The Relic Hunters

I really enjoyed this fast paced read. I hope there will be more in the Relic Hunter series. Would definitely recommend this.

I enjoyed this book. It's fast paced and action packed. There are a few things you have to look past like why the CIA is hunting for relics, but otherwise it's interesting. #TheRelicHunters #NetGalley

The Relic Hunters starts off with a literal bang, and then it’s off to the races. It never really slows down, and it’s a binge read book if I’ve ever read one.
We first meet Guy Bodie in a Mexican prison where he’s fighting for his life while trying to figure out how exactly he ended up there. Bodie is a first rate relic hunter/thief who, along with his team, has stolen some very difficult to get to items. Bodie and his team are conscripted by the CIA to help uncover a secret society that has been manipulating the world for hundreds of years. The rest of the book is non-stop action and intrigue as Bodie and his team race across Europe trying to stay ahead of the bad guys who seem to know everything.
All in all this is a quick, action-packed, adventure that introduces us to a team of characters that we’ll hopefully see more of in the future. I recommend this first installment in this adventure series and I can’t wait for the next book!
I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Great page turner and thriller by Leadbeater! Look forward to more in the series as he’s an engaging author

I received a free copy of the The Relic Hunters by David Leadbeater in exchange for an honest review. This book sets up a possible series. Guy Bodie and his team are thieves focused on taking things only from those who can afford the loss. Guy wakes up in a prison camp that seems to be more of a shooting gallery than an actual prison with no idea how he came to be there. When the CIA rescues Guy from imminent death, the United States government demands payment. Guy and his team must follow new information to lead the CIA to the Illuminati.

This tale consists of non-stop action. It reads like an action movie, which means all of the focus is on the chase and the fight, so minimal time is spent in character development.

#TheRelicHunters #NetGalley

This is the first in a new series from David and follows a similar line to his Matt Drake series. Guy Bodie is a master thief, after finding himself in a Mexican prison, he is rescued by the CIA and pressed into working for them. He and his unique team are on the trial of the Statue of Zeus, which leads them into the secret world of the Illuminati. This is a good book, a bit slow to start, but then kicks into action. It has potential, the character interaction did not seem as natural as in the Matt Drake series, but this series has a lot to live up too!!

Have never read any of his books, but really enjoyed this one. Look forward to reading more from him.. Fast paced, easy read.

This was a real page turner. Right from the start I felt very comfortable with the storyline and I love the action and pace in David's books. This book has set the scene for a series and I look forward to reading the next one when it is available.

Confusing. Boring. Characters that are supposed to be a tight group, but keep harping to each other. The umpteenth book about the Illuminati. Need I say more?

More of a 3.5 than 4 star.

Guy Bodie leads an elite band of art thieves. He sees them as carrying out victimless crimes, he targets only those who already stole something or who can afford to replace it. He and his merry band of crooks all have their own skills but together they're like the A-Team meets McGyver!

On their last heist things went pear-shaped and not even Guy's pearly whites can get him out of the hell-hole prison he finds himself in. Just as the team head in to bust him out, a CIA led spec-ops team swoops in and before they know it they're involved in a huge Illuminati spider web of thefts.

Just switch the brain off and enjoy the romp across the globe. Is it as intricate as Dan Brown - No. Is it as seat-of-your-pants as Matthew Reilly - No. My main gripes was constantly being told who was the muscle/planner/geek! It could be better and I'd read the 2nd in the series to see if it does.

I finished reading the advanced reader's copy (ARC) of The Relic Hunters by David Leadbeater provided via NetGalley and Thomas & Harper and was impressed overall.

To me, it was a combination of International Intrigue, Action/Adventure, Family Drama, and Archeology genres.

Guy Bodie and his "family" may not always get along but they do agree on at least one thing, doing a job well. So when they have to adapt to a fluid situation that doesn't go according to their usual way of doing things, they get a little off-kilter. When dealing with the type of characters in this venture, that isn't a good thing.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and even if they were real people they would be "characters".

Warning: There is violence, sometimes graphic, as well as adult language and situations.

Another fast paced adventure thriller from David Leadbeater.
Having read my way through the Matt Drake series this offers a new team, led by Guy Bodie to track down a lost treasure and follow the clues. Things don't go to plans as rivals are never too far away.
The book is a real page turner and the pages just kept turning. I would of liked a little bit more character develpment in the down time sections but I'm sure that will follow in future books. The protagonists did jump from country to country a little too easily but that can be forgiven.
Thoroughly enjoyable

A thoroughly enjoyable if somewhat unbelievable story centring around a group of Relic hunters that are coerced into working for the CIA. They follow the clues from an old map to find the secret hiding place of the Illuminati.
Its the kind of book that's non stop action and wont let you put it down.

I received the free copy of this book from Netgalley. This is the first time I am reading this author and I enjoyed the fast pace of the book. Guy Bodie is the main character who escaped Mexican jail in exchange of helping CIA.

The story revolves around getting one relic from the organization called Illuminati and how the team faces danger at every turn but still come out victorious.

A bit too manically religious for me. The author should concentrate more on the actual storyline without trying to shove religions down peoples throats. Characters were introduced then got rid of very quickly never to be seen again.

I'm at the start of what I hope is a new series of books by one of my favourite authors, David Leadbeater. As the title suggests the main character is a member of a team looking to retrieve relics. Guy Brodie is a professional thief who is broken out of a Mexican jail by the CIA. They want Brodie and his team to recover an object which is believed to have been stolen and destroyed. Only time will tell if this is the case, or if the team are successful..

On this occasion I have reviewed the book as 4/5 but that is no reflection on the author or the content of the book. It is because I am learning about the background of new characters and my brain is a it slower these days!

Pick up this book and enjoy. I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Relic Hunters by David Leadbeater from NetGalley in order to read and give an honest review.

Fast-paced, this book is non-stop action…

I’m new to this author and it’s a bit outside the genres I normally read but being an armchair archaeologist as well as a history student the description caught my eye. Honestly, the archaeological component, action, and mystery were fantastic, very reminiscent of the Davinci Code. However, I had a few issues with it that I will address later which knocks my rating down to about a 3.5 stars.

This story starts with our protagonist Guy Bodie, relic hunter and master thief being set-up and languishing in a Mexican prison. While his elite team of thieves tries to mastermind a breakout he is rescued by the CIA. In return for breaking him out, lead agent, Heidi Moneymaker needs him and his team to help track an important relic which would lead them to the remains of the infamous Statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the world. Bodie faces betrayal at the hands of an old mentor but presses on with his team to follow clues leading them to the relic. The hunt takes them around the world, Istanbul, Bavaria, London and Greece all the while facing assassins from a centuries-old order still in existence who will stop at nothing to keep the relic hidden. It was full of intrigue, fast-paced non-stop action, very detailed fight scenes which really did keep me reading to the end. My issues don’t come from the story as much as the characters interactions. Much of the dialogue felt very YA to me, bordering on being bantering you’d hear on a schoolyard. Immature nicknames (aka Frizz-bomb), unnecessary bullying of the geek on the team and the constant allusion that anyone over 40 is old and decrepit (really????). Despite the great story, these issues were a turn off for me I’m afraid. Now reading is very subjective and although I didn’t enjoy those particular points, some readers may find it refreshing.

All in all, despite my issues mentioned above, it was entertaining to some degree and if you’re out for a quick and easy-to-read thriller this might be for you.

An action packed, riviting roller coaster read, once you read one of Mr Leadbeaters books you really have to read them all.
A covert infiltration team of relic Hunters chasing across countries following waypoints on an ancient map, explosions, car chases, boats, planes, lots of non-stop action.
The sense of humour of this mismatch family will keep you laughing whilst you turn every pageAn action packed, riviting roller coaster read, once you read one of Mr Leadbeaters books you really have to read them all.
A covert infiltration team of relic Hunters chasing across countries following waypoints on an ancient map, explosions, car chases, boats, planes, lots of non-stop action.
The sense of humour of this mismatch family will keep you laughing whilst you turn every page

This is the first book in a new series for David Leadbeater and you can tell it is trying to find it's feet so i expect book 2 will be even better once it get a good flow going. I liked the characters as you got to know the team more through out the book, there were also characters you loved to hate as well as ones you wouldn't tangle with no matter what and the story evolved and unfolded well. Bodie grew up rough but after being taken in and shown how to steal he found a direction in life and started to build a family around him of people who had skills that made them a masterful team. Now the CIA need their help tracking down a map and finding a long thought destroyed relic unfortunately Bodie nor his team can say no otherwise Bodie goes back to prison where he will likely be killed. There is plenty of action through out the book as well as riddles, twists and times where you think the team will fail which keeps you reading page after page.

My pet peeve is poor editing. I simply can't finish a book when I find grammar and spelling errors. I also didn't care about any of these characters. The plot was well thought out but it was never made clear why the groups were willing to murder so many people for a statue. Overall this book was disappointing because it had the potential to be so much better. With some good editing and some polishing this could become a better book.

DNF at 37%. I didn't like the writing, but I thought maybe the plot would carry me along anyway, but nope, it just didn't work for me.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and David Leadbeater for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Relic Hunters.
From the very start, you are immersed in non stop action and adventure. The storyline was well thought out and fast paced. I loved reading this book. Can't wait to read more from this author.

I loved this. I’m a huge fan of archaeology but I shockingly have never read a novel about it. Go figure. I am glad that is changed now. Thanks NetGalley. Can’t wait to continue with this series. 4 stars

A mash-up of Ocean's 11 and The Da Vinci Code. Solid, fun premise with some great action sequences. Aside from Bodie, however, the characters are a bit bland (I kept getting Gunn and Cross confused in my head). The Illuminati have played the villain in far too many similar stories, so I wish that Leadbetter had taken a different route; additionally, turning them into actual human-sacrificing Satan worshippers was a bit much. That said, I will continue with the second book in the series, if only to see how some of the unanswered questions in the first book are (hopefully) answered. Fans of the Indiana Jones and National Treasure films will likely enjoy this series. [Based on a net galley copy.]

The Relic Hunters is the first book by David Leadbeater that I have read. It was an enjoyable read, albeit needing a slight suspension of reality to fully enjoy it.

The plot fairly buzzes along and the characters deal with what life throws at them and, as long as the reader can accept that ordinary civilians, albeit crooked ones, can best special forces trained soldiers/mercenaries in combat situations, then there is no reason to not like the book.


For me, I've gone on to buy other titles by the author, so the story was not that too far-fetched.

I love books like this and this is the first I've read in quite some time. I love the history, learning about the history behind relics and the reasoning behind the crimes to hide it. I suppose I like the conspiracy theories behind them.
The Relic Hunters definitely has a sense of family about it and that has drawn me in. Others like this I've read has usually been a couple of people, but here we have, Bodie, Cassidy, Cross, Blunt, and Sam. Along the way they pick up Jeff who is an archaeologist and not forgetting CIA agent Heidi Moneymaker (I know right! Made me chuckle too!). This team is finely tuned and they know exactly what they are doing.
It was certainly a fast paced edge of your seat read and I liked the little comments of sarcasm, especially during a fight. After I got going I couldn't put it down and quickly finished it. Can't wait to pick up Book 2 in this series. I'm giving this book a 4/5 rating. Keep this series coming David!

This book is apparently the first in a new series by David Leadbeater following expert thief Guy Bodie and his team across the world to dangerous locales to save the world- in this case from the Illuminati. This book is a feverish ride around the globe as Bodie searches for the statue of Zeus, in the employ of the CIA. This book is in the vein of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels, with some tongue-in-cheek humor and a rollicking adventure that makes for an enjoyable read. There are some "unbelievable" escapes and over the top villains but that is the charm of Leadbeater's novels, and I look forward to the next one.

This is first time I have read this author and looking forward to reading next book in this series. The characters are well written and engaging and the plot is suspenseful and fast paced. Please read this book if you love suspense and mystery.

"The Relic Hunters" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by David Leadbeater (https://www.davidleadbeater.com). Mr. Leadbeater has published more than 25 novels. This is the first in his "The Relic Hunters" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The primary character is Guy Bodie, the leader of an elite group of thieves that specialize in stealing relics. 

Bodie has been betrayed by a friend and is in a Mexican prison. He is broken out by the CIA on the condition that he, and his team, work for them. A secret group holds the Statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It had long been thought destroyed. Now at the behest of the CIA Bodie and his team follow a dangerous set of clues to find the statue. 

I enjoyed the 3.5 hours I spent reading this 280 page thriller. The team is made of an odd collection of criminals each with a unique skill. While the concept of an elite team going head-to-head with a clandestine organization is not new, I did enjoy this author's twist on the plot. I will be looking for future novels in this series. The cover art chosen is OK.  I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

The Relic Hunters by David Leadbeater is the story of a group of thieves that find theirselves indebted to the CIA and end up in a globe trotting mission to discover and take down the Illuminati. The story has multiple POVs but the main character is Guy Brodie, renown leader of a gang of thieves. The idea of this series/book is very overdone, this book reminded me of the Da Vinci Code but with a group of people working together, not just one. However, despite its unoriginality I still enjoyed it for the actions and "history." There is a lot of action, anticipation, and possible romantic tension. What bothered me was that this renown group of thieves is recruited to hunt relics and take down the bad guys but up until the 70% mark there was nothing really remarkable, they struggled to produce any results or even act like a group of badass thieves they were made out to be. Once they found their footing as the heroes the story was more interesting and action packed.
The Relic Hunters by David Leadbeater is the first in his new series and offers readers a quick, action packed read.

Guy Brodie is the leader of a team of relic thieves and finds himself thrown in a Mexican prison after being betrayed by someone close to him. He's rescued by the CIA but in return they want him and his team to find the statue of Zeus, an ancient relic thought to have been long destroyed. It's in the hands of a secret society who have been prepared to kill for centuries to protect it.

The relationship between the team is really important and there are strong male and female characters.

The book moves along really quickly and is a fun, escapist read.

Interesting story. I wanted to like this, it was very "Da Vinci Code" but it was lacking the toothy-gritty-puzzle part. It was too "and then" and didn't create the sense of urgency that Dan Brown's writing did. in fact, the book simply led you as a reader which made it rather tedious at times because there was no cog turning as a reader.
Now the good, it was a good story, the ending was reasonable, though I think I would have liked a little more casualty from the good guys side to make it more gritty, it just wasn't in depth at the end, it seemed very removed.
I did like the book, I'd like to read more in the series, but I wanted to love it, and despite trying to love it I struggled at the end to do more than like it.

David has researched this book well but it was let down by the plot. Too many coincidences and not enough intrigued. Also needed an edit. Otherwise, not a bad attempt.

A battle across continents to save a relic from the Illuminati.

Baltasar, a “hood” (trained fighter) is making his way back to his master with a map he’s managed to steal from a museum in Athens.

Guy Bodie is rescued from a prison in Mexico by a team led by Special Agent Heidi Moneymaker, CIA. The only reason he’s been saved is so that he and his team, previously common thieves, now relic hunters can help the CIA retrieve the map that the hood has stolen and put a stop to the Illuminati.

If you enjoy heroes being beaten to an inch of their lives, getting up, and carrying on, then this is the book for you to read. Add to this scenario, the Illuminati, their organisation and their fanatical drive to control the world by whatever means possible and lots and lots of interesting historical facts about the Illuminati, then this book is going to tick every single box for you. Action. Adventure. Spies. Mindboggling fights. A truly epic work of fiction. Unfortunately, for me, too many authors have used similar plots in the past, and I found myself becoming bored.

If this had been the first book I’d ever read with a plot like this, I wouldn’t have hesitated to give it 5 stars. The author has certainly done his research, and the book is exceptionally well written with the fanaticism of the Illuminati battling against the gung-ho attitude of Guy Bodie’s well-balanced team.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Fabulous introduction to what promises to be an exciting new series from David Leadbetter. Guy Bodie less a of relic hunters/thieves co-opted into the CIA to fight a powerful and elusive organisation and recover one of the lost seven winners of the ancient world. The action is fast, furious and on every page.
Bodie's team are a bunch of likeable rogues whose easy, teasing banter draws the reader in, creating an investment in both the story and the characters.
Cryptic clues led our heroes on a race through Europe, from Athens to York and back again, battling the bad guys all the way.
This book is an enjoyable read, impossible to put down from the first page to the last.

#TheRelicHunters #NetGalley

With a nostalgic taste of Indiana Jones and National Treasure. This book gets the reader to the modern world of treasure hunters, An original story with a fresh intrigue.

I always enjoy the start of a new series from David Leadbeater. The Relic Hunters is no exception. Filled with the great characters Leadbeater crafts with action scenes spaced just right between fact gathering/info sharing/clue following, etc., his adventures never lag. Thus we have volume one here filled with a quick paced plot involving a secret society with a superiority complex. Our newest cast of players are as the title suggests, Relic Hunters. Actually, more like thieves, but, the acknowledged best in the business team out there. After extracting the groups leader from a sticky situation to start the book, the CIA steps in to recruit our team to track down a map that will hopefully lead to not only a valuable artifact lost to time, but, also to the secret lair of our baddies. Well done, great pace and some hints as to where future tales may go. Recommended.

I am a huge fan of this genre, however this book was a little too contrived for my liking. I felt it may have been pushed out too quickly to garner sales. I wish the true potential would have been realized, because I think it could have been a great book.

In David Leadbeater's The Relic Hunters, the first installment in the Relic Hunters action thriller series, this debut would take you around the world and beyond. For Guy Bodie, he was nothing but a thief, a pretty good one too, when someone kidnapped him and sent him to a Mexican prison to die. Left to fend for himself against other two-bit criminals, he couldn't stop to wonder and ask himself why. While he was in jail, it took a tie of other common thieves to help bail him out and tell him who had set him up. The answer had hit him closer to home. That's when they met Agent Heidi Moneymaker from the CIA, who has a job for them to do. They needed to protect the Statue of Zeus in Greece. Meanwhile, there's a ruthless Hood named Xavier von Gothe, who's the leader of an evil Illuminati group, that has ties to freemasonry and perhaps to the Devil himself. And he had planned to get to the statue by leaving a serial crime spree in its wake, people who might be connected to him. As Guy and his team learn more about the Illuminati group, they would need to find out a plan and stop them in its tracks before it might be too late for a final showdown of good vs. evil on solid ground.

Title: The Relic Hunter

Series:

Author: David Leadbeather

Series: The Relic Hunters 1

Pages :335

Genre: Adult mystery /thrillers

One of the lost ancient wonders of the world is still out there. . .

In the same style as the Matt Drake series comes The Relic Hunters, a novel packed with camaraderie, action, archaeological mysteries and a brand-new team of hard-hitting, entertaining and highly engaging characters.

Guy Bodie is a relic smuggler, a tough man in a tough world, with self-taught skills in smuggling and combat. He trusts only five people, a proven team, until one of them betrays him, landing him in a hellish Mexican prison. Guy Bodie's chances of survival are diminishing by the minute.

To his surprise, the American CIA then break him out, tell him to hand-pick a team, and start right back at his old job - only this time he's working for them - chasing down the most infamous relics in history and trying to solve the greatest heist - how one of the world's seven ancient wonders was once stolen and then concealed.

With thrilling action across the globe, The Relic Hunters begins a new series in the Matt Drake vein of archaeological mystery, historical adventures and team camaraderie





My thoughts

Rating: 2

Would I recommend it? no

Will I be going on with the series? no

I just couldn't get into the story and I was so hoping to at least wither like it or love, but unfortunately I don't ,there was times I wanted to DNF it so bad and there was times I had to put it down, other then that made me pick it up was that it sounded like it was a book James Rollins would write but once again unfortunatelty its not, at lest with Mr,Rollins books I'm hooked from the very start, don't want to put them down and can't wait to read more of the series . With that said I want to think Netgalley for at least letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an enjoyable read as the first of a series. I liked the characters although one part of the plot wasn't really explained - possibly will in future books.

I made the mistake of reading the second book first which told me who from the first book survived etc. However knowing the characters before hand made me excited to read this. A very fast moving, exciting story that had me unable to put it down. The characters are very well written and work very well together. The storyline inspired making you need to know what happens. A great adventure worth a read.

Plot was predictable and kind of overused. It can be a good enjoyable book if you suspend disbelief for a while, but reminds me a lot of things like later Clive Cussler books.