In His Image: Book One of the Christ Clone Trilogy

It's the end of life on earth as we know it in this page-turning apocalyptic novel In His Image, the first installment of the Christ Clone Trilogy. Newspaper editor Decker wangles his way onto a scientific expedition that examines the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. When body cells stuck to the shroud are found to be "alive," they are cloned, and the resulting baby, Christopher, changes the course of history. The book is an interesting mix of fact and fiction (when was the last time you read a novel with footnotes?). There are nice touches of humor, and a dollop of prophetic scripture. It's difficult to peg who's "good" and who's "evil," which admirably sustains the suspense. A good edit might have smoothed some of the rough spots, and the use of bold type for emphasis is distracting. However, those less interested in the nuances of fine literature than in a fast-paced thriller will find that this novel covers all the bases. --Cindy Crosby