Although I felt that for reading enjoyment, this book was a mixed bag, I found the ideas in it to be thought-provoking and intriguing. Unfortunately, the first half of the book plods along, reading like a journalistic narration and explanation of events and facts rather than flowing smoothly like the story in the scrolls.

The biblical characters come fully to life, and the feel of the 1st century surrounds the reader. The plot is imaginative, and the story contained in the scrolls is portrayed in a captivating, engaging manner. The second half is mostly dedicated to the telling of the story contained within the Magdalene scrolls, which reveal details about Mary’s relationship and life with Jesus and the events surrounding the crucifixion. Through a series of events, she begins to wonder just who she can trust as she discovers she is a descendant of Mary Magdalene and Jesus – and the only one who can find Mary’s long-lost Gospel. She experiences biblical dreams and visions which ultimately lead her on a journey from Jerusalem to France’s mysterious Languedoc region. The first focuses on the experiences of Maureen Paschal, author of the bestselling HerStory: A Defense of History’s Most Hated Heroines. The plot is essentially split into two halves. (Never having read this book, I cannot comment!) It would be easy to get distracted by this novel’s controversial ideas, in particular the concept of the marriage and progeny of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and the idea that the protagonist’s experiences are autobiographical, but let’s view the book simply as a novel instead. It contains elements – religion, murder, conspiracy – which have been compared with The Da Vinci Code. A deadly political rivalry that ended in two brutal executions.An intricate love triangle that altered the course of. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.Described as an autobiographical religious thriller, this is the first book of a trilogy.

As a long buried family scandal comes to light, she can no longer deny her own role in a deadly drama of epic international consequences. When journalist Maureen Paschal begins the research for a new book, she has no idea that she is stepping into an ancient mystery so complex and dangerous that thousands of people have killed and died for it. Protected by supernatural forces, the priceless cache can only be uncovered by a special seeker, one who has been chosen for the task by divine providence - The Expected One. A series of scrolls written in the first century by Mary Magdalene, these startling documents hold the power to redefine the events and characters of the New Testament. For two thousand years, an undiscovered treasure rested in the rocky wilds of the French Pyrenees.

A deadly political rivalry that ended in two brutal executions.An intricate love triangle that altered the course of history.A religious revolution that changed the world.

The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan