The Lost Page

A very enjoyable book. The story parallels 2 archaeologists in the 21st century in search of the missing ending to Mark's gospel in worn torn Syria, to Mark fleeing the Romans in Syria while he writes the end of the gospel. It's fast paced and doesn't get bogged down in too much theology. The characters do discuss whether the resurrection was physical or spiritual but it is not preachy and is an important part of the characters. I'm an atheist and read the book as an Indiana Jones style adventure and thoroughly enjoyed it.. Great story telling.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

The Lost Page is a thrill ride between the ages, between the time of the foundation of Christianity and modern day research of the beginnings. The very well written book sucks the reader in to both eras and leave the reader wanting more. One of those books that has been read way too fast and awakes the wish for a continuation.

Was skeptical starting this book as it felt a little forced. Morris did an impressive job blending enough pieces of the puzzle to draw me in and finish this in basically a sitting.

While the characters lacked some depth and the plot was very straight forward it was still an enjoyable read

When archaeologist Chris Jordan is recalled from a dig in the Americas by his old me tor in Scotland, he never imagines he has ready been signed up for a trip to Syria to track down a missing page from one of the synoptic gospels of the New Testament. They already have the rough draft of the original writer's unfinished texts. But what will the missing element reveal to the world about Christianity?

Accompanying him is scholar Kate Ferguson, a widow, where Chris Jordan is divorced.

The story follows in tandem with that of Mark as he tries to find a suitable place to write up a fair copy of his experiences. He finds a female companion too, Miriam, the daughter of Peter. Time is running out for them, as the Romans are looking for followers of this subversive new sect.

So, romance is slowly-but-surely rearing its head, as the one party seeks to unearth what was written a whole millennium before. What the latter are planning to do in smuggling this precious document out of Syria is of course theft too, but then, as with Mark, they are spurred on by a higher mission.
the nature of the resurrection itself. Mark is keen to bear witness to the miracles he witnessed, whilst insisting on the importance of faith, as he continues to seek those who did meet a resurrected Jesus. Interesting, Mark never has anything to say about the kind of person the human Jesus he ate and worked and slept alongside.

In other words, this novel adheres to the idea that Christianity truly was a unique evolutionary step, because the resurrection was bodily, not literal. In this respect, this book is in part a polemic against Gnostics, or for whatever other elements may undermine the purity of the original message. Perhaps more simply, the writer wishes to convey the idea that faith and spiritual truths don't come as part of a gimmick - the writer does convey his own wisdom there.

There is no real violence or confrontation, but enough nail-biting suspense where Chris and Kate have to deal with officials and other bodies as they negotiate a hostile country and terrain.

Overall, The Lost Page will be a treat for Christians of any stripe most of all, whether or not there is any credence to any rumours of Mark having written any further, more mystical tracts. This writer still prefers the meat-and-potatoes approach to the business of keeping the faith. Other readers may enjoy it for the low-key thriller it is, with its elements of restrained romance.

I loved this book with it’s unique combination of past and present. A religious topic without being preachy.

I really enjoyed The Lost Page. Stories along the lines of Da Vinci Code etc., are always a treat. This book is well researched and the plot lines well thought out. It bounces between the beginnings of Christianity and today, with just enough truth woven into the fictional story. A great read.
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

This is one of my favorite books of historical fiction. I learned a great deal about the early days of Christianity from this book, prompting me to conduct my own research about early Christianity. All of the historic information contained in The Last Page is consistent with what I have learned in my own studies. The sections that are clearly part of the novel and not part of history are also well designed and fit with the historical background. I really appreciated the character development of Mark, giving readers an insight to the challenges he faced while writing the Gospel and how he might have wrestled with decisions he had to make. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.