A good mix of fiction with some history mixed in. I thought I had some understanding of the Knights Templar but this actually gave me a lot of things that were very interesting. The story showed the lengths people will go to for power and greed and was a good example of how easy people can be convinced of things. I liked Harker and found his story both clever and interesting. I would recommend this to others

This was never going to be great literature but it is entertaining and a rip-roaring action adventure which requires rather a lot of belief-suspension.

It is certainly fast-paced and could be described as a page-turner in the Dan Brown / James Rollins style. However, it is fantasy and anyone who imagines that the 'biology' featured in this book could actually happen must have failed their GCSE Biology exam dismally. But never mind - it's fiction so who cares!

The story revolves around our hero - Alex Harker - and several of his friends, chasing after some missing pages from a 'codex' supposedly written by the devil, and able to bring the dead back to life. They are being chased by not one, but two shady organisation, both highly secretive, one good and one bad.

The main characters all have back stories and personalities. Almost all the characters are male except for the girlfriend Chloe - a largely absent 'damsel in distress' - and two female baddies who don't feature for long.

The plot is mostly over-the-top fun and has quite a few twists along the way; it's a bit gruesome in places though. This is book three in a series and there are many references to the two previous books, so although this could (just!) be read as a stand-alone book it would be better to have read "Relics" and "The 4th Secret" first. In summary, it's a rollicking adventure and well worth the time if you are willing and able to suspend belief. 3.5 stars.