Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed the subject matter though I found it a little hard to follow at times.

I would like to thank Canelo action and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book which is the eighth in the series: "Chris Bronson"

We find Bronson and Lewis who are looking for the Ark of the Covenant. But their luck is running out by the day. When a new trail opens up in the south of France.

As for the Vatican, it is worried, all its best elements are on the lookout for this famous Ark and also a mysterious group from Jerusalem, between them they are ready to kill.

A book read in one go so much I was hooked on the story so gripping, captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists with endearing characters.

I feel that this could have been a really good book. I enjoyed the opening chapters, and the protagonists were well-written characters that were easy to get to know right from the beginning

The Last Secret of the Ark is a conspiracy/thiller by James Becker, where historian Angela Lewis, her cop ex-husband Chris Bronson, the CDF (new name for the Inquisition), and a Jewish fanatic group compete to track down the biblical Ark of the Covenant. It meets all the basic requirements of the genre, with enough travelling, history, violence, sarcasm, wits, and low-level sexual tension to keep the plot running.

The one thing this book has, to differentiate it from all others of its kind, is a smart, logical, ending (and no, jumping to the end does not help). It is the result of good links, not too outrageous, between clues, which allow for the dots to be solidly connected. And the fact it is focused on a pre-Christian relic does not hurt, either.

Sadly, on the other hand it has about 25 pages of background history presentations which add little, if anything, to the events. They seem to be padding an otherwise scant storyline, while slowing it down to almost a halt. Additionally, the text stumbles on small details, such as British-specific English expressions in the mouths of foreigners, or the dietary habits of the characters. These are not major issues, granted, but they seem a bit of a let-down, giving the impression of hurried editing, maybe no rewriting of the final draft, before submission to the print.

Who would enjoy this
"The Last Secret of the Ark" is a volume for those who enjoy the genre, as it is a near textbook example of it.

It bases itself enough in history for those who like reading about the havoc of the Middle Ages; Knights Templar for the lovers of conspiracies; a biblical relic, for those into the esoteric; armed enemies ‘on the hunt’ for readers of action; and it is self-aware enough to not try to be anything beyond.

Who should give this a pass
I would not recommend this book for anyone expecting something new or different from the genre. We have the usual suspects (religious fanatics) and the usual heroes (the gorgeous woman, the protective man); the usual mysterious sect (the Templars); the usual travelling all around following encrypted texts/clues.

Also, readers who like a lot of action may find "The Last Secret of the Ark" lacking. As I mentioned above, there are more pages dedicated to history lectures than to actual actions and events.

Conclusions and suggestions
The Last Secret of the Ark is an OK book, which could be so much better. On paper, it ticks all the boxes, plus the interesting twists of the relic and the ending. Finding it hard to get through, and stumbling across the inconsistencies, was a great disappointment considering the obvious amounts of research and plotting involved in it.

In fact, this is a great example of the need to edit, tighten, check, repeat. There are too many elements that appear unnecessary to the rest of the book.

(For specific pointers on how to improve books such as this, check out the full review on my blog.)

I have been a great fan of works like the Da Vinci code and like including regionally specific ones that mix mythology and history and facts to create a wonderful tale of thrill and clue solving. To me this book falls short of satisfaction.

The plot of the lost ark is definitely a good storyline, but the writing did not appeal to me. I would have loved it to be more fast paced and less prose about history. The story starts very slow and seems to pick up only around the halfway mark and even after that it does not reach the levels I would have liked.

The conclusion of the story is also mixed - a bit anti climatic and seems abrupt.

I liked the author’s detailed notes at the end about the facts and story used in the book. But overall I find a lot could have been better in this book.

I feel that this could have been a really good book. I enjoyed the opening chapters, and the protagonists were well-written characters that were easy to get to know right from the beginning.

The author has obviously done a lot of research, and the amount of historical detail was incredible, but I felt that it slowed the story down while I was reading, which took me out of the excitement of the search for the Ark, and the chase across countries.

With a little more action and suspense, this would have been a 5-star read. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this review copy.

This book will take on one heck of a ride. There are Templars and The Arc of the Covenant plus bad guys wanting it for their own agenda. You will keep turning pages until the wee hours of the no night.

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and I really enjoy stories involving ancient religious archaeology. This book was more like a modern day Raiders of the Lost Ark without all the comedy(though there are some light-hearted discussions) and not nearly as much drama. The main characters are a divorced couple, Angela who is an archaeologist, and her former husband Chris, who is a British police officer, They are looking for clues to where the Ark of the Covenant might be hidden and are being followed closely by 3 Israeli men who are part of a radical Jewish group and 2 men who were sent by a Cardinal from the Vatican. Everyone wants to be the first to find the Ark of course and not everyone has good intentions. There are lots of Latin and French terms and city names that may slow a reader down a bit, but I found it all very interesting even if I had to look some things up. The majority of the historical background is true and I have to say I learned a few things I didn’t know before. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys this genre.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

At last Mr Becker is back doing what he does best! It’s been a long wait but he’s back with a bang. I love reading about the Templars and if there’s an Ark of the Covenant thrown in as well I’m hooked. I so want to go to Ethiopia to see if it is really there! I loved everything about this book and so hope we don’t have to wait so long for the next one. Hunt this book down and read it, you won’t be disappointed!

Wow so much research must have gone into this book. I felt quite often the description of places, events and documents took precedence over the plot and really slowed down the pace. I am afraid after the first half of the book, which I read carefully so that I could understand everything I started to skim read to try and find the exciting parts. I think I was expecting a much lighter adventure novel, in the vein of Dan Brown and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was not like that at all. I should have paid more attention to some of the other reviewers who had alluded to the depth this very knowledgeable author goes to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

Becker's book was an enjoyable read. I liked the plot and was kept on my toes throughout the book. I look forward to Becker's next novel.

The Last Secret of the Ark by James Becker

I was given a copy of this book for review.

The story has a great amount of historical detail and factual information. The storyline is based on a couple that is seeking the Ark and these historical facts are interwoven within the story. This is a story of historical fiction and worth reading.

The story does correct false historical theories with accurate events. Really a good read, very well done.

#TheLastSecrectoftheArk

The Last Secret of the Ark by James Becker – 4 Stars
Publisher: Canelo
ISBN: 9781788639040

James Becker did an amazing amount of research for this novel. Actually, sometimes events and settings were over-explained. I often put the book down and read something lighter for a time. I am glad I returned to the story. Despite being plodding at times, it did have enough action to keep it interesting.

I learned some history. It is always good to be a little smarter when I finish a book. I loved the ending. I certainly had not expected it.

The topics of other books by this author are interesting. I plan to read some of them and get even smarter while being entertained.

Reviewer: Nancy

Charles Bronson and his ex-wife Angela Lewis are traveling and working together on a quest sanctioned by Angela's employer to find the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is thought to be the cup that Jesus drank from at the last supper and was then used to collect his blood after the crucifixion. The pair begin their search in Ethiopia but through clues and judicious thought travel through Europe and North America. Also, after the Grail and consequently enemies of the pair, are a group from the Vatican and another from Jerusalem. Now why did all these people suddenly begin a search together that has a history grounded in centuries of investigation? This question is not addressed in this novel, hmmm.
A favorite topic of the author, the Knights Templars, a group dissolved by the Church hundreds of years ago also figure in this novel. The plot is one that would take its place with books such as Raiders of the Lost Ark. The reason that I believe it does not is the depiction of how the search evolves with the couple. When faced with the need of a continuance of the search by facing a dead end, either Angela or Charles comes up with a Latin discussion of the original hiding of the Chalice. After centuries have passed the couple somehow find the correct meaning and continue forward to the next step. They are of course followed by both sets of bad guys and need to thwart their evil intents.
The novel is filled with incredible solutions one after the other. It is also replete with the attempts by the villains to allow Charles and Angela to find the grail for them and then kill the couple and run off with the treasure. A good plot is spoiled with an overabundance of conversations and miraculous analysis plus the rather silly actions of two sets of bad guys.
Mr. Becker has an afterward of the book in which he outlines the finding of pertinent facts by searches done in the past. This does make the novel somewhat of a history book. The use of countless Eureka moments in the novel,however, does mitigates the validity of what is found and make for a boring experience and ending in no real interest in getting future books by the author.

The brilliant new thriller from global bestseller James Becker. In Ethiopia, Charles Bronson and Angela Lewis are on the hunt for the Ark of the Covenant. But it looks like their luck is running out. Until, that is, a new avenue springs open in Southern France. I was captivated from the first page.

The million dollar question within the church...what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. Great book! If you are a fan of The Davinnci Code or the National Treasure Movies you will love this book! Although some of the language was hard for me to follow as I'm not an expect in this sort of history, that is to be expected. The suspense was good. I enjoyed the different groups seeming to be fighting against time and each other to find the ark. Great book!