| Title | : | The Templar Fire (The History Hunters Book 4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 294 |
| Publication | : | Published July 17, 2018 |
1666: A Mysterious man claiming to be the descendent of a Templar Knight makes his way to London. In his possession is a piece of wood he says is a segment of the True Cross, upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.
His mission is to deliver the Cross to Temple Church, where it will be safe from all enemies. But on the eve if completion, a Great Fire breaks out in the city. The Mysterious man is killed. The Cross disappears from history.
Present Day: Edward Drake, billionaire and religious fanatic, discovers the Cross in the wilderness of Syria. In London he builds a museum as a shrine to the Cross. But on the eve of it's opening, the Cross is stolen, and a guard is found dead. Drake employs all his resources in a mad effort to exact vengeance.
But he isn't alone in the search. Paul Davenport is searching too, at the urging of a dying friend who believes the Cross to be a fake and a fraud.
The hunt will take Davenport from a shadowy antique dealer in Philadelphia, to a castle in Germany and from a Plague Cemetery in London, to a Templar Chapel on the coast of Scotland.
But Drake is not Davenport's only enemy. A mysterious private investigator with divided loyalties insists on entering the hunt. And there's someone else watching them all from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike out.
The History Hunter will soon discover that, sometimes, the greatest friends make the most powerful enemies.
The Templar Fire (The History Hunters Book 4) Reviews
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‘It was pathetic. And in a way, almost funny. Once more, he’d stumbled onto a great historical secret.’
Author K.R. Eckert is an avid student of history and politics, and has published THE TEMPLAR SUCCESSION, THE GETTYSBURG CYPHER, THE MASONIC MANUSCRIPT, THE SIXTH ADDRESS and now he presents his fifth novel THE TEMPLAR FIRE. He has also published a short story collection, A FLASH OF THE PEN. Prior to writing full time K. R. owned a successful second hand book business.
With a sweeping gesture of grander K.R. opens is book with three sections from the year 1666 describing the great fire in London that devastates the Temple Church and the subsequent disappearance of the Temple-entrusted segment of the cross of the crucifixion.
Jump forward to London 2018 and the scene is the Museum of the Holy Cross, and with a change in language to the vernacular of contemporary times the story pushes forward. ‘MUSEUM OF THE HOLY CROSS: “Museum,” he muttered. “More like a bloody circus.” The sign was neon, it burned brightly over the dark street, bright enough to dilute the starry night. Beneath the words was the logo. A cross. It was made to look like wood, but it was some sort of plastic that would withstand the rain, the manager himself had told him, and seemed proud of it too. Around the wood was a ring of light, more neon, bright red which flashed again and again in the night, like a visual tableau of a ticking clock. Even the guard, a lapsed Catholic who shivered at the idea of setting foot in a church, found it disgusting. Exploitative, that was the word the young folk used. He stared at the blinking cross, almost letting himself be hypnotized by it. The blinking of his eyes began to synchronize with it. And he didn’t mind, because it took his thoughts off the cold. Suddenly he snapped out of it. Something had changed. He felt uneasy, like he’d been roused form a comfy sleep, and dropped all of a sudden upon the lonely street.’
The story is complex and well distilled by K.R.’s synopsis -‘London 1666: A mysterious man, claiming to be a descendent of a Templar Knight, arrives at Temple Church with a segment of the True Cross. A day later, much of the old city burns in the famed Great Fire. The Cross disappears without a trace. - Present Day: In the wilds of Syria, an expedition discovers the Cross. It is returned to London and placed in a Museum built specifically to house it. Days before it's set to open, the Museum is robbed. A guard is murdered, the Cross goes missing. Fanatical billionaire Edward Drake, owner of the museum, throws all his resources into finding the Cross, and exacting retribution upon those responsible. His chief suspect is Alan Kramer, son of a long forgotten Templar Historian. Kramer declares publicly his belief that Drake's Cross is a fake. He says he knows where the True Cross really is. With the memory of an ancient manuscript as his only clue, Kramer races to find the real Cross. But he's an old and dying man, no longer up to adventure. In his place he sends two men: a Spanish investigator with deeply divided loyalties, and his oldest friend, famed adventurer Paul Davenport. From an obscure curio shop in Philadelphia, to a crumbling German castle and from an ancient London Graveyard to a Templar Chapel on the Scottish coastline Davenport and his mysterious partner follow a trail, almost a thousand years in the making. But they are never alone in their search. Edward Drake and his unlimited resources are never far behind. And someone else with deadly motives is lurking just ahead, always ready to lash out ruthlessly from the shadows. Paul Davenport will soon discover that sometimes, the best of friends make the most powerful enemies.’
Historically imbued thrillers of this quality are rare and K.R. Eckert makes this searing novel work very well indeed. Recommended reading for those who love mystery, thrillers, and the fascination with antiquities. -
Similar to highly acclaimed books such as Angels and Demons, The Templar Fire takes us on a wild chase around the globe in pursuit of a holy relic said to be the True Cross, the cross Jesus was crucified upon. Edward Drake the discoverer of the True Cross in recent times, is furious that the cross was stolen from his museum shortly before it would be revealed to the world. But his efforts to regain the cross are hampered by and old for: Paul Davenport a noted critic of Edwards and who sets out himself to recover the cross to prove once and for all it’s a fake. They both encounter a mysterious adversary who will stop at seemingly nothing to get to the cross first.
The author did a very good job blending history and current events into this thrilling book. The plot, while not chockfull of action, moves quickly from plot point to plot point, all the while drawing the reader in and leaving them guessing who they should be rooting for as the god guy until the very last. Engaging and intriguing, I found this to be a very good book. -
The Templar Fire by K.R. Eckert is great historical fiction that grabs your attention right away. It tells the story of the True Cross, said to be segments of the cross that Jesus was crucified upon, and what happens when the cross goes missing during a fire in London way back, and when it is recovered again in present day in Syria. Once housed in a secure location again in London, it goes missing yet again, and a mystery is born. Many people are involved in trying to recover the cross once more, and the various interests find themselves around the globe in search of the missing artifact. With nefarious suspects like Alan Kramer, the search takes Edward Drake, billionaire owner of the London museum from where the cross went missing, all over the world, trying to figure out who his real enemies are. This is a well written slice of historical fiction with well drawn characters, a good pace to the story, and a fascinating glimpse into the world of religious relics. Highly recommend.
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A great historical action adventure
The Templar Fire is a story of the search for the true holy cross. Edward Drake has found the cross and is set to open his museum when the cross is stolen. As Drake begins his quest to find the missing cross, his competition claims his cross is a fake. Loyalty is divided as the search spans the globe in search of this ancient artifact that Christ was nailed to. As the two nemesis search the journey takes you into a fast paced action filled search that may end in the death or discovery the cross doesn't really exist. The characters are developed and the story is well written and will draw you in and keep you guessing what is going to happen next. I recommend this one to all the adventure lovers and the historical buffs as well.
