This wasn't as good as I thought that it was going to be. I did enjoy the educational and historic parts of it, but the rest was kind of bland.

Overall this book was a good, fast read and very enjoyable. The book had a fascinating build-up, but the climax and ending of the book felt a bit cobbled together and rushed. The resolution to the mystery was not nearly as intricate as the lead-up implied. Though for a book of this genre (mystery, thriller), it was still very good.

Maya Rimon, an Israeli intelligence officer, investigates the murder of a professor who it seems was going to share with the community some explosive news about the dead sea scrolls and the treasures associated with it. Her investigation leads her to belive that there is an impending attack and she ignores her bosses warnings to let go of the investigation and now it is a race against time to find and take down the main culprit.
This was a good read with a good amount of history ( mixed with half truths) that kept it interesting.
My thanks to Netgalley for offering me a copy of this book for my unbiased feedback.
Overall Rating 3.5

I have never read anything written by Ellen Frankel. I quickly learned I did not know enough about the Jewish and Muslim faith to understand what the basis of this book was really about. I keep getting sidetracked by the author continually referencing Texas while this book was taking place in Jerusalem. I had a little trouble switching over from one scene to another. And I think the ending needed some more tying up. I did finish it and I give it 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Do you ever start a new book and go "is this a book that's somewhere down the line in a series?"? That's how I felt with this book. There was so much not-in-the-book-but-this-is-the-first-book-in-the-series-backstory-building that I often felt confused, like there were situation or characters that I should be aware of, or familiar with, that I wasn't. I struggled to get into this book and story, which is atypical of me since I generally enjoy books with these themes. Frankels does a splendid job of transporting you to her locations, while dropping nuggets of information and history along the way. I'll be curious to see where this series will go.

Loved this! It was just like an Indiana Jones adventure! This is a page turner that you keep wanting to read to the next chapter to see what is happening.. I constantly kept trying to guess what would happen next.
I did really appreciate all the historical information that kept me engaged. Well done! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This book combines the results of serious research with an intriguing storyline, and the result is a mystery that is unique and has depth. Frankel tells a story of intrigue and conspiracy that is both contemporary and ancient. When a professor is murdered at a Dead Sea Scrolls scholarly conference in Israel, Maya (a special services agent) is on the trail of the perpetrator. As she learns more about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the nearby Qumran community, the reader is also gaining knowledge. Maya engages religious extremism in both Christianity and Judaism, with the former being the key to the case. Fundamentalist Christians who believe the end of the world is near are suspected of doing what they can to hasten the Apocalypse. The complications of Palestinian and Israeli politics add an extra layer to Maya's search for answers. As a biblical scholar, the book was still a deep read for me. I would suggest would-be readers read Frankel's "Glossary" and "Postscript" before engaging the book.

I am so enjoying this book. It helps that I have familiarity with the locations in which the story is set and the history behind the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is immensely enjoyable and compelling.