A "Jewish Da Vinci Code" it 'aint (The Righteous Men - Sam Bourne)

Member Name: Lynsey100

Product:	The Righteous Men - Sam Bourne
Date:	11/08/06 (410 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An easy read, if you like that sort of thing

Disadvantages: A poor thriller

Sam Bourne is a pseudonym for Jonathan Freedland, a journalist and broadcaster. He has a weekly column in the Guardian, as well as a monthly column in The Jewish Chronicle. He has published a couple of non-fiction books, but "The Righteous Men" is his first novel. It is one of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads.

Ever since "The Da Vinci Code" hit the shelves, there has been a flood of religious thrillers on the market. I am a big fan of the thriller genre, and I can honestly say that this is one of the worst I have ever read.

Will Monroe is an English reporter, working for "The New York Times". As he follows up on the story of a local murder, he discovers a connection with a murder committed on the other side of the country. When his wife Beth is kidnapped, the men who took her send him mysterious messages on his mobile phone and Blackberry. He enlists the help of his friend Tom and former fiancee TC to track them dowm.

There is no depth to the main character whatsoever, and I felt no empathy for him as he searched for his wife. The reader is expected to believe that he would be lusting after TC while Beth's life is in danger. It is utterly ridiculous.

The trail leads Will to the Brooklyn Jewish Community, where the reader is then subjected to endless drivel about an ancient prophecy, and riddles buried deep in the Bible. Basically, there are 36 righteous men in the world. These men may appear to be lowlife, but they commit random acts of kindness. A mysterious sect is trying to bump them all off, in order to bring an end to the world.

At this point in the story, I did not want to read on, as I felt that the ending of the story was totally predictable. However, I did spend £3.73 of my hard earned cash on this book, so finish it I did! Was I pleasantly surprised? No.

A caption on the front cover describes Sam Bourne as "The biggest challenger to Dan Brown's Crown". This is slmost as silly as the novel itself. "The Righteous Men" lacks the suspense and pace of "The Da Vinci Code". The cryptic clues are uninteresting, and the characters are two dimensional. The only good thing I have to say about this novel is that it does give you an insight into the Hassidic community.

You can buy this book from most supermarkets for less than four pounds just now, but I really wouldn't bother.

ISBN 0007203306

Summary: "Sam Bourne" should stick to journalism