Netherlands. Finally, I found it, but it was basically retold, much more succinctly, so I question whether or not the prologue was necessary.

The pacing was very quick (after all, Peter only has 24 hours) and definitely merits a slow read through. It's simply too complex for a quick read. Honestly, I should have taken more time to read this and it would probably have boosted my understanding, but the quick pace made me want to keep going. I obviously made the wrong choice, but one day I'll probably return to this book and take it a step or ten slower.


Thank you so much to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Post date on blog: 1/11/19
Blog: thelilycafe.wordpress.com

"St. Paul's Labyrinth" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Jeron Windmeijer (https://jeroenwindmeijer.nl/). Mr. Windmeijer has published three novels.  

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains some scenes of Violence. The story is set in contemporary Leiden, Netherlands. The primary character is university professor Peter de Haan.

Haan attends the installation of an underground waste container. He does so as an opportunity to do archaeological exploration. Few opportunities come to do excavation in the old city. Surprisingly, this excavation opens up an old and unknown tunnel. Haan and a colleague venture in. Inside the tunnel, they find a naked man covered in blood. Then Haan gets a mysterious text message 'the hour has come'. 

When the colleague disappears in the tunnel, Haan becomes the target of a police investigation. Then when his close friend Judith Cherev disappears, he finds that he has been given only hours to solve a puzzle and save her. Along the way, he discovers hidden mysteries, a secret society, and a group that will do anything to keep their secrets hidden. 

I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 329-page thriller. This has the feel of a Dan Brown thriller, but I did not find it nearly as good. There was quite a bit of detailed reference given to Leiden. That would probably make this book attractive to you if you lived there or knew the area well. Unfortunately, I found this novel a little slow and it felt disorganized to me. The cover art is OK, but I think something more closely tied to the story would have been better. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Trying to be Dan Brown, yet failing.

Peter is on a quest to rescue his colleague - he has to travel through the subterranean labyrinth beneath the streets of Leiden, as he follows clues relating to the story of the biblical Paul.

Far too contrived and silly - he discovers a clue, finds it impossible, and yet within minutes sees through it all. Unnecessarily long bible passages do nothing to enhance the story.

Very disappointed unfortunately!

This book started out exciting and I had such high hopes that it would be similar to the Davinci Code. Of course it was but it was so weighted down with religious history and stories that I got lost several times over.

I'm sure the amount of research the author had completed was significant and I applaud the effort that was made. As I don't have a strong knowledge of the bible or other religions, the details were over my head and my eyes glossed over again and again.

The premise of the story was very intriguing and I wish that include the stayed connected throughout.

St Paul’s Labyrinth
The explosive new thriller perfect for fans of Dan Brown!
by Jeroen Windmeijer


Harper Impulse and Killer Reads

Killer Reads
General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 31 Aug 2018


I am reviewing a copy of St Paul's Labyrinth through Harper Impulse and Killer Reads:


University Professor Peter De Haan doesn't have a clue of the dangers that are waiting for him when he attends a library event. A part of the library collapses revealing a tunnel. In the tunnel is a naked man whose cowering and covered in blood. Peter receives a text message after discovering the tunnel and the man, the text message reads the hour has come.


After Judith, Peter’s colleague disappears, he discovers he has been drawn into a deadly plot, deadlier than he could have ever imagined. Peter only has twenty four hours to find her or she will be murdered.


Will Peter be able to save his Colleague Judith? Will he put himself in harms way?


I give St Paul's Labyrinth five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

St Paul's Labyrinth was a tough read for me. It's not the kind of book you should pick up if you dont have the time to read and digest. The author had done a great deal of research, it's obvious, and the biblical references are plentiful. It's almost an education in early religions. The storyline can be complicated at times, and the pacing is rather slow. I see that the synopsis compares it to books written by Dan Brown, I'm wondering if there are additional books planned. If so, I would like to see the main character gain a little more depth. The mystery drives the story and I prefer when the characters drive the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Reminiscent of books like THE DA VINCI CODE and PEOPLE OF THE BOOK. I enjoyed the storyline, but have to say at times I was a bit confused by the exact events taking place in the book. It would have been nice to have a map, which might actually be included in the final published book - I don’t know, in order to know where Peter is going for those readers who are not familiar with Leiden, a city in the Netherlands.

I found this book very hard to get into, with the emphasis on large parts of it on Biblical reference. The premise indicated that the lead character, Peter was drawn into a web of intrigue whilst trying to rescue his friend Judith. Set in the Netherlands with good descriptions of the the places, it gave drama to the plot, however with so much retelling of St Pauls life, it got to the point I wanted to skip every section that it switched from the plot to the biblical history.
I usually really enjoy this thriller genre but this book was too much of a biblical history book and not enough plot for me.
#StPaulsLabyrinth #NetGalley

Well, this was fun. Written by an anthropologist (somehow this seems important, although at a guess it would have been an archeologist), this debut combines early Christianity religions with suspense with puzzle solving with secret societies in a very inventive way, all connected through an imaginative retelling of St. Paul’s life. There’s a genre for books like this one (hence the inevitable comparisons including one right in this story as a nod, presumably) and it isn’t my traditional reading fare, but it did have a lot of things I enjoy and, while the writing itself (mainly the present time narrative) was slightly bland at times, the concept was very interesting and I ended up learning a few things. Ebionites…never heard of them before, fascinating. Mithraism…again, fascinating, a mysterious Roman religion that was very popular for about three centuries in the early AD. Now Paul is of course a well known figure. After his conversion, he became the Apostle to the Gentiles and was a singularly significant figure in popularizing Christianity and defining it as separate from Judaism. But what drove the man? This book speculates on Paul’s motivations for his work. That aspect of the novel was very well done and made for extremely compelling reading. The thriller aspect along with the clue based pursuit to rescue a proverbial damsel…just ok. Leiden, Netherlands setting was great, it’s where the author’s from and the man knows the place his very own backyard, above and below the multisyllabic streets. All the clandestine lairs created very nice atmospheric scenery. So it was an enjoyable read, one I liked most as a historical/educational concept, but with a thriller thrown in, it made for a faster paced, more conventionally entertaining read. Plus it counts as an international read too, so armchair traveling geographically and in time. Thanks Netgalley.

I was unable to finish this book. Maybe, if I had a better understanding of the Bible i would be able to follow the plot. Maybe not.
It says in the beginning that it is set in Leiden, but not until the 18th chapter does it say that is located in Holland.
The quest to find the truth behind the Biblical story is impossibly confusing. The apostle Paul, changes religion, changes back; falsified ethnicity, changes back; betrays allies, repents, betrays again; all within a confusing time line.
I was so lost i was unable to follow the main quest. But it did seem the character was able to work out the solutions and evade danger fairly easily.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGally.com for this book for free in return for an honest review.

This was a conspiracy theory thriller with biblical content.
It concerned Peter, a university lecturer in Leiden, Holland, caught up in a search for a kidnapped colleague. He is given clues which he has to interpret in order to find her. Most of the clues are rooted in the ancient world and contain elements of religion.
I found this book difficult to get into and the explanations of the clues unnecessarily complicated and detailed.
The translation from Dutch slowed the narrative and some of it such as when Peter talks to a student, calling him “Old chum” was not authentic.
Unfortunately I found the book less than compelling and failed to finish it having read just under half.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a refreshingly educational read! Reminiscent at times of Indiana Jones, Dan Brown and Steve Berry, this is a welcome entry into the “historical fiction” genre. The protagonist, Peter, is a scholar who is thrust into a conspiracy/mystery/ quest and has to unravel clues along the way. This particular plot has to do with Christianity and an alternate adaptation of traditional thought. While some people who are more devout may take issue with the subject matter, I found it to be extremely educational and thought-provoking. I loved also that it was in a setting (Leiden, Netherlands) that I was unfamiliar with; when I read something that takes place in a new setting, I enjoy finding a map and tracking where the action occurs. I also liked that any foreign languages were translated within the story (not as a footnote, or (worse) jut left without translation). I found the plot to be intelligent and fast-paced. The religion and history did get a little dense in places, but I prefer that to something that just skims the surface and has no substance. I would say that this is a well-educated version of better known novels. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peter, the main character in the book, witnesses a bizarre event during a dig into the center of Leiden. One of his close friends is held hostage and he must quickly unravel the clues to where she is being hidden. I enjoyed the story being based in Holland. The plot was well thought out and the story read well. Looking forward to Windmeijer's next thriller.

This book's enjoyable and fun to read. The plot is fascinating and the setting is great, Leiden's a very lovely town.
I like the book and think it's a real page turner, full of twists and turns.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this ARC

Thankyou to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and the author Jeroen Windmeijer for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of St Paul's Labyrinth.
I found the storyline to be well thought out and written. As the story develops, the level of intrigue and suspense rises, keeping the reader engrossed.
Definitely well worth a read.