The Last Templar

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was a bit up and down for me, though in the end I have to say I did enjoy it.

I do typically enjoy books of the church/Templar/Illuminati story line, definitely some I enjoy more so than others, this one probably falls just about in the middle.

While it fit the seemingly stock storyline(big mystery to solve, handsome cop with emotional baggage, hot/smart chick to help out, jet setting after clues) the story was fast paced and had enough turns to keep me interested most of the time. I also enjoyed the mostly modern setting with the flashbacks to the 13th and 14th centuries. Regardless of the proof or speculation surrounding the centuries old Templar lore, it is engaging to read about and thought provoking nonetheless. I did feel a drag in the middle, though I can't pinpoint what in the story really caused it, but once it picked up as they headed to Europe, it seems as though the end of the book arrived in no time.

My one big qualm with this book was the writing. While I don't mean to even hint that I would have done better, I found myself going "really?" on many occasions. We have Sean Reilly, a seemingly intelligent FBI agent and Tess Chaykin, an archeologist turned desk-jockey with a well admired archeologist father, yet they speak at times as though they didn't make it past even the grammar part of grammar school. Now, I understand the concept of needing to write for your audience and I don't expect a novel full of jargon, but come on folks. Can I at least have basic grammar?

Overall though, I'd say it fits nicely into the category of "good weekend reads"(and by weekend reads I mean, stuff I don't exactly have to think about ;o)