I may post a review at sporadicreviews.com soon. If not a review, I'll at least mention in a Recent Reads post. ( )

The plot wasn't very believable, the characters stereotyped, and made like a Hollywood film: yet another story of two gorgeous heroes defeating the very bad villains. ( )

This book was simply a lesson on the author's misplaced understanding of ancient Jewish history; along with her misplaced understanding of evangelical Christianity. First, she believes Moses was an Egyptian mystic who practiced divination and brought the practice over to the Hebrews when he helped lead them out of Egypt. Secondly, all evangelical Christians are crazy, militant, madmen with combat experience and are bent on killing many innocent people to retrieve Biblical relics from the past.

As a Christian, I'm used to being portrayed in a negative light in many secular novels. But, Palov took it one step further and included Jews in her mix of mumbo-jumbo. Aside from all of these misplaced understandings, the book really wasn't that good. As one reviewer properly stated, kinda clunky.

Not worth your time or read. ( )

I have had the book on the shelf for the longest time and finally decided that I needed to read some more thrillers and suspense since Spa Week is coming up and I need a stack of thrillers and suspense to take to my dad and sister. I've been heavy into the cozies/amateur sleuth and paranormal and my fam isn't into those as much as I. I like having something to bring out. Reached into the back of the third drawer of chest of drawers one of Mt Git'r'Read and found ARK OF FIRE. And so very glad I went a diggin'.

ARK OF FIRE is what Dan Brown wishes his books aspired to now that he's all big name and doesn't have to try anymore. My own personal opinion, but that's what reviews tend to be, so there it is.

Edie is a photographer who finds herself in a situation of flee or die, but she knows she has to do the right thing and tell the recipient of an emailed file that his life is in danger. Edie has the fleeing part down in part, but Caedmon, the recipient of the email, is ready with the rest. He is a professor now, but used to be with MI5.

The chemistry of Edie and Caedmon is fiery and interesting to watch as they find their way through the clues of the quatrains they need to decipher and keep as far ahead of the religious army that is after them.

Highly intriguing and stay-up-late-past-bedtime excellent!!! I can't wait to get the next in the series, THE TEMPLAR'S CODE and TEMPLAR'S QUEST.

Five archeological thriller rockin' beans..... ( )

When cataloging rare artifacts for the Hopkins Museum of Near Eastern Art, photographer Edie Miller witnesses a murder of the chief curator. Just as she bends down to check on some loose cable wires the murderer walks in and shoots the curator with no questions asked and steals an ancient Hebrew relic. Saved by her convenient hiding place Edie just makes it out of the museum alive where she sees the killer meet up with a D.C. policeman.

Fearing for her life she refuses to turn to the police because of what she saw. Instead she turns to the historian, Caedmon Aisquith who the curator was about to send Edie’s pictures to.

Together with Caedmon they realize who the killers are working for and what they are after… The Ark of the Covenant. But if Edie and Caedmon can find it first they’ll stop the killers from seeing their plans through to the deadly end.

Reading the endorsements on the cover of this book had me really looking forward to Ark of Fire. On the front cover is a blurb by Steve Berry one of my favorite action thriller authors and a blurb on the back cover from Karen Dionne describes the book as “Part Dan Brown, part Indiana Jones and part James Bond…” With the two things I was expecting a lot more from Ark of Fire.

It was a good story but a little too over the top. I can’t exactly explain some of the major aspects that bothered me without giving any spoilers away but a couple of small things that made me roll my eyes where just how many times Caedmon and Edie were saved by the killers being out of bullets or their gun jamming and how many times they escaped death and other horrific acts just in the nick of time. Not to mention the whole escaping from Washington D.C. to Europe. I found it hard to believe it was really that easy to flee the country with only $3,000 and a conveniently remembered passport with a killer breathing down her neck.

With those vents out of the way the storyline was pretty good and there was obviously a lot of action. I would recommend this one as loaner or library read for anyone who loves a good suspense thriller. ( )