The Shroud Conspiracy

The Shroud Conspiracy, a thriller novel authored by John Heubusch, focuses on the race between science and religion to exploit Christianity’s most famous relic, the Shroud of Turin. When science and faith collide, accidents can happen and the result is unleashed on the planet with the promise of devastating consequences. The book was published on March 14, 2017.[1][2] The sequel to The Shroud Conspiracy, The Second Coming, was scheduled for publication in 2018.[3]

The Shroud Conspiracy: A Novel
First edition cover
AuthorJohn Heubusch
CountryUnited States; United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesJon Bondurant #1
GenreThriller
PublisherSimon & Schuster
Publication date
March 14, 2017
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages402
ISBN978-1-5011-5570-3

Plot summary

Dr. Jon Bondurant is a world-famous forensic anthropologist, well-known for his pugnacious atheism. When the Vatican invites him to lead an unprecedented investigation into the authenticity of the purported burial cloth of Jesus Christ, he can’t resist this once-in-a-two millennium offer. After a contentious debate at the highest levels, the Vatican risks the authenticity of one the most sacred relics in all of Christendom in order to spite the skeptical Bondurant.

While in the Vatican, Bondurant meets Domenika Josef, a devout Catholic and the Vatican’s media specialist assigned to keep an eye on him. She’s privy to something Bondurant is not -- a recently discovered ancient Codex with important revelations concerning the Shroud. What she’s not privy to is her own pre-destined role in a plan by evil forces bent on stealing DNA tied to the sacred blood-stained Shroud. The resulting attempt to clone Jesus has apocalyptic results and is the subject of Heubusch’s sequel.

Characters
Character
Dr. Jon Bondurant A brilliant forensic anthropologist who, despite being an atheist and severely socially inept, has been hired by the Vatican to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the most famous and important religious relic in history. His skepticism and love affair with the Vatican's minder puts him through a life changing and life-threatening journey.
Domenika Josef A public relations advisor to the Vatican who is assigned to keep an eye on Bondurant. She is beautiful, intelligent and devout. While she despises Bondurant from the start, as sure as opposites attract, she falls in love with the intelligent, but socially inept, atheist bent on seeking the truth no matter where it might lead.
Father Luca Parenti Orphaned due to his hunchback (he contracted Scheuermann's Kyphosis disease as a child), he is taken in by a seminary and eventually finds his way to a lonesome job working in the Vatican library. There he discovers a long lost Codex that points directly to the authenticity of the Shroud. He becomes a lovable sidekick to Bondurant and Josef on their perilous adventure.
Dr. Ravi Sehgal A Nobel Prize winning scientist who leads the field in the study of ancient DNA. Born hopelessly poor in the streets of Calcutta, he has risen to the heights of science and is selected to be on Bondurant's authentication team. His ulterior motives in joining the team are well intended, but backfire, putting his son's and his own life at risk.
Hans Meyer A frightening German billionaire industrialist crippled by cancer. Meyer is the founder of his own church, a group of zealots preoccupied with resurrection through cloning. His key interest becomes the capturing DNA from the Shroud of Turin in order to bring about the second coming through scientific means.
Dr. Francois Laurent A pioneering French obstetrician who lost his only son in childbirth, Laurent vows to use any means necessary to recover his lost son, even if it means joining with dark forces and serving the interests of Hans Meyer's strange cult.

Critical reception

Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, wrote: "This fun piece of fantasy will, all too briefly, make you forget the eye-rolling craziness that seems to be consuming the world."[4] Jane Blakemore of NewsMax says that Heubusch blends "an Indiana Jones thriller with a high conspiracy worthy of Dan Brown."[5] New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor wrote: "The Shroud Conspiracy is an absolutely brilliant thriller! This riveting, intrigue-filled mystery is like nothing you’ve read before. Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down." [6] Greg Gutfeld of FOX News' The Five proclaimed the book to be "Marvelously written and detailed, so exquisitely paced, so vibrantly entertaining that it leads me to ask, 'so when's the movie being made?"[7] Scott McEwen, co-author of American Sniper has called the book "A fast paced story, with some great twists, it is a page-turner from beginning to end! John Heubusch jumps onto the writing stage with a huge first book. Move over Dan Brown, you have some competition... A great read!” Ted Bell, bestselling author of Patriot, called it "Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code." However, Publishers Weekly, while calling it a "thrilling tale", noted the "haphazard plotting and unlikable characters".[8]

Sequel

Backed by Simon & Schuster, a sequel to the book entitled The Second Coming is slated for release in 2018.[3][9]

Editions
  • ISBN 978-1-5011-5570-3 (hardcover, 2017)
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References
  1. Noble, Barnes &. "The Shroud Conspiracy: A Novel". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  2. "BULLETIN: TILLERSON says 'all options are on the table' with N. Korea -- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The video RYAN will show House Republicans today -- Which health-insurance plan will the Hill get -- SUNDAY SO FAR". POLITICO. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
  3. "The Second Coming - John Heubusch". John Heubusch. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  4. Forbes, Steve. "Add "The Shroud Conspiracy" To Your Reading List. You'll Be Enthralled By This Spectacular Thriller". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  5. "Shroud of Turin Conspiracy Tale Takes Readers on a Thrill Ride". Newsmax. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
  6. Thor, Brad. "The Shroud Conspiracy: About the Book". Simon & Schuster.
  7. Heubusch, John (2017-03-14). The Shroud Conspiracy: A Novel. Howard Books. ISBN 9781501155703.
  8. "The Shroud Conspiracy". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC. March 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  9. "Reagan library director taps bigger subject: Cloning Jesus". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
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