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After Dan Brown’s religious thriller, The DaVinci Code, took the bestseller lists by storm, it seems as though authors started coming out of the woodwork to jump on the religious thriller bandwagon—even romance writers, like M. J. Rose. But don’t let Ms. Rose’s literary background keep you away from picking up a copy of The Reincarnationist—because you’d be missing out on a mystically suspenseful read.
The Reincarnationist tells the story of a man who struggles with his past—and his past lives. After a suicide bombing in Rome almost took his life, American photographer Josh Ryder began having strange visions from the past. One of his visions, about a 19th-century man named Percy, led him to a place called the Phoenix Foundation, an organization that studies reincarnation.
Now, months later, Josh is back in Rome to explore an archaeological dig that may have major significance in the study of—and the belief in—reincarnation. In an ancient underground room, two archaeologists may have found the fabled Memory Stones—gemstones that can reveal the holder’s past lives.
In Rome, Josh’s visions become even stronger—and when he explores the dig, he feels a strong connection to the mummy of a vestal virgin found there. The archaeologists call her Bella—but, for some reason, Josh knows that her name was Sabina.
But Josh doesn’t have time to find out more about Sabina—because while he’s there, the site is attacked. One of the archaeologists is killed, and the stones are stolen. Though he doesn’t know why, Josh feels that it’s his responsibility to make things right before even more people are hurt.
While there are so many religious thrillers filling up bookstore shelves right now, The Reincarnationist manages to stand out. The story is a unique one—one that’s really more mystical than religious. The reincarnation twist gives it a completely different angle—and it adds several different layers (and a number of different characters, from different times) to the story. As Josh tries, in the present day, to solve the mystery of the stolen stones, his visions give him clues—and he has to figure out how everything connects to Percy from the late 1800s and Julius, a fourth-century priest.
Rose’s writing style isn’t what you might expect from a romance novelist. While there is a touch of sensuality to the story, she focuses on the suspense. Rose creates a number of likeable characters, whose mysteriously intertwined storylines will keep you reading, wondering how everything will work out in the end.
From the beginning to the strong and shocking conclusion, The Reincarnationist is a captivating read, with an imaginative story and a fascinating cast of characters. If you’re a fan of mystical intrigue, you won’t want to miss it.
