The Moses Virus: A Novel. Jack Hyland. Taylor Trade Publishing. January
2014. 232 pp. hbk. ISBN #: 9781589799080.
Millions
of people have read or heard the story of Moses and the Jewish people’s exodus
from Egypt. We also know of the plagues
visited upon the hard-hearted Pharaoh and the Egyptians who refused to yield to
the command of Moses’ God. But few have
ever questioned the cause of those plagues other than the miraculous
intervention of God.
The Moses Virus: A Novel is that long awaited explanation and
the villainous consequences of that plague throughout history. Here in this present generation Thom
Stewart, eminent forensic archaeologist, is invited to be present at the
opening of a famous archaeological site at the Roman Forum. It’s a day that
ends in excitement but not of an expected historical discovery; instead another
notable archaeologist and his student are found dead, accompanied by a group of
skeletons attired in white lab coats.
It’s obvious they all died in ferocious agony!
The
majority of the characters herein work for the American Academy in Rome, Italy,
a scholarly society dedicated to the research and publications of
archaeologists, artists, architects, writers, musicians and other scholars. With the sudden disastrous deaths Tom,
assisted by an ally, Alexandra Cellini, begins to search for the cause of this
lethal virus, increased when he is followed, robbed, kidnapped and attacked
because everyone believes he knows where a secret cache of the virus is hidden.
What
starts out as a staid normal crime turns out to be a hair-raising, frantic
search for answers. Throughout this
story, the author presents a lovely description of all the main sites of Roman
history in an enticing way that makes the reader want to visit this famed
city. We also get quite an education of
the specific nature of the plagues that have killed millions of people during
the time of Egyptian pharaohs, the Black Plague of Europe, and other events in
which millions of people died quickly and violently.
No,
this is by no means the whole story. Tom
and Alex discover they are being continuously watched by many different
groups. The novel moves in and out of
Italy and results in several deaths beyond that of the initial scientists. It also compels the reader to ask some
important questions about the role of the Catholic Church in secret
negotiations with Hitler during WWII.
The Moses Virus… is deceiving and unique in how slowly
it starts out, how calm everyone remains even with the intense possibilities of
this conflict, and how it grows into its intensity where life and death scenes
appear over and over and quickly as well.
The central conflict is similar to most “virus or secret weapon” plots
but is unique in its intelligent and sensitive presentation. One suspects that there will be a follow-up
to his very interesting piece of criminal fiction. Nicely done, Jack Hyland!
