Judas the Apostle by Van R Mayhall Jr

303 Pages
Publisher: AuthorBuzz, IUniverse
Release Date: September 2, 2013

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Conspiracy Theory, Christian

Dr. Clotile Lejeune and her son, J.E., receive news her father, Thibodeaux Lejeune, died. When they arrive in Louisiana, her uncle, Sonny, tells her he was murdered. Her father leaves her a letter explaining about a clay jar that sat on his mantlepiece. He was in the army stationed in Tunisia when he and a friend, Bobby stumble upon a niche containing clay jars. There was an explosion and only Thibodeaux made it out alive with one jar. Having this jar is dangerous. There are people that do not want the information about the jar exposed and will not stop until they have the jar.

The story has a fast pace and there is a lot of action. The characters are somewhat developed but since this is the first in a series, they have time to evolve. It is also written in the third person point of view. Since this is a biblical mystery, this would be a good choice for anyone who enjoys Dan Brown’s books.

Interested in a Dan Brown type book that tries to shine a new light on Judas Iscariot? If so, Mayhall's book, Judas the Apostle may be exactly the title you are looking for. Although the pacing slowed down for me in parts of the book, the ending is a page turner! The writing is not quite on par with Dan Brown - but the story is good enough to make you look forward to the next book in the series.

Just couldn't get into the writing. The concept of the story is intriguing which is why I tried to read it. But, it just didn't keep me interested.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Interesting idea. It had some action and plot twists, but it also repeated the back ground and why someone would want it a book about Judas over and over and over again.

This was a quick read that kept me interested from beginning to end. Being Catholic, I enjoyed how the author wove bits of the Bible throughout the book, including some very interesting discussions around the Gospels. I was afraid the book would "preach" religion at the reader, but it didn't at all. It only talked about how the verses discussed were relevant to the story, which also helped move the plot along. The characters were well written and the plot was engaging. The settings were described quite well, also.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to continuing with the series.

5/5 stars.

This was an interesting story but it left me with unanswered questions. Perhaps I will find these answers in the next book. I wanted to know more about the gospel of Judas and why was it so important. The story was well written and kept me interested.
Many thanks to AuthorBuzz and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an e-copy of this story for an honest review.
I was thoroughly engaged with this story; so much so that I read it in one sitting. (Well with a few breaks, here and there, for sustenance and the bathroom.) The mystery appealed to the questioning, puzzle-solver in me, while the suspense appealed to the thrilling action-lover. And, there were times when I would have to go outside to contemplate what I had just read, because it would make me question what I have known (or is it not known?) about the Holy Scriptures.
Even though the author says in his Afterword "Every work of fiction intersects at some level with fact." and you know this is a fictional story, it makes you wonder: What else is out there that hasn't been found yet? Who else in our past has something that is half-known or half-acknowledged about themselves? Or worse, been accused of something that they did not do? And, how would it impact our world (and lives as we know it) if something is found that completely blows our knowledge out of the water?

JUDAS THE APOSTLE - Van Mayfield, Jr.

FASCINATING - 3 stars

Plot - 4 stars - An allegedly ancient jar of oil is at the center of this mystery. Cloe and her son get involved in the search for her father's legacy after his murder.

Writing - 3 stars - After the first gruesome prologue chapter, I was drawn into the story and the mystery surrounding the jar of oil. However, the mystery was often overshadowed by the religious aspect. Sure, the historical aspect of this religious artifact is important to the story, but I felt the forward progress of the mystery was often bogged down in details. From time to time, this new-to-me author seemed to write in a bit of a stilted manner, but it wasn't enough to distract me for very long.

Characters - 3 stars - Cloe is an attractive character with grit and backbone. I liked that she wasn't quite comfortable coming back to her hometown after leaving under a cloud years before. It made her seem more real. J.E. is the all-American military hero, and he is integral to the story in that he is the strategist. The monsignor was questionable in my mind, and I suppose that was the author's intention. He seemed as though he protested too much, and I was concerned that his credentials weren't really checked thoroughly. And I was also annoyed when the three of them were so easily fooled at the rendezvous when it was totally clear to the reader that there was a problem.

Title - 2.5 stars - It captures the attention, but it doesn't exactly lead the potential reader in the right direction.

Cover - 2.5 stars - Dull in both color and design. Although I suppose it's meant to hide the importance of the jar, it also doesn't draw the potential reader's eye.

Overall - 3 stars - The mystery of the ancient jar was interesting, although I'll admit that the religious philosophical discussions got tedious after a while. Although I understand that the main basis for this mystery is the religious aspect, I felt that the plot got bogged down in history, and I was not knowledgeable enough to know whether this religious history was accurate or simply a figment of the author's imagination. On the other hand, the investigation of the jar fascinated me, and I was caught up in the murders, and these plot lines kept the story moving forward. Overall, this was a reasonably interesting read for me.

Thought provoking. Fast paced and a fun read for historical fiction fans. As a reader of this type of thriller,. I like a new slant on Judas. It could have been fleshed out a little better, but worth the read.

I did finish this book, although I was frustrated at times and wondered whether to continue. I guess I am glad I did, although I will not read the sequels. Some parts were well researched and interesting, but other parts just annoyed me - you don't have Jello and iced tea in hospitals outside the US!

You must read "The Last Sicarius" straight away as this continues where this tome leave off.

Action packed adventure featuring links back to the time of the Apostles, specifically Judas, and the Jewish uprising.

This was a fun read. It is a historical religious thriller, similar to th Davinci Code in tat, but it has a very different feels. I read this on a vacation and thought it was wonderful.

I received this free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
The first in the Cloe Lejeune series. Cloe receives shocking news that she as inherited an oil jar from her estranged father who was murdered for the same. This was a twisty tale, with a bad guy who would stop at nothing to attain what he wanted. I found it slow at times, the theories interesting enough to keep me reading.

I think that people forget that Judas was an apostle, since he is only remembered for betraying Jesus. It must have been hard knowing that from the get go. Good read!

It was great. I recommend it for people who liked the book Da vinic Code

*I never got around to reading and reviewing this book. I may do so in the future*

Thanks to iUniverse, LLC, author Van R. Mayhall Jr. and NetGalley for access to this book. It took me awhile to get around to reading it, but I'm so glad I did.

First a disclosure, I very much believe in the Lord, Our Savior. While not even close to being a scriptorian, I have read and studied the story of Jesus and Judas multiple times. While this book is a work of fiction, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of truth and good points in it.

Some of the questions this book brings up are: What exactly was Judas' role in the life and death of our Savior? Was he a good or bad person? Was he a villain or did he just have a role to play, although the word role doesn't give his task enough credit. With a Gospel of Judas possibly found and first published in 2006, what other scripture could there be out there? In 2012 a Gospel of Jesus's Wife was presented as a conference in Rome. It seems that no one knows the authenticity of these, but it does make me wonder what other scriptures might there be out in the world. And what is it those Gospels might reveal to the world? But ultimately does it matter what Judas' actual role was, as long as it was finished? Also how close is this book to "The Davinci Code"? It is similar, but goes down a different path than "Code". I liked both books quite a bit.

"Judas The Apostle" starts off with a double barrel shotgun. First we meet Elazar ben Yair. It seems he's the last member of the Sicaii- who had lead a revolt against the authorities, chiefly the Romans. After the Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70, Elazar led the remaining Sicarii in their flight to Masada. There so they wouldn't be captured by the Romans, they set up an elaborate suicide. This mass suicide wiped out all of the Sicarii- or so it seemed.

Second "Judas the Apostle" moves it's way to Louisiana with an assailant attacking an old man. The old man is Thibodeaux Lejeune, better known as Thibs. The assailant thinks that that Thibs has something extremely valuable. But what the assailant doesn't know is that Thibs, is a war hero. A man that knows how to defend himself and the assailant is in for an unpleasant demise.

"Judas The Apostle" begins with this explosive beginning and never takes it's foot off the pedal. We meet Cloe, Thibs' daughter, and J.E., Thibs grand son. Cloe had left Louisiana and Thibs behind several years ago. Thibs untimely death brings Cloe and J.E. back to Louisiana and the mystery of why Thibs was killed.

It has to do with a jar that Thibs had brought home from World War 2, a jar he had found in a cave in Tunisia. This is the beginning to an exciting book as we follow the journey of the jar, Cloe, J.E., The Monsignor Albert, Thibs brother Sonny and the evil and greedy The Kolektor.

Cloe wants to find out what's in this jar, could it really be The Gospel of Judas? If so what does that mean.? Obviously representing the Vatican, the Monsignor has a vested interest. But hating the Catholic Church, The Kolektor also has a vested interest. Who will win this showdown between these two very divergent viewpoints and styles? As we read this book we see both the best and worst of mankind.

Some books I read for NetGalley can be a bit of a chore, but this book is a much different story- so to speak!! If you haven't been able to tell already, I absolutely loved this book. While it isn't the perfect book, it's very, very good. I loved the characters and how the author used them to express viewpoints. I loved learning more about the story and possibilities of Judas' life. These possibilities are related through a non-condescending tone. The author doesn't speak down to the reader, but explains these possibilities in a very enlightening and logical way.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of both the life of Jesus, Biblical mysteries and high quality fiction. This is the first part of a trilogy, which is good. As I finished reading this there were still several things unanswered. I thought to myself I wish there was another book in this series. Not only is there another book, there are two more books in this series. You can get all three books for only $1.99 each to your kindle.

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