Horrified priests stare at the scene. Four bodies lie on the basilica floor; blood stains it. The altar is overturned; candles are scattered on the marble tiles. Gilded fragments gape where a holy relic once rested. Nuns lament in anguish.
The newest archaeological thriller from author John Amos, The Bones of the Apostle, finds British detectives Flinders Petrie and Thomas Pettigrew on a quest to recover a small casket containing the bones of the Apostle Thomas. But this is no ordinary case. Petrie and Pettigrew will find themselves face-to-face with the dark horrors of the Armenian and Assyrian genocide during World War I.
“The Bones of the Apostle is a sequel to The Case of the Stolen Goddess,” Amos explained. “The detectives get older but still look for action. Both detectives are acutely aware that they are out of step with their society, a society increasingly dominated by briefcases and routine, but they are driven to cross the ‘horizons beyond the horizon’ to see what’s out there.”
With the help of Gazelda Jones, a retired witch turned intelligence agent, Petrie and Pettigrew pursue the relic and its mysterious thief, known only as the Veiled One. But facing their old enemy again is only half the battle. To succeed at their task, both men must confront their personal histories and the friends, family and lovers they left behind in Turkey years before.
Amos, who lived in the Middle East, draws on the rich cultural backdrop of his experiences to craft his immersive, authentic settings and to weave his narrative with historical insights. Charming and sobering, poignant and jarring, The Bones of the Apostle features atmospherics that will compel readers and a story that will move them. But above all else, Amos says he just wants people to enjoy it.
“The Petrie and Pettigrew series should be read for fun,” Amos added. “I know that a lot of reviewers have found all kinds of messages in the series, and when I read these, I think, ‘gee, did I write that?’ Bones is designed for a quick read, something to take your mind off today’s troubles: a well-earned time out.”
About the Author
John Amos holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from the Monterey College of Law. He has taught at the university level for 25 years. His academic publications include two books, Arab-Israeli Military/Political Relations and
Palestinian Resistance, as well as numerous articles in major academic journals. He is also a coeditor of Gulf Security Into the 1980s. His fiction works include The Student (2022), The Cleopatra Caper (2023) and The Case of the Stolen Goddess (2024). He has lived and studied in the Middle East, most notably in Egypt, Lebanon, Libya and Turkey. He currently practices law.
For more information, visit www.johnamosauthor.com, or connect with him on Instagram (johnsmosproduction2) or Facebook (John Amos Author).
The Bones of the Apostle
Publisher: River Grove Books
Release date: November 28, 2024
ISBN-13: 978-1632999016
Available from Amazon.com
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