The Last Ember
By Daniel Levin
(Riverhead Hardcover, Hardcover, 9781594488726, 432pp.)
Publication Date: August 6, 2009
Other Editions of This Title: Google eBook, Paperback, Compact Disc
Categories: Espionage/Intrigue, Literary
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An Italian antiquities squad discovers a woman's preserved corpse inside an ancient column. Pages torn from priceless manuscripts litter the floor of an abandoned warehouse. An illegal excavation burrows beneath Jerusalem's Dome of the rome, ground sacred to three religions.
Jonathan Marcus a young American lawyer and a former doctoral student in classics, has become a sought-after commodity among antiguities dealers. But when he is summoned to Rome to examine a client's fragment of an ancient stone map, he stumbles across a startling secert: a hidden message carved inside the stone itself. The discovery propels him on a perilous journey from the labyrinth beneath the Colosseum to the biblical-era tunnels of Jerusalem in search of a hidden 2,000-year-old artifact sought by empires throughout the ages. As MArcus and a passionate UN preservationist, Dr. Emili Travia, dig more deeply into the past, they're stunned to discover not only an anicent intelligence operation to protect the artifact, but also a ruthless modern plot to destroy all trace of it by a mysterious radical bent on erasing every remnant of Jewish and Christian presence from the Temple Mount. With a cutting-edge plot as intricately layered as the ancient sites it explores, The Last Ember is a gripping thriller spanning the high-stakes worlds of archaeology, politics, and terrorism in its portrayal of the modern struggle to define--and redefine--history itself.
"The Last Ember, written with pathos and conviction, represents a much needed literary protest against modern and ancient historical revisionism."
-Elie Wiesel, bestselling author of Night
"A smart, sophisticated thirller that entertains as it educates, The Last Ember is engrossing. Levin knows his stuff and it shows-- to the reader''s great pleasure. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will devour it happily!"
-Christopher Reich, bestselling author of Numbered Account
"In his fast-paced, erudite, and original debut, Daniel Levin reveals a vivid world where archaeological, legal, and religious secrets swirl together into a thrilling nexus. Its rich texture and global cast of characters ignite genuine suspense and intrigue. Readers will savor this novel and await more blockbuster Daniel Levin adventures."
-Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club
"What a glorious journey from the tumultuous world of today''s Middle East to the imperial world of Roman antiquity and then back. With a flair for detail, drama and elegant prose, Daniel Levin keeps us transfixed by his page-turning tale of deception, politics, history and life."
-Alan Dershowitx, Harvard Law School
"A banquet of everything I crave: history, conspiracy, secrets, action, adventure. Strap yourself in and hold on for some heart-throbbing, throat-grabbing, pedal-to-the-medal pacing. Levin captivates the reader with both plausibility and imagination. The Last Ember is a prize to be savored. A superb debut from a talent that bears watching."
-Steve Berry, author of The Charlemagne Pursuit and The Amber Room
"Levin''s religious and archaeological thriller has all the elements needed to appeal to Da Vinci Code fans: long-buried secrets, hidden puzzles based on ancient religious texts, and a race around the Mediterranean."
-Booklist
"Da Vinci Code addicts will enjoy Levin''s debut, a dense, complicated novel of religious suspense."
-Publishers Weekly
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