At the height of the Spanish Inquisition a ruthless inquisitor by the name of Bishop Promane tortures a fellow priest, Father Sanchez, for information about the whereabouts of a relic known as the Judas Robe, rumored to be the only piece of physical evidence of God on earth. Promane succeeds in recovering the robe only to lose it to Sanchez's saviors, knights belonging to The Order of Christ.
In the Present Day, Joel Gardiner, a pre-med student, is attacked by a group of religious zealots after leaving a campus pub. A young woman calling herself Sophia rescues Joel and reveals that he is descended from of the Order of Christ who still has the Judas Robe in their possession. Joel dismisses it as a hoax or farce, but zealots renew their efforts to seize the robe. Joel and Sophia embark on a quest to verify the existence of the so-called relic while trying to elude the murderous cabal.
Praise for Larry Rodness' new novel The Judas Robe
"If you had a chance for proof-positive of God's existence on earth, would you go for it?... The author's med-student protagonist, Joel Gardiner, finds himself suddenly faced with just that dilemma...Here's a novel for those looking for an unusual plot-line with lots of action and adventure." - William Maltese: Amen's Boy; A slip to Die For; Thai Died; A Conspiracy of Ravens
"In the spirit of a Dan Brown thriller, The Judas Robe cleverly fulfills the promise of its thought-provoking subject. Like the fine weave of a robe, Rodness intertwines his inspired premise with theology, mystery, action and suspense to engage the reader in the timeless battle between science and religion, which couldn't be more relevant today."-Stephen Witkin, Screenwriter, Los Angeles
Excerpt
Mother Natalie entered the room wearing a standard white blouse and navy skirt. That was the only thing standard about her. Standing five foot seven, she had sparse feather-like hair. Her skin was almost translucent, and her slight-build made her look like she would tip over at the slightest breeze.
"Joel, isn't this a nice surprise," the nun said.
"Someone in my dorm was murdered last night. Do you know anything about it?"
"No, of course not. How would I?"
"A couple of nights ago, I was jumped by two men."
"Oh my, you weren't hurt, were you?"
"I'm all right. Mostly, because this girl intervened."
"What girl?"
"Goes by the name of Sofia. She said the thugs who attacked me were after something called the Judas Robe."
Natalie emitted a tiny gasp as the look of concern on her face turned to fear. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her I had no idea what she was talking about.
But I'm here because my mother and her wacked-out family have been part of some religious cult for years."
