BOOKS
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SIGN OF THE CROSS
Buy The Book Foreign versions — For
information on foreign translations, click HERE. |
Sword of God
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Sign of the Cross
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The Plantation
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CHRIS
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Synopsis The first victim is abducted in While visiting With little choice, the duo begins their pursuit, only to realize that Boyd is more than a criminal. He is one of the world’s top experts on Ancient Rome and is close to making a discovery that threatens to rewrite the basic foundations of Christianity. From its breathtaking beginning
to its mind-blowing conclusion, expect the unexpected with SIGN OF THE CROSS. |
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Reviews Clive
Cussler, #1 national bestselling author— “Harrowing, but always suspenseful, Sign of the Cross
makes you wish it would never end.” Nelson
DeMille, #1 national bestselling author— “Chris
Kuzneski is a remarkable new writer, who completely understands what makes
for a good story: action, sex, suspense, humor, and great characters.” James
Patterson, #1 national bestselling author— “Chris Kuzneski’s writing has the same raw power as the early Stephen King.” Steve
Berry, bestselling author of The Alexandria Link— “A fast-moving adventure of sins and
secrets loaded with atmosphere, intrigue, and suspense.” James Rollins, bestselling
author of
Black Order— “Chris Kuzneski writes with an energy that is
contagious! Action, suspense, mystery, and a biting thread of
humor…what more can you ask from a novel?” Crime Squad ( “In Sign of the Cross,
Chris Kuzneski has created an entirely original world-view and tells us an
extraordinary tale with one hell of a sting to it. He writes like a dream and
his thriller style is nigh on flawless. Indeed, the author has created a
page-turning style that older thriller pros would give up serious appendages
to perfect.” Claudia
VanLydegraf, MyShelf.com— “I
could say Kuzneski is the next Dan Brown but then that would be simply lumping him into a category and leaving him there.
Kuzneski doesn’t deserve that lumping and leaving. He has so much going for
him that it is really difficult to say how impressed I am with this young
author…This book is too good to put down and too interesting to want to
finish. I have reviewed several of this type of book lately, and sincerely
found this one to be the one that I will remember and look back on.” Robert
Liparulo, bestselling author of Comes a Horseman— “Sign
of the Cross is
one of those rare finds: a chilling tale told by a true craftsman. Whether
for the superb writing or the nonstop, what-was-that-noise-in-the-other-room
suspense, this one will keep you up at night. Daring in both
plot and style, Sign of the Cross is a winner!” Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of Vanish— “Sign of the Cross has
several chilling scenes and a lightning pace. This story really flies!” Lewis
Perdue, bestselling author of Daughter of God— “Sign
of the Cross is an immensely inventive and rewarding thriller packed
with enough fascinating information and international intrigue to keep the
reader's brain cells spinning long after the last page is read.” John
Gilstrap, bestselling author of At All Costs— “Sign
of the Cross is one of those perfect bookstore finds. I was hooked
at the first sentence—literally—and from then on, it was one continuous wild
ride. Chris Kuzneski flawlessly and seamlessly combines truth and
fiction to create a wonderfully entertaining story. He's the real deal.” Thom
Racina, bestselling author of Deadly Games— “Sign
of the Cross is like The Da Vinci Code
on steroids. Wow! What a great book!”
“Sign
of the Cross starts with a bang and twists masterfully through a maze of
truth, lies, betrayal, and hope. An intriguing blend of fact, fiction, and
theory propel this unique story to a tense and exciting conclusion.” Harriet Klausner,
#1 Reviewer on Amazon.com—
“Sign of the
Cross is an action-packed Christian conspiracy thriller that goes full
speed from the onset and never slows down until the final explanation . . .” Publishers
Weekly— “Kuzneski knows what fans of the
genre want: compelling and well-researched history, high-tech 21st-century
sleuthing, and a lot of action.” |
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Excerpt Chapter 1 Monday, July 10 (30 miles north of Erik Jansen was about to die. He just didn’t know
how. Or why. After saying a short prayer, he lifted his head
and tried to regain his bearings but couldn’t see a thing. Saltwater burned
his eyes and blurred his vision. He tried to wipe his face, but his hands
were bound behind him, wrapped in thick layers of rope and attached to the
frame of the boat. His legs were secured as well, tied even tighter than his
arms, which meant there was no hope for escape. He was at their mercy.
Whoever they were. They had grabbed him as he left his apartment and
forced him into the back of a van. Very quiet, very professional. No time for
him to make a scene. Within seconds they had knocked him out with a narcotic.
He awakened hours later, no longer in the bustling city but on the open sea.
Day was now night. His freedom was now gone. His life was nearly over. Jansen was tempted to scream but knew that would
only make things worse. These weren’t the type of men who made mistakes. He
could tell. If help was nearby, they would’ve gagged him. Or cut out his
tongue. Or both. No way they would’ve risked getting
caught. He had known them for less than a day but knew that much. These men
were professionals, hired to kill him for some ungodly reason. Now it was
just a matter of time. When their boat reached the shore, Jansen felt the
rocks as they scraped against the bottom of the hull. The sound filled the
air like a primeval wail, yet none of them seemed to care. It was the middle
of the night, and the coast was deserted. No one would come running. No one
would come to save him. It was in God’s hands now, as it always was. Suddenly, one of the men leapt over the side and
splashed into the icy water. He grabbed the boat with both hands and eased it
onto the narrow beach, just below a footpath. The other three followed his
lead and soon the boat was hidden in the trees that lined this section of the
island. They had traveled over a thousand miles but were
just getting started. Without saying a word, they loosened the ropes and
lifted Jansen from the boat, placing him on their broad shoulders for the
journey inland. Jansen sensed this might be his last chance to escape so he
flailed back and forth like an angry fish trying to break free of their
grasp, yet all he did was upset them. In response they slammed his face into
the jagged rocks, breaking his nose, shattering his teeth, and knocking him
unconscious. Then they picked him up and carried him to the place where he
would die. One of the men cut off Jansen’s clothes while the
others built the cross. It was seven-feet wide and ten-feet high and made out
of African oak. The wood was pre-cut so the planks slid into place with
little effort. When they were finished, it looked like a giant T spread
across the freshly cut grass. They knew most people would be confused by the
shape but not the experts. They would know it was authentic. Just like it was
supposed to be. Just like it had been. In silence they dragged Jansen to the cross and
positioned his arms on the patibulum—the horizontal beam—and put his legs on the stipes. Once
they were satisfied, the largest of the men took a mallet and drove a
wrought-iron spike through Jansen’s right wrist. Blood squirted like a cherry
geyser, spraying the worker’s face, but he refused to stop until the nail hit
the ground. He repeated the process on Jansen’s left wrist then moved to his
legs. Since Jansen was unconscious, they were able to
place his feet in the proper position: left foot on top of the right, toes
pointed downward, which would please their bosses to no end. One spike
through the arch in both feet, straight through the metatarsals. Perfect. Simply perfect. Just like it needed to
be. Once Jansen was in place, out came the spear. A
long wooden spear. Topped with an iron tip that had been forged to
specifications. The largest of the men grabbed it and without blinking an eye
rammed it into Jansen’s side. No empathy. No regret. He actually laughed as
he cracked Jansen’s ribs and punctured his lung. The other men followed his
lead, laughing at the dying man as blood gushed from his side. Laughing like
the Romans had so many years before. The leader checked his watch and smiled. They were
still on schedule. Within minutes, they would be back on the boat. Within hours,
they would be in a different country. All that remained was the sign. A hand-painted
sign. It would be nailed to the top of the cross, high above the victim’s
head. It was their way of claiming responsibility, their way of announcing
their intent. It said one thing, one simple phrase. Six words that were known
throughout the world. Six words that would doom Christianity and rewrite the
word of God. In the name
of the Father. (All
Rights Reserved) © 2006 by Chris Kuzneski, Inc. |
