The Jesus Thief

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel - This one will make you think!
Review: Have you ever though what would happen if Jesus was cloned? And what if it was someone of the Jewish faith who cloned him? That's exactly the theme of The Jesus Thief by J. R. Lankford. I'm the Guide to Romance Fiction on About.com and this book was submitted to me for review. Although it was too mainstream for the romance fiction site it definitely deserves a review here.

Lankford has penned a novel that is full of passion and controversy. This book is one that you can't put down until you turn the last page. You'll find yourself thinking about the characters and the possibilities that this book offers long after you've read it. You will be delighted, challenged to consider different alternatives, and left wanting more of the story. Lankford touches on the common humanity of all people regardless of heritage. Based on the science of human cloning, it is quite evident that Lankford has done extensive research to make this novel ring true in the modern world. She has a way with words that places her at the forefront of the fiction genre. She's an author skyrocketing to the top and this reviewer can't wait for her next book!

Dr. Felix Rossi is passionate about the Shroud of Turin. As a devout Catholic, he's convinced the face on the ancient linen is that of Jesus Christ and that it contains the blood of Jesus.

Rossi learns that he's not Catholic, instead his family were Jewish and escaped World War II Italy. This new information leaves Rossi in turmoil. What should he do? Study the shroud like he's supposed to or maybe...if a Jew were to clone Jesus wouldn't that end the persecution of the Jews? So what does Rossi do? He steals two threads of the bloody cloth in hopes of cloning Jesus. Working in total secrecy in his apartment he needs to find a modern day Mary. He finds her in the person of Maggie.

With a multi-cultural cast of secondary players, Rossi learns more than he ever imagined he could learn about religion, science, and ultimately the love each different religion teaches. But will he succeed or will someone stop him from actually cloning Jesus. I'm sure not going to tell you but I highly recommend that you grab this book from a hot new author. It's well worth the time and money.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!! This is one terrific book!!
Review: Run, don't walk, and buy yourself a copy of The Jesus Thief!! This is a fantastic read. From the first page, the reader feels like he/she has been inducted into a secret world. The characters quickly become people you know. You either care about them, or hate them, but you definitely feel for them. Ms. Lankford does a tremendous job of making something so far fetched seem real and possible. Very scary. And while her book explores some very deep issues, Ms. Lankford tactfully avoids filling this book with religious or moral dogma. This book kept me on the egde of my seat, wanting to know what would happen. All I have to ask is, "When is the sequal coming out?"

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling Idea: The Jesus Thief by J. R. Lankford
Review: Dr. Felix Rossi is a devout Catholic and as this amazing novel opens, about to examine the holy Shroud of Turin. While science has been unable to prove that the ancient burial cloth wrapped his body at death, Dr. Rossi has always believed that it covered the body of Jesus Christ. He has contemplated trying to take a sample from the cloth and using his experience and skills, attempting to clone Jesus Christ. Theoretically it is possible and as he stares at the burial cloth he knows that given the opportunity he would be successful. With the knowledge of a painful family secret having just been revealed to him moments earlier, he makes the impetus move to steal two blood stained threads from the holy cloth.

While he is successful with the theft, he soon discovers that the theft was the easy part. Not only does he have to culture the DNA to the point where he can use it, he also must begin a search for his very own Virgin Mary. At the same time, he must fend off a nosy reporter who suspects the truth from the beginning and deal with powerful forces here and abroad that want to put a stop to his cloning efforts. Along the tumultuous journey, he must also confront his own belief system as well as the repercussion his action set into motion as it shatters those closest to him.

Following up on her novel "The Crowning Circle," J. R. Lankford brings another novel where deeply intense character development moves the work forward. This is an intellectual novel which will bore those looking for a quick read. This is an intriguing novel that repeatedly raises questions of faith and humanity while providing suspense and complicated plotting. How does one define God, the point that life begins, cloning, and what it means to be human are just a few of the many questions raised with no easy answers. There are numerous themes and parallel storylines running throughout the work, which leads to a remarkable ending. This is not a simple work and not easily put down or dismissed after reading it.

Rating:
Summary: ENTHRALLING MIX OF SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY
Review: Some time ago, I was privileged to be invited to read Ms. Lankford's first book, "The Crowning Cicle". So much did I enjoy it that when "The Jesus Thief" came out, I was anxious to read it. The premise was fascinating (the cloning of Jesus Christ). The beauty of this book is that, although the underlying theme relates to Christianity, the book avoids any religious dogma. I am Jewish, and I enjoyed this book thoroughly. We know the science exists for cloning. Ms. Lankford has done her homework and her knowledge of cloning and medical procedures is astounding. So is her knowledge of different religions. Her research for this book much have been incredible. This book will have broad appeal, both for people who are religious, and for those who prefer science. The book successfully juxtaposes both, without making any judgment as to the correctness of either. The characters are well developed, and very early on in the book I made my alliance with Maggie, a simple but spiritual Black woman, who becomes the fulcrum upon which the story balances. The other character I particulalry liked was Sam, an Irish doorman whose role in the story grows and develops in ways you will never predict. There are darkly sinister characters as well, including the reclusive Mr. Brown, and in between are two of the main characters, Felix Rossi, the doctor who attempts the cloning, and his sister Fran, who is far more skeptical about the procedure than her brother. There is real magic in this book,and whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Agnostic, or even Athiest, you cannot help but be enthralled with just the concept of cloning Jesus, and as stated before, Ms. Lankford embraces all beliefs in the concept of the second coming (ie. birth) of the Jesus clone. Once started, this book cannot be put down, and it left me appreciating the wonder of faith, in whatever form it might take. Please do yourself a favor and read this magnificent book. It will leave you breathless.

Rating:
Summary: An absolute must for your bookshelf.
Review: I have just finished reading The Jesus Thief, it only took me a few days and late nights, as I couldn't bear to put it down. I just had to know what happened next. This is the second of JR Lankford's books I have read, her first -The Crowning Circle I thought would be hard to better, but The Jesus Thief surpasses it and then some. The story and JR Lankford's descriptive powers are such that the reader feels that they are part of the breathless race. At first you think that the idea behind this novel is somewhat far fetched but believe me once you start into the story you begin to wonder if indeed not only is it possible but almost probable, such is the strength of this novel. A brilliant idea, brilliantly projected by the awesome writing powers of the author. If you only buy one book this year make sure it is The Jesus Thief. It undoubtedly will be a best seller. Congratulations and well done JR Lankford, I can't wait for your third novel.

Rating:
Summary: Okay . . . at times.
Review: Lankford's technical approach to sharing with the reader the detail of human cloning is detailed, however, descriptives of science alone do not make a strong fiction story. The writing itself is mid-level, though there are times Lankford's Felix has you interested in a specific plot movement . . . only to have Lankford's many subplots take you away from what what may be a main theme. Did anyone say FOCUS?

Rating:
Summary: A creative immagination
Review: We have to commend J.R. Lankford for having a creative imagination, when she thought of writing a book of the cloning of Jesus Christ!

Who would have thought about the possibility of stealing two threads from The Shroud of Turin, extract blood from it, culture the cells found in the blood, extract unfertilized eggs from a donor, remove the nucleus from the eggs, replace each nucleus with a cultured Shroud cell to produce "fertilized eggs," grow the eggs in a suitable culture, and finally transfer a blastocyst to the donor womb? Incidentally, The Shroud was not just any shroud, but rather the most famous winding sheet in the world, in which the face imbedded on the ancient linen was supposedly that of Jesus Christ.

Sounds like a great story. However, one of the problems with the book is that there are so many themes going in so many directions, that we loose sight of the original plot. There are also scenes that are somewhat akin to becoming "slapsticky." One of which comes to mind is the gathering of 10 Jewish men to form a minion in order to recite the Jewish memorial prayer, or "Kaddish," in a church. This is really stretching one's imagination!

However, one of the major shortcomings of the book is the author did not recognize that there comes a time where you must know when to cut and where his or her interests lie. An author may think that all of the book's themes are necessary; however, sometimes too much is included, leading to a dizzying effect. In the case of The Jesus Thief the author seems to have lost sight of focusing on the principal theme, and what exactly she was trying to achieve. Which themes are expendable and which effectively move the drama along. You can't afford to indulge and when presenting a theme, the author must ask himself or herself, is this really necessary or will it distract from the principal business at hand. If the main objective of the book was to examine the ethics of human cloning, then don't try and bring in all kinds of extraneous ideas and thoughts that overwhelm the reader. Sometimes it may be painful to have to cut a pet idea or thought, however, in order to have a stronger more focused book, it is essential to cut the umbilical chord.

This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully thought provoking and an exciting read
Review: The premise is fascinating, the characters believable, and the climax nail-biting. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and would strongly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written, waaaaay too predictable.
Review: Lankford needs to admit that this was a story she wrote in high school, no, jr. high school! The plot, attempting to clone Jesus from DNA found on threads stolen from the Shroud of Turin, could make for a great novel. But this one isn't it. The characters are too shallow and unbelievable, and the "twists" and "turns" that make a book so interesting are totally absent. They're replaced instead by incredible "coincidences" that read like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I finished reading the book only to see if the end possibly could make it all worthwhile. It didn't!
Don't waste your time on "The Jesus Thief."

Rating:
Summary: What an intriguing title!
Review: And so is the story. The first thing that struck me is a sense of warmth, a loving spirit, that runs through the novel. The tone is positive but solid. It gives the sense of uniqueness.

Flesh and blood characters inhabit settings so aptly described the reader can step into them. Felix, his sister Frances, Maggie the maid, Sam the doorman and others who populate this book are not the stereotypical characters one often meets in novels or on the screen. We see their weaknesses, but we also see their strengths, their maturity, their largeness of spirit, and that's what makes them real. They act like people I know.

The story is compelling, with surprising twists and plenty of drama as we explore the cloning of Christ and its meaning for humanity. For all the story's adventure, it's also an intelligent read. Impressive research adds authenticity and depth, whether scientific, religious, historical, or geographic. Much of it comes across in an uplifting way, such as learning how Italy helped the Jews during WWII.

The story is thought provoking in its daring use of symbolism, parallels, and contrasts. For example, we are shown a contrast and a comparison of the holy and the profane. That is, attitude determines what is holy and what is profane, and people often will confuse one for the other. Sex, religion, or science can be holy or profane, depending on how they are used.

We also see how people can accept or explain away miracles, thereby choosing to receive or reject blessing. I was hooked by the excitement, but what brought tears to my eyes were the miracles. I can believe the author understands spirituality and knows it goes beyond religion. We see the characters grow in that direction.

The story is well balanced. All the elements work together to provide action, characterization, background, and provocative concepts without resorting to negativity, sappiness, or preachiness. A ripping good adventure. I eagerly await the sequel.