Very predictable and not very believable. Very disappointed. The book started off very slow and was a bore to read throughout. There were a few bright spots, but for the most part, it dragged on and on. Character development was not bad, but nothing to write home about. Too much emphasis was given to discussing what was going through the head of the characters; however, the characters were so unsophisticated that the things going through their heads were not that interesting.
The heroin also lacked the expertise or the knowledge to keep, over and over, making the right decisions and solving the puzzles. It was ridiculously too convenient. The book was completely out of the realm of believability. Not because it talked about religious matters; I can look past that and enjoy a good story, as I have with books such as The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons , but the story line was not very complicated, and while some of the puzzles were clever, they were solved way too easily.
In addition, the contents of the tablet everyone was searching for was utterly predictable; it was presented at the very end of the book, as if it were a very important announcement, but any half-intelligent reader would have guessed what it contained.
That is, one chapter takes place on Tuesday at 10 pm, then the next chapter takes place two days earlier, then we jump back to where the first chapter left off, then we move back five hours… It was a curious technique at first and had potential, but it quickly became obvious it was nothing more than a convenient and easy mechanism to explain what happened after the fact, thus artificially building up suspense.
In conclusion, I would not recommend this book. It failed to deliver on so many points. The story line was somewhat enjoyable, but that was about it.
I am not giving it a 1 star rating, as I have read worse, but it was close. May 13, Cheryl Bored in Vernal rated it liked it. The hope of world-peace-seekers from beauty pageant contestants to politicians is a solution to the strife between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.
What if someone found a clay tablet written by the hand of Father Abraham, noting the strife between his two sons Isaac and Ishmael, and recording his decision regarding the ownership of Mount Moriah? The Last Testament follows mediator Maggie Costello when she becomes aware of such a tablet just as peace negotiations between the two rival cou The hope of world-peace-seekers from beauty pageant contestants to politicians is a solution to the strife between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem.
The Last Testament follows mediator Maggie Costello when she becomes aware of such a tablet just as peace negotiations between the two rival countries are threatened. Will she find the tablet? Which son will it favor? Will it contribute to peace or further conflict? The reader is aware that the answers will be predictable in a light novel of this caliber, but it is nevertheless a fun read. The author takes us around Jerusalem, the antiquities market and 20th century politics in a believable manner.
And what's more, he writes a creditable female character. In fact, if it weren't for the acknowledgements at the end, I might be tempted to think "Sam Bourne" was short for "Samantha. Jun 14, Ellie rated it liked it. Entertaining story starting with the looting of artifacts in Iraq by various people and the subsequent pursuit of selling them. This is woven into the fabric of a female American peace negotiator between Jews and Palestinians, Maggie Costello, coming across information about an ancient Cuneiform writing on a thin piece of rock.
The plot gets much thicker, with more characters and exciting chases all over the mid east. She falls in love with the son of the murdered archaeologist who discovered th Entertaining story starting with the looting of artifacts in Iraq by various people and the subsequent pursuit of selling them.
She falls in love with the son of the murdered archaeologist who discovered the "last testament" of Abraham. Of course, the author had to throw in the usual dose of sex without which it seems they can't sell books, but it doesn't detract as much as some books. He actually makes it a part of the plot! I listened to this book in the car; so the constant back and forth in time periods got a little hard to track. He kept the final conclusion elusive until the very end, but it keeps you going! It was fun and George Guidall, the narrator, has a great voice.
I've listened to lots of books he has narrated. Apr 03, Anish rated it liked it. First of all I would say that users rating this at one-star can't enjoy a simple thriller without any complexity.
I agree with most of the users that this book was a drag at the beginning and the chapters at USA with Maggie and Edward gave this book a worst intro to the lead character one could ever imagine. After a few more pages at Maggie's hotel room the books slows down and it picks up the speed later. The part about the smuggling of the clay tablet and how it reached Shimon Guttman from small boy Salam was the part I liked the most.
Fifty pages before the hundreth last page were amazing and not a shit was given about hinting the readers about the villian. You may enjoy this one if you also see the positives in a book. One thing I would say the under-rating users is that "Learn to Enjoy". May 26, Peter rated it really liked it Shelves: mystery , religion , books-about-books , history , thriller , philosophy , fiction , politics , travel.
I like Sam Bourne's eruidte, thoughtful mysteries set largely in the world of Judaism but at the fault lines that separate and link all cultures and people In this outing, a troubled former peace negotiator is lured back into the most intractable of situations What follows is I like Sam Bourne's eruidte, thoughtful mysteries set largely in the world of Judaism but at the fault lines that separate and link all cultures and people What follows is a marvelous, tautly told geo-political history of the region with a truly nuanced understanding of how one land may have many heroes and many villians and you truly do need a score card to tell the folks apart.
Bourne wrote The Last Testament in nonsequential order and that, together with the large character pool, made the story challenging to follow. The rampant use of vulgar language and several intimate scenes seemed unnecessary and distracted from the progression of the novel. Review copy provided by publisher. Jan 02, Allan rated it liked it Shelves: mystery , history , thriller. The discovery of a Babylonian cunieform tablet amidst peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians in Jersusalem results in both sides and the US mediators desperatly trying to get possession of the document.
On top of this, someone is killing off anyone remotely connected to the discovery. It is the last will and testament of Abraham and could either deliver Jerusalem to one side or the other. The last Testament is a decently paced thriller with enough action and even a few twists to ke The discovery of a Babylonian cunieform tablet amidst peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians in Jersusalem results in both sides and the US mediators desperatly trying to get possession of the document.
The last Testament is a decently paced thriller with enough action and even a few twists to keep you guessing.
Airport lounge fodder but entertaining enough. The author tells the story through a series of characters and the timelines of the narratives are different, which keeps you engaged. The main character, a female negotiator named Maggie, is not well drawn.
She is pretty namby pamby for someone who is supposed to be strong. The male author built a weak, stereotypical woman and threw her some fake "strong" characteristics. Jan 30, Sridhar Babu rated it it was amazing. Sam Bourne.. A four millennium old ancient genuine Clay Tablet, sworn by Prophet Abraham in the form of will, regarding bequeathing of Jerusalem between his two sons, Issac the patriarch of Jews and Ishmael the patriarch of Muslims surfaces at the Old City antique market of Jerusalem.
This Testament found by a Zionist professor appears as an Historical evidence in the present day peace talks of the Middle East, and changes everything towards a new beginning.
An ancient Clay tablet, looted by an Iraqi boy at the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities, , was smuggled out of Iraq, reaches the hands of a London based antique dealer during Since the selling of looted treasures from the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities, was banned by the Western countries mentioning this as an "Cultural theft", the clay tablet reaches back to the shop owned by Afif Aweida, at the Old City Antique market at Jerusalem.
At Jerusalem. This peace negotiation headed by Israel Prime Minister Yaakov Yaariv, to sign an agreement which will at long lost, end more than a century old conflict between Israel and Palestine. There are also angry and militant opponents ,from both the sides against this peace negotiations.
From Jewish side they accuse Israel Prime Minister Yaakov Yaariv, has no right to make any compromises, no right to tear down Jewish settlements and above all divide Jerusalem.
The Jewish also point out, that the Prime Minister of Israel is not at all conducting peace negotiations, but he is surrendering Jewish settlements to the opponents. The Palestinians on the other hand, claim that they are the original sons of the soil, and the Jews just occupied their lands as "settlers", so they are they have every eligible right to claim Western Bank of Jerusalem.
The White House calls in star peace negotiator Maggie Castello, from Washington, to act as a negotiator for the peace talks and for ending a conflict that spread bitterness around the world.
Shimon Guttman, an Israeli war hero, a right wing extremist, with a strong policy that Jews were the first to arrive in Jerusalem and the land belongs to Jews , regarded as an archaeological expert, a scholar, and one of the world's few cuneiform experts,knowledgeable to read and translate the millennia old relics and clay tablets, was shot down at a peace rally by PMs Bodyguards mistaking him as an assassin.
Actually Guttman was approaching his old military mate, Prime Minister Yaariv, to say something significant about his Historical finding which will have an amazing effect in the on going peace negotiations. The murder of Israel's war hero, by his own people causes heavy sabotage to the peace talks, causing everyone involved extra jumpy. Maggie, as an unofficial representative of the US Government, visits Shimon's house to pay her last respect to the assassinated leader.
She learns from the widow that Shimon, during the last three days of his life, has seen something, A document or a letter of the great importance, which will change everything in the middle east. She also learns that Shimon was very desperate to share this information with the Prime Minister, for that purpose he was approaching the PM, at the peace rally, before he was gunned down by the bodyguards.
Assisted by his son Uri Guttman, negotiator Maggie wants to contact the persons mentioned in Shimon's e-mail, to gain knowledge about the secret he shared with them. But before reaching them, the persons who were associated with Guttman's secret Ahmed Naur, Baruch Kishon , Rachel Guttman and Afif were brutally murdered by unknown assassins.
The final breakthrough comes from Guttman's family lawyer David Rosen , in the form DVD disc, which he had personally given to the lawyer to give to his son Uri, in the case of emergency.
In the DVD, Guttman talks about the greatest archaeological discovery, he had come across in his career, the last will of and testament of Abraham the patriarch in the form of clay tablet, which he found and bought in a shop owned by an Arab named Afif Aweida at Jerusalem market.
The Clay tablet is actually the will made by Abraham during his last days, regarding the bequeathing of Jerusalem During Abraham's days it was Mount Moriah to its true heirs. Professor Guttman fears that if the will shows that Abraham had given Jerusalem solely to one side, the opponent side will walk away from the peace talks, which will lead to violence and bloodsheds.
So Guttman in a desperate attempt to protect the ancient testament from falling into the wrong hands, hides it in the secret place known only to him and his brother, with riddles and clues leading to it.
If something happens to the Professor, it is up to his son Uri to find the Testament, and reveal the world its original contents. Maggie and Uri, after following the riddles and clues given by Guttman in his DVD, finally tracks down clay tablet of Abraham at the Israel museum,and announces its contents to the world.
In that centuries old ancient testament, Abraham had mentioned that Jerusalem will be shared by His two sons in a manner of their choosing. The coming generations of both the faiths Jewish and Islam will be the custodians to protect it on behalf of the Lord and pass it on to coming future generations. The announcement of the contents in the Final Testament of Abraham gives a new beginning and hope to the peace Negotiations in the Middle East. The killings were carried on by hired killers as per the orders of Bruce Miller,the senior counselor to the President of USA.
In order to get President re elected Israeli-Palestinian peace deal should be achieved by way of negotiations. If Abraham had bequeathed Jerusalem solely to any one side in his Testament, the opponent side will walk away from peace talks, and final agreement can't be achieved. So by the way of destroying the ancient Testament and killing the people associated with it, the secret will remain remain hidden forever. Based on this scheme Bruce Miller had acted on his own will.
Finally Bruce Miller,resigns from the post. After finding Guttman's DVD, his son Uri and Maggie is all set to find the exact location of the hidden testament, according to the the clues given in the form of riddles by the Professor. The twists, turns and nail baiting adventures involved in deciphering the riddles are simply outstanding. For example Guttman mentions " My Son, Go from here, And if I am gone from this life, than you shall see me in the other life; that is life too..
Good luck Uri.. Actually Guttman never had any brother. After deciphering the 1st clue, Guttman mentions another final riddle to find the hidden clay tablet.. You will find there what I left for you, in the path of ancient warrens.. The Final Testament sworn by Abraham.. The words mentioned in the will actually sounds like an Echo from the past, showing the author's longing and eagerness to find a final solution to the centuries old conflict.. This imaginary Testament of Abraham, is my favorite quote from the novel.
It goes like this The land where I took my son to make sacrifice of him to the Mighty Name, the Mountain of Moriah Jerusalem , this land become a source of dissension between my two sons Let their names be recorded as Issac and Ishmael. So I have thus declared in front of judges that the Mount shall be bequeathed as follows- That it shall be shared between my two sons and their descendants in a manner of their choosing.
From the Number One bestselling author of The Righteous Men comes this staggering religious conspiracy thriller. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Save with MyShopping. Since I have an interest in Hassidic Judaism only added to the intrigue and enjoyment. I highly recommend this book and 2 other book by Bourne.
The Last Testament: It was written. It was lost. It will save us all. Download eBooks by author Sam Bourne. Guaranteed best prices, direct download! Add a review Your Rating: Your Comment:. Hot Tomorrow War by J. Bourne by J. Hot Day by Day Armageddon by J. Hot Shattered Hourglass by J.
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