Saints and Cynics

Book excerpt: A gripping conspiracy thriller that takes archaeologist Tom Kettering on a journey of discovery from his home on the sweltering island of Malta to the dreaming spires of Oxford and the burning sands of the Egyptian desert. Tom has unearthed a bizarre shaped skull, similar to those previously exhibited in Valletta’s Archaeological museum, until 1985, when suddenly and without explanation, they were removed from public display and never seen again. Tom is determined his skull will not face the same fate and seeks advice from Alessandro Tiepolo, a renowned expert and a Jesuit priest with a private agenda and a mysterious past of his own. Guided by Tiepolo, Tom delves into Malta’s megalithic past and uncovers a surprising connection with the ancient pharaohs. The mystery is compounded by startling revelations found in the Ethiopian Book of Enoch and Tom is convinced there is a connection. A connection someone does not want him to make. Around him people are dying in suspicious circumstances and Tom fears he could be next but why? Who is behind the plot to silence him before his research is published? Does Father Alessandro Tiepolo hold the answers?