Gold of Kings » (Unabridged)

T. Davis Bunn is the author of over nineteen national bestsellers, and his books have sold over six million copies in sixteen languages. The recipient of three Christy Awards, Bunn currently serves as writer-in-residence at Oxford University.

A dealer in art and antiquities, Storm Syrrell arranges her life as she does her work into neat, orderly categories. But when her grandfather is murdered, all certainties are crushingly replaced by suspicions. She struggles to understand his death and decipher the frayed leather journal she finds hidden in his vault. Storm soon realizes that, far from being simply a discreet art broker, Sean Syrrell was a trusted go-between in the highest ranks of business and government in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
But not all of Sean’s associates were quite so lofty. Enter Harry Bennett, a scruffy professional treasure hunter just released from a Caribbean jail, followed by Emma Webb, a US government lawyer with links to Interpol. Storm pushes her doubts aside, locks the door to her Palm Beach art gallery, and opens herself to the quest begun by her grandfather.
Their trail leads them ever farther afield London, France, Istanbul, Cyprus and ever deeper into danger. The thrill of the search is haunted by Storm’s determination to bring Sean’s murderers to justice. Storm and Harry in turn are targeted by an unknown assassin and saved from death only by Harry’s split-second reactions.
Their quest homes in on the Copper Scroll of Qumran and controversial claims made by the Jewish historian Josephus. Hidden beneath the dust and mysteries of two thousand years lies the reason behind Sean Syrrell’s murder and the find of a lifetime: a fortune in gold of great historical significance. Storm begins to grasp the potential magnitude such artifacts will have on contemporary religion and politics especially the competing historical claims to Jerusalem. Some seek to claim the gold for the treasure it represents; others are determined to destroy it. With the tangled motives of greed and power now in focus, old allies become new enemies. Through this, something unexpected tugs at Storm. The sacred relics represent a formidable metaphor to an ancient faith; will her search include a renewal of her own faith?

Publishers Weekly

The first of a new adventure series for this three-time Christy Award winner brings together an odd couple for an international trail of clues and near-death experiences. Grieving Storm Syrell, an antiques dealer and art historian, must fathom the circumstances behind her grandfather's death. She and ex-con treasure hunter Harry Bennett team up to uncover a conspiracy that led to the demise of the old treasure trader. For readers interested in politics in the Middle East, travel in the Mediterranean and the biblical and historical ruminations in the story, this Oxford University writer-in-residence has plenty to offer in a smooth blend of romance, biblical historical archeology and murder mystery. Christian fiction readers will enjoy a more evangelically orthodox story than Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code; they will get a similarly long string of clues and a command of this genre mix as well. With this adventure, Bunn should win another crown. (June)

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