"A dangerous and thrilling adventure ... This multi-faceted work of history, conspiracy and religion will gain favour among fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry."
-Publishers Weekly
In 1958, a young Bible scholar stumbles upon a version of the Gospel of Mark far older than that recorded in the New Testament. Unfortunately, his discovery brings him nothing but vilification and accusations of forgery. Eventually, the Secret Gospel simply disappears.
Fifty-one years later, the scholar is dead, the victim of an apparent heart attack. However, evidence found in his room, coupled with a letter to Cairo-based journalist Alex Fisher, suggests murder-and hints that the missing gospel harbors deep secrets.
Alex, his girlfriend Sadie, and British diplomat Aubrey Bairstow's attempts to locate the gospel quickly turn deadly. An Islamic terrorist group, an Israeli intelligence agent, and the head of a scandalous Christian sect also want the gospel. In Egypt's Western Desert, in the midst of a massive sandstorm, the fate of the Secret Gospel will be decided in blood.
As the hunt grows increasingly dangerous, it becomes apparent the lost manuscript has ties to both Nazi Germany and the Vatican's refusal to condemn the Holocaust. More is at stake than a lost text: the Secret Gospel could spell disaster for the Catholic Church-and change the balance of power in the Middle East.
A rousing religious conspiracy thriller, The Secret Gospel ties religion, politics, and history into a tangled skein of intrigue. It has at its heart a true story - the discovery in 1958 of fragments of a previously unknown account of the life of Jesus by Morton Smith. The rest is pure fiction.
It was shortlisted in the Rethink Press New Novels competition in 2014 and a quarterfinalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
"A well-written and engaging plot keeps readers going..."
"Thoroughly researched, this novel is steeped in history..."
-Publishers Weekly
About the Author: Dan Eaton was born and raised in the Middle East by missionary parents and spent much of his childhood in Egypt. After attending university in New Zealand, Eaton moved to Southeast Asia, where he spent over a decade as a foreign correspondent for the major news agencies Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
In his role as a journalist and later as an intelligence analyst, Eaton traveled extensively, covering social issues, politics, terrorism, conflict, and disasters. He lives in Wellington, New Zealand, with his wife and baby daughter. The Secret Gospel is his first novel.
The author can be contacted at thesecretgospel@gmail.com
