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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Julia Navarro's THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD.
Lindy from Milford, CT
What authors do you read?
Kay Hooper, James Patterson, Lisa Jackson, Stuart Woods, Carla Neggers, Julie Garwood and Rosalind Laker.
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I found the book fascinating and I really enjoyed it. It gave me so much to think about.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
Definitely. I can't wait for the next.
Page from Fairview, NC
What authors do you read?
I read various authors.
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I enjoyed the book. She is a great storyteller and does a great job of weaving the past and the present together in a believable fashion.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
I would read some of her other books.
Sonia from Ocean Pines, MD
What authors do you read?
I read a variety of authors for no particular reason --- some from my book club group, some passed along from my friends, and some that I learned about on NPR. My favorite is Anne Tyler.
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I have enjoyed reading this book. The story line is very intriguing, [as are the locales and the characters]. I especially like the timeline of past to present, back to the past, etc.
I told my friends about it and they are very interested in reading this book.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
Yes, I would.
Fred from Indianapolis, IN
What authors do you read?
My normal authors are Tom Clancy, Jack Higgins, Dan Brown and Jonathan Kellerman.
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I enjoyed the book a lot. It was hard to put down, especially toward the end. At times, it was a bit difficult to follow, as it jumped from one location and time to another in pretty rapid succession. However, all in all, it was a good read, and I certainly would read another [book by Navarro] in the future. The amount of research put into this book was amazing.
Thanks very much for allowing me the opportunity to receive an advance copy.
Carly from Fort Mill, SC
What authors do you read?
Harlan Coben and [other writers of that genre]; Meg Cabot and anything Chick Lit; some classics like Tolstoy (I'm an English teacher!).
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD ?
The historical backdrop of the book was fascinating. I loved the way the author wove the history of the shroud into the present-day events and characters. A lot of the description was vivid, especially the scenes set in the past. However, I found the characters to be one dimensional and static. There was no growth or development of any of the main characters. The ending was not what I was hoping for. It seemed to end too abruptly...all of a sudden, everything was solved and the book was over. It did not satisfy my need for an explanation of all the different mysteries throughout the plot.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
I probably would. The style of writing was easy to read and I enjoyed it, for the most part.
Jim from Waukesha, WI
What authors do you read?
I gravitate to mysteries and thrillers. In the (mostly) former category, and limiting myself to living writers, I particularly like Stephen Booth, Michael Connelly, John Connolly, P.D. James, Ralph McInerny (go Irish!) and Ian Rankin. I also like a number of cozy writers, but I probably shouldn't be admitting to that in public.
In the (mostly) latter category and with the same qualifier, I really like David Baldacci, Steve Berry, Nelson DeMille (John Corey rocks!), P.T. Deutermann, Vince Flynn, Fredrick Forsyth, David Hewson, Joseph Kanon, Glenn Meade, Brad Meltzer, Preston and Child, Christopher Reich, Daniel Silva, Martin Cruz Smith and Brad Thor.
And I put Alan Furst in a category entirely by himself.
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I enjoyed it. I was surprised to see how much of the novel was devoted to the historical fiction back story component, however. I would estimate that half of the book was devoted to the back story, whereas most books in the genre seem to devote significantly less to the historical aspect, using it only to drive the modern-day plot. Of course, for fans of historical fiction, the extensive back-story may add to their enjoyment. Still, whichever side of the fence you're on, it's pretty hard to do a lot of character development in a story of this length when it is essentially two stories (or sets of characters) in one. At the same time, I realize that plot trumps character development when it comes to thrillers, so maybe I should just shut up.
As for her principal thesis regarding the Shroud of Turin, I found her take on things to be creative and interesting, and it would explain a lot regarding the known inconsistencies.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
Absolutely, but she may want to decide which audience to please, as trying to please both usually leaves both feeling less than completely satisfied. For my tastes, a new book from her that focuses more on the present will be placed higher in the queue, whereas one that has another significant historical back story to it would probably get bumped down the list a bit.
Kathleen from Virginia Beach, VA
What authors do you read?
Robert Stone, Alice Munro, Julia Glass, Michael Cunningham and Dennis Lehane
What did you think of THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY SHROUD?
I enjoyed the interweaving of modern day and ancient characters and plots, and the way the author presented historical material. It was a rather artful and clever way to spin a tale --- also, very suspenseful.
Would you ever read a future book by Julia Navarro?
Yes.
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