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Slow Boat to Purgatory by Vernon Baker Synopsis Gaspar De Rouse, an immortal Knight Templar, a man murdered by his brothers for the secret he possessed, resurrected and given a second chance at redemption. Dominicus Bureau, a renegade priest, torn between his vows and the secret he pursues, a secret protected by an immortal. Alex Donovan, a modern day warrior thrust into an ages old war, a war between good and evil, heaven and hell. All three, passengers on a Slow Boat To Purgatory. "Alex Donovan was a warrior once. Now he spends his days in a sedate and somewhat bitter existence combing Boston's used bookshops, drinking too much fine wine, and cursing a knee crippled by a terrorist's bullet. But when Alex's grandfather dies, he discovers the old man has left him not only a vast fortune, but a mystical, ancient book which tells the story of an immortal Templar knight; a man named Gaspar de Rouse, a man who, according to his grandfather, still walks the earth. Bewitched by the manuscript, written and illustrated by a 16th century Venetian artist who is befriended by the enigmatic Gaspar, Alex takes a journey through history that begins in the war-ravaged city of Acre in the year 1291. It is there that Gaspar is betrayed and loses his life, only to be resurrected by an Archangel and a Demon Prince. Given a choice, to spend an eternity in Purgatory or to serve both Heaven and Hell as a hunter of wayward souls, Gaspar chooses the life of an immortal marching across time doing battle with demons, angels and crushing loneliness. The secrets of the book consume Alex and he comes to believe that Gaspar still lives. Alex's mundane world is transformed into a race to find the knight. It is a race that takes him from a quiet cove on the coast of Maine to Zurich's hidden banks and the dark waterways of Venice. Eventually helped by a warrior priest whose own secrets and quest to find the knight are shadowed in mystery, Alex struggles to distinguish between those who seek his destruction and those who would ensure his salvation." My Review When Alex's grandfather passes away he gets more than he bargained for at the reading of the will. Armed with a large bank account, a strange key and an ancient book Alex delves into his grandfather's past and opens the door to a world which he never knew existed. Alex is an interesting character, former military he is a man than doesn't suffer fools lightly yet here he is with a book of his grandfather's wondering if it's a fable or if the man named Gaspar could really be walking among us. Throughout the book we are transported into the past and Gaspars memories as Alex reads through the book in the present. Dominicus is part of a secret order of priests who are hunting down Gaspar and the secrets he is hiding, they are willing to do anything to pursue their goal. The book really starts to heat up when Alex and Dominicus meet and we are treated to a taste of what's to come in the next book. Personally I would have liked to spend more time in the present with Alex than in the past with Gaspar. I know the author is using this book to set the scene and establish a backstory for whats to come further in the series, I just really enjoyed the end and felt the beginning was a little slow. The series has a lot of potential and I can see it becoming a hit with fans of Dan Brown, it's just not quite there for me... yet! Ask me again after book 2 :) I would award Slow Boat to Purgatory 3.5 stars. Reviewed on behalf of Book Monster Reviews http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/

2022-11-14 16:00