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Author Kathleen McGowan says she is a descendant of a union between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
It's easy to get distracted by that idea, but how good is her novel?
The Expected One, a religious thriller in the vein of The Da Vinci Code, is highly provocative with plenty of what-ifs in the history of early Christianity.
Maureen Paschal, the main character, becomes involved with a secret European society that believes Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus. Members convince Maureen she has been "chosen" to find hidden gospels written by Mary. Unlike the gospels in the New Testament, these long-hidden scrolls will prove that Mary Magdalene played a major role in Jesus' life, they say.
A parallel story re-imagines the married life of Jesus and Mary. It's gently and tastefully re-created and is one of the highlights of the book.
Like Code, Expected One is formulaic in its construction but lacks the energy and edginess of Dan Brown's best seller. Even so, it's keenly imaginative and will thrill those who can't shake their belief in the sacred bloodline or those who love over-the-top religious conspiracies.
Tucker Malarkey's Resurrection is more literary in styling and tells the tale of a fictional murder wrapped around historical events.
Just after World War II, sacred texts, now known as the Lost Gospels of Nag Hammadi, were discovered in the Egyptian desert not far from Cairo.
In Resurrection, Gemma Bastian travels from war-torn London to Cairo after her archaeologist father dies, supposedly of natural causes. She's there to collect his things but can't shake the feeling that he may have been murdered.
Like The Expected One, Resurrection is a story of renewed faith inspired by gospels said to have been squelched by early Christian leaders. But Resurrection also is the story of the brave Gemma who, because she's a woman, and a stubborn one at that, must fight social, cultural and religious restrictions to pursue the events surrounding her father's death.
Malarkey, whose first novel, An Obvious Enchantment, dealt with African Islam, writes deftly about spiritual discovery, and the religious history she weaves into her story gives the novel some heft. But this is a not a thriller. Without that kick, it will please only fans of The Da Vinci Code who are looking for another historical/religious perspective on early Christianity.
The Expected One
By Kathleen McGowan
Touchstone, 449 pp., $25.95
Resurrection
By Tucker Malarkey
Riverhead, 374 pp., $24.95
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