15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gold of Adventure +++, Jun 7 2009
By Kevin Kiersky "oceaneagle" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Gold of Kings: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I took a mild risk in choosing this book for my first Vine Review -- as the topic was one I had only encountered in movies or in separate works for the sub-topics. I chose to save this novel for a time and place to ensure unbroken reading and possible enjoyment. I first opened Gold of Kings in a comfortable big chair with a long free evening and with iced tea ready. I lost all sense of passing time until after page 100 -- and got up to fetch some iced tea -- grateful that it was waiting and ready -- thereby keeping in my reading-flow. Davis Bunn had me hooked from the first page and I kept reading with no conscious effort.
I am impressed with this author's narrative skill in adventure writing. The plot, drama, actors, actions, themes, scenes and knowledge-background seemed not only well-done but in a well-done balance. The action was fast-and-clever by fast-and-clever actors -- that got upset and injured and worse. I enjoy such deadly suspenseful intellegent adventure of mortals -- who succeed against odds via wits and daring, yet losing-out or losing-all at times. To my surprise and pleasure, I learned quite a bit more about Medieval, Mediterranian and Middle Eastern topics -- skillfully integrated into the narration. The smooth flow of it all is a wonder -- so no wonder Davis Bunn is a top-selling author -- if his other works come close to this one +++
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gold of Kings, April 25 2009
By Isabelle Jolly - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Gold of Kings: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
This an exhilarating and exciting story. Storm Syrrell's grandfather, Sean Syrrell, has been murdered. He had been expecting it, and had fired Storm from their fine arts business in an attempt to keep her safe. Harry Bennett, a treasure hunter and a trusted friend of Sean, was sprung from prison and tasked with keeping Storm from danger. When Storm discovered that Sean had left her money, paintings, an illuminated book, and a gold chalice, she realizes that the trouble the business was in had been caused by someone who wanted to buy it. A third person is Emma Webb, an FBI agent who distrusts her immediate supervisor, and transfers to Interpol.
The three of them start investigating what Sean had been looking for; treasures from the Second Temple described on a Copper Scroll left by Jews during the time of the Roman massacres.
Lots of excitement, chases, attacks, and a good ending. There is also a lot of early Jewish, Christian, Roman, Greek history I hadn't known. Highly recommend it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A page-turner thrill ride for readers, Aug 19 2009
By Tom D. "Opportunity is limited only by imagin... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Gold of Kings: A Novel (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I'm a sucker for adventue-thriller page-turners -- and "Gold of Kings" didn't disappoint. I read at night and frequently had to keep reading far past my normal "lights out" time, leaving me feeling sleepy at work the next day (but it was well worth the sacrifice :-)
This book has believable characters, and a believable plot as well. It's clear the author, Davis Bunn, did plenty of research for this novel. At times the book read like a screenplay -- and I could easily imagine seeing this as a movie on the big-screen.