by Daniel Levin
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Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2009
432 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Jonathan Marcus was a promising young archeologist studying at the American Academy in Rome when a terrible accident during an illegal excavation resulted in a friend’s death and Jonathan’s expulsion from the academy. Jonathan abandoned archaeology for the law, developing a reputation as a skillful advocate for some of the art world’s less scrupulous antiquities dealers.
When his firm sends Jonathan to Rome to discredit the testimony of a prominent U.N. antiquities official, he's stunned to discover that the expert is Dr. Emili Travia, a friend and fellow student at the academy who was also at the excavation. This chance reunion prompts Jonathan, against his better judgment, to help Emili as she searches for the fabled Tabernacle Menorah, a priceless historical artifact seized by Roman invaders in the first century A.D. and brought to Rome where it disappeared. As they scour the ancient sites of Rome for hints to the menorah's whereabouts—deciphering clues to its location left by ancient spies and eighteenth century art restorers—it quickly becomes clear that they are not alone in their quest.
What follows is a treasure hunt like no other, a race to find the menorah in order to control a historical perspective of who can define—and redefine—the past.
By turns a riveting page-turner and a compelling character study, set in the high-stakes arenas of art, politics, and terrorism, The Last Ember is a provocative and fast-paced glimpse into history, religion, and international law.
"Da Vinci Code addicts will enjoy Levin's debut, a dense, complicated novel of religious suspense.The fevered pace slows only to deliver a multitude, perhaps too much of a multitude, of interesting historical factoids." - Publishers Weekly
"With its strong Roman atmosphere, this dramatic and complex debut novel will please fans of both European crime fiction and religious thrillers." - Booklist
“In his fast-paced, erudite, and original debut, Daniel Levin reveals a vivid world where archaeological, legal, and religious secrets swirl together into a thrilling nexus. Its rich texture and global cast of characters ignite genuine suspense and intrigue. Readers will savor this novel and await more blockbuster Daniel Levin adventures.” - Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club
This information about The Last Ember was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Daniel Levin earned his undergraduate degree in Roman and Greek civilization from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of Harvard Law School. He won a visiting scholar’s fellowship at the American Academy in Rome and has practiced international law at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York.
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