Sonia Falaschi-Ray brings us a story of a discovery that could change history forever...

Church of England Priest Sonia Falaschi-Ray's mystery novel combines the factual and fictional to create a gripping tale

The inspiration behind Hertfordshire author Sonia Falaschi-Ray’s third book, The Secret Scrolls, came from several places. “I had been captivated both by the Susan Howatch ‘Starbridge’ series and Dan Brown’s novels, which combine psychology, spirituality and historically significant discoveries within fast-paced novels,” explains Sonia. “I was also enthralled by A.S. Byatt’s Possession, which explores ancient and modern parallel lives with the fascination of the discovery of an original text.”

To her amazement, historian Verity Hunter discovers a chest full of letters, which had been hidden for two thousand years in a Sicilian catacomb. She and her classicist colleague, Crispin Goodman, had been investigating the apparent disappearance of restoration funds. They race to translate and return them before anyone knows they exist. Once their astonishing content is revealed, there is a battle for possession. The Vatican wants them for ‘safe storage’ due to their doctrinally incendiary nature; the catacombs’ director wants them as a tourist attraction; scholars want them for their historical value; the restoration contractor recognises their financial value; and who is the Russian private collector of religious relics with Mafia connections?

The Secret Scrolls is a fast-paced mystery novel with a spiritual message.The book is set in the present, but the situations of the modern protagonists and the ancient writers reflect and inform each other. It encompasses a historical background, the varied significance of religious relics, the power of the numinous and the enduring longing for love and acceptance experienced by all. Fictional modern-day people, letters having been written to St Paul, that could be genuine, in real catacombs, combine to create a gripping tale.

Tags: