Authors: Raymond Khoury
ISBN-13: 9780525951841, ISBN-10: 0525951849
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Date Published: October 2010
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Raymond Khoury is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Templar, The Sanctuary, and The Sign. Also an acclaimed screenwriter, he lives in London.
Raymond Khoury's The Last Templar burst onto the scene, first as a 2005 bestselling novel and then as a 2009 TV miniseries starring Mira Sorvino. The film only heightened demand for a sequel that, mercifully, is finally due to arrive. Like its predecessor, this sturdy standalone tracks the investigations of FBI agent Sean Reilly into secrets hidden in medieval times. However, The Templar Salvation escalates the intensity of the chase because in this case, Reilly's ladylove Tess Chaykin has been kidnapped. Long dormant secrets; fast breaking action.
Khoury's entertaining sequel to The Last Templar (2006) offers characters and plot lines that hew closely to the conventions of the religious thriller subgenre. In 1310, Templar knight Conrad of Tripoli stumbled on a trove of writings documenting the early days and divisions of Christianity. The Catholic Church has kept this material hidden since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, fearful that its release would undermine the church's authority and rock the foundations of Christian belief. In the present, Mansoor Zahed, an Iranian motivated by revenge for the CIA killing of his family in the 1950s, is bent on finding the trove and releasing it to undermine Western religion and stability. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Sean Reilly visits the Vatican on a quest to find a document that may help in his effort to rescue his love interest, Tess Chaykin, who's been kidnapped. The constant suspense, ever-mounting body count, and interesting historical lore will keep readers turning the pages. (Oct.)