Hunting the King

by Peter Clenott

On the eve of the American invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, an international cast of schemers, spies, clergy, and scientists race to claim the greatest prize the world has ever seen. American... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1601641486
• ISBN13: 9781601641489
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Kunati Inc.
• Length: 375 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Welcome a Fine New Writer of the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Genre!

One of the joys of reading 'first novels' is the pleasure of discovering a mature writer who is able to construct a book with a strong idea, a solid cast of varied and wholly credible characters, and the ability to pull it all together with elegant writing. Peter Clenott seems to have the qualities that define a writer of class - a rich imagination, a commitment to research, a facile way with words, a sense of the arc of a story line that is as smooth throughout the curve, and a style that manages to make a complex story very easy to follow. Mysteries about the origins of Christianity have been a popular topic for the past decade or so - was Jesus crucified until dead and did he rise from the dead and in resurrection ascend into heaven, or was there more to his important life than tradition and the Church would have us believe - questions that to some casual reader of a book jacket may sound heretical but to others who love historical investigation open new paths of exploring, and even enhancing, our belief systems. Clenott writes with authority and yet with a profound respect for all religions as he traces a mixed group of archeologists, clerics, historians, politicians, Intelligence experts, and military personnel from varied countries in a search for the possible remains of a buried Jesus and his 'earthly family' - all from insights provided by the Book of Hannaniah (the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalen) excluded from the Bible. His cast is lead by a fascinating Dr. Molly O'Dwyer who is convinced through her sessions of 'Regression therapy' by a Catholic priest turned professor that she has inhabited the character of Hannaiah and is obsessed with discovering the burial site of Hannaiah and possibly even the grave of Jesus. The book follows the expedition team gathered from various countries to Iraq, a timely current and well-managed proscenium arch for the story. Clenott manages the various aspects of this story by breaking his chapters into fragments that serve to transport the reader to various vantages of the involved and very disparate characters, allowing the story to flow without disruption while at the same time giving the reader a depth of understanding about the forces involved. His knowledge and research is evident on every page as we learn the terrain not only of Afghanistan and Iraq but also of the Vatican and the US and tenets of the world religions. And to keep the novel grounded in credible reality Clenott manages to introduce sidebars of love interest and profound friendships as well as the brutalities of war and conflicts that enhance this story while successfully questioning historical Biblical accuracy. To offer more of the plot would spoil the adventure for reading Peter Clenott's fascinating tale. HUNTING THE KING is a very fine, very successful work of literature - a book that, once started, is quite impossible to put down. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 08

An all-out Treasure hunt set in the midst of the US invasion of Iraq

Careful! This one takes you by the neck, drags you to the edge, and throws you over. Featuring a plot with more twists and turns than a Vermont ski trail, Hunting the King is an all-out race to be first to discover the grave of Jesus, who not only rose from the dead after being crucified (the Easter Resurrection) but might actually have thrived for many years afterward, raised a family, and spent his time working to spread the word of God. ...except we don't actually know all this as fact, and as we follow the opposing forces - one seeking to prevent the infidel Christians from claiming the burial site, and Molly Dwyer and her team who are seeking it for precisely that reason, it's not hard to see the reason in the views of both sides. If this is not enough plot for you, Archaeologist Dwyer has her own demons to fight - dreams in which she finds herself alive during those turbulent years, living as the daughter of Jesus. Could it be she's a reincarnation of Hannaniah? She has the red hair, the eye color. Treachery and double dealing combine with shadowy mysticism as others who share the dream begin to find their way to her side. No one can be trusted. No matter which side prevails, the discovery will be huge, world-changing, and everyone knows it. It's a lot of story to have on just one stage, but Clenott does an amazing job of reining in the half-dozen story lines, always moving things forward, drawing his cast ever closer to the final moments, and at the same time managing to keep the lid on the actual details of the burial site until just the right moment. It's a masterful job from a writer of genuine ability. After putting Dan Brown's "DaVinci Code" down in mid-read, disgusted with the failure to produce the payoff promised by the opening, I began this read with reservations. I'm happy to say not any more! If you are one who enjoys fast-paced, devil-take-the-hindmost writing, you should be sure to give this one a try. Art Tirrell is the author of 2007's The Secret Ever Keeps

Da Vinci Who?

Peter Clenott has written a Da Vinci Code for the discerning reader. There's plenty of suspense, action, and more than a few plot twists, but this tale of religious intrigue is a lot less dense and convoluted. To put it another way, I felt Dan Brown stuffed Da Vinci with a little too much padding--Clenott gives you the essential good stuff without any fluff. The heroine of the piece is Molly O'Dwyer, an American archaeologist who discovers a long-lost burial mound in ancient Babylon on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq. What's particularly refreshing about her is that Molly is a fully-developed character with completely believable personal problems and beliefs that affect her reactions to the situation in which she finds herself. The story hinges on her efforts to discover whose remains are in the tomb and how it relates to the mysterious Gospel of Hannaniah, which is the story of the alleged daughter of Jesus. Since her discovery can undercut the foundations of the church and leave billions of believers with no basis for their faith, Molly's got her work cut out for her. No tale of international religious intrigue would be complete without a cast of spies, slightly mad scientists, and secretly evil church hierarchy and Clenott doesn't disappoint in that department. To it he adds a setting that couldn't be more contemporary--the Middle East about to plunge into war--and an intriguing plot that holds you through the final riveting revelations. Hunting The King is an intellectual thriller with overtones of a historical novel and enough action and intrigue to please even the most discerning fan of the genre.

FANTASTIC!

A compelling and brilliant page turner from start to finish. If you like Dan Browns work, you are going to really love Peter Clenott's first novel. Let's hope that there are many more to follow! BRAVO Mr. Clenott!!!!!

No Riddles, But a Far More Satisfying "Da Vinci Code-like" Novel

The main character Molly drives this International thriller for the thoughtful. It's not just a series of end-to-end action scenes, but a complex tapestry of characters, intrigue, background, subplots, almost like an ingenious blend of "historical" novel with modern-day thriller. The characters keep you glued and fixed on the quest, regardless of how you feel about another quest of the "truth" of Jesus, and Molly's own personal angst held my interest. Molly's religious and must reconcile what she's seeking against her beliefs. But she's a smart, intellectual protagonist, active and interesting and real. The backdrop of Saddam Hussein's war-torn Iraq, with American tanks rolling by, is very clever, but it's not a war story (thank goodness). This appealed to me both intellectually and just at the simpler level of "great adventure and fun." It's definitely not a DaVinci code, in spite of the review comparisons that led me to read this book. The protagonist is interesting and real, the adventure vivid and smart and the premise is clever, although perhaps the tiniest bit controversial for anyone who takes these things too seriously. I recommend it for adults and young adults. A very vivid, interesting and promising debut and I look forward to Clenott's next book.