If you like Dan Brown, you'll enjoy this. Fast paced and gripping, The Sacred Spoils revolves around Carmen Nero, an historian in Italy on the hunt for ancient relics only to come up against the Calabrian Mafia. In addition, there's Zara, a professor searching for Judaism's most precious relic.

This one reaches out and grabs you from the very first page and keeps you wanting more right to the end. Intricate subplots and well fleshed out characters make this a very exciting read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This book is a fusion of international thriller and historical puzzle. Set predominately in Italy this is intriguing and fast-paced. The story is full of historical detail, which sets the scene for the mystery con man Rossi and historian Nero needs to unravel.

The action is adrenaline-pumping and violent, aptly illustrating the people chasing Rossi and Nero. Sub-plots converge as the menace intensifies. Rossi and Nero are an unlikely partnership, but they need each other to survive. The mystery's complexities complement the action sequences drawing the reader into the story.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I would definitely recommend this one to fans of Dan Brown, like myself.

A great page-turning, fast-paced archaeological thriller (is that what this is?!). Clearly well researched, The Sacred Spoils tells the story of Carmen Nero, a historian that has traveled to Italy to seek ancient riches, but her efforts are thwarted but murderous schemes orchestrated by Calabrian Mafia. We also follow Zara, a professor on a mission to find Judaisms most treasured and sought after relic.

Full of twists and turns, The Sacred Spoils had me at Hello and kept me hooked until the last page. Action-packed from the outset with well thought out characters and great locational descriptions. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to read more in this series.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Canelo and the author, Will Adams, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Sacred Spoils in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided a good read. The storyline was well developed and the characters intriguing. .
Very entertaining. Worth a read.

Complex plot but thrilling and engaging. All the Da vinci code realm, this one is a good read.Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced copy.

A fast paced and action packed historical thriller, entertaining and gripping.
I liked the well crafted and complex plot, the realistic description of the location, and the well researched historical background.
The plot kept me hook till the end and it was a fast read.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last
A good read, recommended.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My thanks to Canelo for an eARC via NetGalley of Will Adams’ ‘The Sacred Spoils’ in exchange for an honest review.

The sacred spoils of the title is the lost tomb of Alaric I, the Visigoth king who sacked and looted Rome of its most fabulous treasures. It has been sought for many years.

There are two main threads in the narrative. The first involves historian Carmen Nero, who has come to southern Italy to help a friend search for ancient riches. Yet she is quickly caught up in the murderous schemes of the Calabrian Mafia.

Her friend had also invited Cesco Rossi for the weekend. He is supposed to be an archaeologist but is actually a conman, who is currently on the run from a gang of neo-Nazis.

The other thread involves Israeli Professor Zara Gold, who is on a mission to find Judaism's most sacred relic.

Eventually Zara and Carmen meet up in Italy, having both been part of an academic message board interested in Visigoth artefacts. There are also a number of baddies with different agendas but all threatening the lives of our protagonists.

I quite enjoy treasure hunt thrillers and this had relatable characters, lots of action, and was well researched.

I was pleased to see that it’s the first in a series. This was my first encounter with Will Adams’ writing and I likely will look at his other archeological thrillers.

The Sacred Spoils is an intense and complex archaeological adventure in which Cesco Rossi and Carmen Nero team up to search for Visigoth King Alaric's long lost treasure before the ‘Ndrangheta, Calabrian Mafia and Israeli Secret Service (Mossad) can get their hands on it. Apparently plundered in CE 410 from the Roman Empire and hidden in Alaric's tomb beneath a dry river bed somewhere on the Italian peninsula, it remained unidentified for many years. Rumour has it that the plethora of slaves used to dig his grave lost their lives once it was completed in order to preserve the sanctity of the secret. I don't want to give too much away as I feel going in almost blind ensures you gain the best reading experience but on the journey to identify and open his tomb Nero and Rossi come face to face with a myriad of enemies who seek the stolen, ancient artefacts for themselves.

This is the first in a brand new archaeological adventure series which is fraught with danger from the outset. We meet our protagonists Nero and Rossi who are superbly developed and unforgettable characters and we have only just met them; Rossi is a young conman who has been using the lack of knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the tomb as his cash cow and has been ripping people off by promising to reveal the location of the tomb once a fee has been paid. Now he is being chased down by vengeful victims. Nero, on the other hand, is a hard-working ancient history PhD student and a straight shooter. It's a complex, riveting race against time and the research into Alaric and his story is some of the most accurate, impressive and extensive I've ever encountered. Highly recommended to those who love action-adventures with never a dull moment and the type of books along the lines of Dan Brown. A very entertaining and pacey read. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.

This is a fast-paced, clever historical adventure/mystery set primarily in Italy, with some forays into Israel and other parts of Europe. The characters are well-balanced, with strong female and male leads who are equally capable of reasoning through clues and kicking ass. I always enjoy adventures that blend good, well-researched history and I learned enough about the Visigoth sacking of Rome that I’m seeking out more scholarly works on that historical period. That is always the mark of a successful book for me.

For fans of Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, and James Rollins.

With an archaeological theme, this story follows Cesco Rossi and Carmen Nero as they race to find the lost treasures of Alaric, Visigoth King, whilst avoiding the clutches of the ‘Ndrangheta, Calabrian Mafia and Israeli Secret Service.

Legend has it that Alaric, and his men, sacked Rome and stole all the treasures collected by the Roman Empire. Upon his death, Alaric’s army diverted a river and dug and crypt in the temporarily dry river bed. For centuries, Alaric’s final resting place has remained undiscovered.

Carmen is an up and coming archaeologist with a lot of respect within the community. Rossi is a trickster with an eye on a fortune and has no problem who gets hurt as a result of his cons.

This book was a new genre for me but, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I went from loathing Rossi to hoping that he could be redeemed. The story does jump around but, stick with it, and I think that you’ll enjoy the ride.

The way that the truth of Rossi’s story unfurled was terrific and I felt a clear shift in my opinion of him.

I really loved the way that the locations were described, I could almost feel the sun’s heat. I have never visited Italy but, I am certainly intrigued to explore Southern Italy after reading this book.

The Sacred Spoils follows Carmen Nero and Cesco Rossi as they search for the hidden tomb of Alaric, a Visigoth King who had plundered many historic and sacred artifacts in CE 410. Along the way we meet a long list of villains who are trying to stop our heroes fof a multitude of reasons. Will our heroes come out on top, or will they be stopped by any number of villains?

The Sacred Spoils is a fast paced thriller with a complex plot that is very well researched. The character development in this book is amazing and many of the twists I didn't see coming. The setting is easy to picture in your mind as the author does a tremendous job in describing the many places in Italy and Israel where the book takes place. The book is well written, although some of the analogies were a bit cheesy. Overall, a fun thrill ride of a book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Will Adams, and Canelo for gifting me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What the bottom line says on the title of this book, it delivers in buckets of oozing action, mesmerizing landscapes, swords, treasures, you name it.
From the start of this novel, you will be pulled into an exotic adventure featuring Italian food, more Italian food, and breath-taking landscapes. There’s a lot of summer in this novel. It will feel like a cookbook and a tourist guide wrapped into an exciting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You will be embroiled into a family drama that spans decades of conflict. You will encounter the viewpoint of the Ancients, hidden tombs, and secret conspiracies, corrupt warlords, corrupt mafia.
This has all the standard elements of a thriller fantasy. I’ve read Clive Cussler, Matthew Riley, Andy Mc Dermott, Steve Berry. Dan Brown popularized the genre of course. But this is where I started reading properly. The amount of research is staggering. The amount of attention and love each character is given throughout this novel makes you feel that there heroes and villains. But each hero and villain in this novel sees themselves as the hero. Cesco, the affluent conman who wishes to run from a terrible post and purge all memory of it, is a character that has the characteristics of thieves, rogues. I could imagine him time-traveling to Venice or Medieval Tunisia or the Ottoman Empire. He’s that type of character. I did feel sometimes he was a bit over the top, and sometimes didn’t control too much of the consequences, but that’s my nitpick.
Without going into too many spoilers, I feel the chemistry between Zara and Dov will be for the reader, very volatile. Both have different professions. One’s a commando in Israel’s most special unit, and the other is a history professor that loves history and to be honest, who doesn’t?
The main star of this novel is Carmen. She is naive, but as you read this novel, you get a sense of maturity. She’s strong, pretty, and any man would be lucky to have her as a girlfriend. That said, there’s a lot of romance-esque foreshadowing but you never see it until the end.
The novel has a lot of characters that would be too much for me to describe in detail. Sometimes I did feel the novel’s pace dragged a bit, and some scenes weren’t needed. Without going into too much spoiler mode, some parts with the Neo-Nazi’s gang could have had more additional scenes. Their POV was interesting, and I felt we needed to see a bit more of them. This is full of Government conspiracy, exciting plots.
And if you’re wondering well, in 2011, thrillers were all the craze. Why should I buy another one that has the same plot/trope? Well, I won’t convince you as that’s your reading taste. What I will say, this novel is a fun ride. You’ll be going through Italy’s famous landscapes, you’ll be discovering hidden old centuries conflict of Mafia drama, you’ll be going through a tour guide of Italian food, you’ll be on motorbikes, you’ll be on farms, hidden tombs. That dear reader is why buy this. Let this novel take you at the edge of your seat as you drink coffee and have a few snacks in between. Or whatever you prefer. I rate this a great book which could easily be adopted into a movie. My rating is 5/5.

This is not light reading since the plot can get complex, but it's never dull. The author must have some research too. Adams is a creative author who writes really well. Recommended for thriller fans.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!

Several years ago, probably after "The Da Vinci's code" success, I became obsessed with these historical thrillers/mysteries, were the main characters have to look for some ancient artifact/tomb/city...while the villain is after the same thing while trying to thwart their efforts (and if he can kill the hero at the same time all the better). But there came a time where I realized I was reading the same book over and over again. Yeah, I may be learning some historical facts I knew nothing about, but sometimes you couldn't discern where facts ended and fiction began, so I abandoned this genre.

During that time I remember reading Mr. Adams' "Daniel Knox" series, so when I found about "The sacred spoils" I decided to come back to the lost treasures genre, and I'm glad I did. Here we have Carmen Nero and Cesco Rossi as our heroes, two charismatic characters that are looking for the tomb of Alaric, a Visigoth king who sacked Rome in CE 410, which is believed to have a great deal of treasure buried with him. I won't go into many plot details, but while on their search they come face to face with several villains, which make of this a very entertaining and fast paced read. Prior to this, I knew nothing about Alaric and his story, so it was nice to learn some historical facts about his life and death (great research work on the author's part). When reading this kind of book, one of my fears is that the historical facts get explained in a boring way, as if you were reading a history textbook, but nothing further from the truth in this case.

The ending leaves some plot lines open, so I will definetely come back for book two in the series.

Complex thriller with lots of twists and lots of bad guys! Good main characters with their own stories and a fast moving plot.

Alaric I was a Visigoth king, who lived in a period several hundred years after the beginning of the Christian era, had sacked and looted Rome. He is reputed to have denuded the city of as much of it's private and public treasures as his army could carry. He died during his campaigns in the Italian peninsular and is thought to be buried in Italy. The story told was that in order to hide Alaric's grave a river was diverted from it's course, the grave dug with the king and a great deal of treasure buried there. The river was than returned to it's path and all of the slaves digging the grave killed in order to preserve the secret.
Will Adams has written a fascinating novel utilizing the seeking of Alaric's grave, a hunt for the fabled Menorah looted from the destruction of the first temple and made from gold, and a family of the Italian Mafia. Carmen Nero is a student of ancient history currently working on her PhD who is called upon by a friend of hers to come to Italy bringing an instrument. We learn what the instrument is and what it does in due course. She will be treated to being a part of the possible discovery of an historical site of tremendous significance. Zara Gold is an Israeli professor that has been introduced to the possibility that the sacred Menorah is buried in the tomb of King Alaric. There is a third party in the mix: Cesco Rossi a young conman who is introduced as he is fleeing a group of neo Nazis from whom he has conned money for showing where Alaric's tomb is. He obviously doesn't of course but is important to the story.
The author has indicated that this is book one of a future series featuring both Carmen Nero and Cesco Rossi The current work fleshes them out as well as placing them in the midst of a dangerous situation. The use of historical context and the search for Alaric's tomb is a well researched and organized novel that certainly does it's job in enticing the reader to seek out and read future books about Nero and Rossi.