New year, 'new' author

A few weeks ago I wrote about my favourite books which combine past and present lives. Here is an addition to that list!

A new 'discovery' for me, author M.J. Rose's The Reincarnationist focuses on Josh Ryder, a photographer who, while enraptured with a confrontation between a police officer and a woman pushing a stroller, has a near death experience. Afterwards, he has visions of Julius, a 4th century pagan priest in Rome. Julius watches as Emperor Theodosius outlaws paganism, disbands the Vestal Virgins, and authorises the destruction of non-Christian places of worship.

In present day Rome, Josh becomes involved with Professor Gabriella Chase, an historian interested in a 4th century tomb of the last Vestal Virgin, who's mummimified body clasps a collection of precious gems. The gems are believed to be The Memory Stones, which are crucial to people being able to remember past lives. When they are stolen, Josh and Gabriella become entwined with numerous questions, threats and dangers.

The Reincarnationist is a great thriller, a la Da Vinci Code, albeit a bit of a slower pace, and with substantially less information (which is not a negative characteristic!). There were certain sections, which while interesting, I think could have been left out without detracting from the story. Also like The Da Vinci Code, the book is more than just a thriller: it is a commentary on religion, politics and leaders, particularly the subject of reincarnation in Christian culture. As the characters of the book point out, if a soul is reborn and humans in charge of their fate and afterlife, it would detract power from the Church and its leaders as the sole method of absolution on earth.

A good way to start off a new year of reading.