Review: Brotherhood of the Shroud by Julia Navarro

Synopsis: The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud is the explosive international bestseller that mixes fact and fiction to tell the riveting story of one of the world’s most controversial relics—the Holy Shroud of Turin—and the desperate race to save it from those who will stop at nothing to possess its legendary power....

A fire at the Turin cathedral and the discovery of a mutilated corpse are the latest in a disturbing series of events surrounding the mysterious cloth millions believe to be the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Those who dare to investigate will be caught in the cross fire of an ancient conflict forged by mortal sacrifice, assassination, and secret societies tied to the shadowy Knights Templar.

Spanning centuries and continents, from the storm-rent skies over Calvary, through the intrigue and treachery of Byzantium and the Crusades, to the modern-day citadels of Istanbul, New York, London, Paris, and Rome, The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud races to a chilling climax in the labyrinths beneath Turin, where astounding truths will be exposed: about the history of a faith, the passions of man, and proof of the most powerful miracle of all….

This is two stories in one. The first is the story of the Turin Shroud and how it came to be whilst the second is set in modern-day times, following a team of investigators from the Italian Art Crimes Department as they look into a series of "accidents" at Turin Cathedral. Both stories run along side each other, so the narrative alternates as we progress.

So to the first narrative - the Turin Shroud. There is much history and mythos surrounding this particular relic that to discuss any of at here would be quite lengthy. Suffice to say that the Shroud is said to be the burial cloth of Jesus after the Crucifixion. Carbon dating on the shroud hints at a later date rather than the biblical one. So, which is right - well here Navarro offers an alternate theory. To explain her theory, she relates the tale of how the Shroud came to be in the possession of a small Christian community in biblical Edessa (modern day Urfa) which was ruled by the Abgarid dynasty - and of how it was lost before the narrative merges with the modern day "life" of the Shroud. To be honest, I do like an author / writer who explore an alternate to the traditional line of thought or "the party line" as it opens up opportunities to delve into potential resources used (which I have done) to develop and creative the narrative.

However, all is not so simple as there are two groups, each of whom have a vested interest in not only the Shroud but in its possession, and each are attempting to reclaim it for their own ends - one descended from the original guardians of the Shroud (based in Urfa) and the other from the Knights Templar, or rather their modern-day interpretation.

Enter Marco Valoni, Chief of the Italian Art Crimes Department and his team who are brought into investigate the latest attempt on the Cathedral of Turin. This act of arson has now prompted Marco to look deeper into previous attempts to find some link, some explanation.  As a side note, and it is only speculation on my part, but it is possible that the massive fire in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud in 1997 (which is still a mystery) may have been the catalyst for this story. The Chapel remained closed for over 21 years whilst repairs and restoration work was being carried out.

And so the reader is taken on the same course as the investigative team as they discover new "facts" and unravel the convoluted history of the Shroud - and the presences of these shadowy groups are slowly revealed.  It is in the following of the investigation that the reader is given a history lesson on the Shroud whilst at the same time getting an insight into the daily and private lives of the team. This side of the narrative was a little tedious and there was not much action going on to make it worthy of a true thriller. It is only as the team start to place the pieces together and move the players around the proverbial chessboard, that the action does pick up - though not until much later in the book.

I enjoyed it for what it is - I wouldn't say it was an action-packed thriller along the lines of a Dan Brown book, but it is still an decent enough read.  The ending did feel a little rushed, but the narrative does need resolution.  I bought my copy cheaply, second hand, have had it for a numbers of years, and this was my second reading.  Time to pass it on.

Navarro has another book out along similar lines - The Bible of Clay - which I haven't read.