Crime Scene: Jerusalem: A Novel [Paperback]

Wow, wow, and wow. Did I love Crime Scene Jerusalem or what? Wordsmith extraordinaire Alton Gansky has wrapped up suspense, biblical fiction and nonfiction into an enticing package.

Max Odom is the best crime scene investigator the San Diego PD has, especially for a young guy. But when revenge taints Max's judgment and compromises a murder case, his boss forces him to take a leave of absence. Instead of leaving Max to sit around at home for two weeks, the boss assigns him to a speaking engagement with the Israeli police's forensics department.

What starts as routine turns into a nightmare from which Max can't escape. His would-be cab driver transforms into a guide through first century Jerusalem. Max is recruited to uncover evidence of a conspiracy. Has Max's mind finally yielded to his life's recent stress and broken off with reality? Or is he witnessing events that are all too real?

There aren't strong enough positive words I can say about Crime Scene Jerusalem. Few books I've read in the last year (and boy, have I read a lot) have kept me in that "suspension of disbelief" every reader should experience. I thought that after I saw "The Passion of the Christ" no descriptions of crucifixion could shock or affect me anymore. I was wrong. The biblical and historical aspects are presented expertly, and the protagonist's plight wrenches one's very being. A fantastic story line, explicit detail, realistic dialogue and a story that relentlessly pursues truth make this an absolute must-read.

I have read as many of Alton Gansky's books as I could find. His books are filled with great characters and riveting mysteries. His new book, Crime Scene Jerusalem, is different. I read the description: Max Odom, a forensic expert, transported to the scene of Jesus' crucifiction and resurrection, to investigate the evidence. It was amusing as I started to read a dialog between a twenty-first century policeman and a first century disciple. But the trail of evidence takes Max to the cross of Christ. The cynical cop, who lost his daughter to a violent crime, was like Thomas, the skeptic. He had seen many dead bodies, but never saw one get up and walk away. As he views the "crime scenes," Max realizes he has to make a choice based on the evidence.

This is not your usual murder mystery. It will take you on the journey, also. The story becomes personal and gritty and relevant. I highly recommend Crime Scene Jerusalem by Alton Gansky.

Premier crime scene investigator Maxwell Odom is being sent on a vacation he wants nothing part of. Still grieving over a hidden pain, Max can't keep away from an investigation that's become too personal, and hounding the investigators in charge has landed him into hot water with his superiors. When his boss offers him some "leave time" to lecture at a forensics convention in Jerusalem, it's clear if Max doesn't accept the offer and clear out for a few weeks, his career is on the line.

Max accepts the offer grudgingly and promptly finds himself in the revered holy land of thousands, perhaps millions. Still not sure why he's here, Max checks into his hotel for the night, falling into a reluctant sleep.

The next morning, however, when he steps on the street to meet his driver to the convention, Max steps into an utter, fantastic, bizarre impossibility. In a blink of an eye, he's somehow slipped through the folds of time and now finds himself in Biblical Jerusalem, thousands of years ago. Gone are the modern conveniences of the present, there are Roman soldiers everywhere and a world Max neither understands nor believes is possible.

Sure he's suffering from either an aneurysm or a stroke, Max initially disbelieves everything he sees. Led by a sarcastic and witty guide who most certainly knows more than he's telling, Max undertakes a forensics investigation unlike anything he's ever encountered. He's accorded a rare, impossible privilege; the chance to ply his talents to investigate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, crucified only days earlier.

What Max finds challenges his beliefs and unlocks the bindings on his heart. If he's not dying of a stroke, he'll discover the most astounding truth of all time, and perhaps heal his own wounds along the way.

Crime Scene Jerusalem is a unique novel taking what easily could've been a predictable plot - man taken back in time to see proof of Jesus' resurrection - and turns it into a humorous, intriguing, witty, and at times heartbreaking tale that's more about a man's internal journey to peace and forgiveness than a retelling of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Such a tale is in danger of numerous pitfalls; the chief among them the construction of some elaborate, unbelievable plot to justify Max's time travel, but CSJ neatly sidesteps this by never offering an explanation in the first place. The readers understand early on Max is here to investigate Jesus' death, but the story holds onto the why until the end. For a good while you're never quite sure if Max is suffering from his suspected stroke or not, despite his guide's assertions to the contrary (And, I'm certainly not going to tell you, Dear Reader, if that's the case or not. Discover it on your own).

Gansky's characterization brings to life Biblical characters we've heard endless stories about, and though this is probably an odd comparison, the narrative continually reminded me of Madeleine L'Engle's Over Many Waters, when Sandy and Dennys Murry are whisked away to Old Testament times, only days before the Flood. Though one is an adult novel and the other is YA, they both share the feeling of history coming alive, which is a testament not only to the authors' research, but also their abilities to take that research and turn it into vibrant, engaging stories - which is much harder to do than the research itself.

Though we as readers know the outcome of Max's investigation, it is intriguing to see well-researched modern investigative techniques tasked to solving "the murder of Jesus Christ". Crime Scene Jerusalem is an excellent, engaging mystery, and Max Odom is a character I hope to see more of.

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