THE JUDAS TESTAMENT

Imagine what a monumental event it would be if a Gospel written entirely by Jesus Christ were discovered. That's the premise of THE JUDAS TESTAMENT, a thriller that pits a biblical scholar and a young woman of questionable veracity against the Russian Mafia, a group of neo-Nazis, and furtive cardinals in the shadows of the Vatican who speak as if they were related to Don Corleone. The problem with this book is the overwhelming number of characters who continually endanger the lives of the two protagonists. Narrator Graham Padden juggles a United Nations of accents, but still it's often difficult to tell one character from another. While this is a competent thriller with moments of intensity, it takes willpower to make it to the end. J.L.C. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]