THE HOLY TRUTH

Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite

The Holy Truth by Abdulilah Hamadi is a fast-paced thriller that depicts a race to uncover some secrets about a dangerous and fraudulent religious organization. The Temple of Scribes is a secretive religion that claims to be in possession of the lost Ark of Covenant. The Grand Priest of the Temple of Scribes is on his way to becoming the most powerful man in Europe, and he aims to gain more power at all costs with his fast-rising religion. David Lipton, a best-selling author, happens to purchase some historic documents that may leak the secrets of the Temple of Scribes. David and his collaborators embark on a search to uncover the truth behind different cases of murder, which puts them at risk of getting killed themselves. Is the truth worth dying for?

The Holy Truth gave me different sparks of delight, and just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed, I was proven wrong. There's so much to like: the brilliant research and experiment references, the picturesque descriptions, the well-developed characters, the exhilarating chase and near-death experiences, the gradual revealing of secrets, and more! The Holy Truth is built around different themes that are adroitly woven together: power, religion, fraud, science, psychology, philosophy, immortality, murder, crime, free will, romance, and more. As I love engaging my mind, I enjoyed reading thoughts from great minds like Carl Jung and pondering topics like free will and religion. From the moment I started The Holy Truth, I could not stop. The combination of intense suspense, intelligent concepts, and an intricate plot makes Abdulilah Hamadi's book one of the best thrillers I have read this year.

The best narration I've come across, period! Narrated by Mathew Welding and Carol Carpenter, The Holy Truth is as close to a movie as any audiobook can get. The voice changes, effects, sound quality, and accent switches are simply phenomenal. The background sounds, including the sounds of gunshots and footsteps, intensified the scenes greatly. Consequently, I was completely present and engrossed in the story. The narrators portrayed every one of Abdulilah Hamadi's characters perfectly and changed their voice tones to match the various personalities and scenarios. I was mostly impressed by the narration of the Grand Priest; the authoritative and charismatic tone of a preacher and the echo of voices in the auditorium made me feel like I was in church. I didn't think it was possible, but the narration made the story even more engaging.