Todd Rutherford

‘The Publishing Guru’

Bixby, Okalahoma

Robert J. Cornell’s Breaking Ground: The Horeb Anomaly is a heart-stopping odyssey of action and romance written in the spirit of the Indiana Jones archaeological adventures, imbued with a sprinkle of ancient languages and biblical stories. Cornell’s own three children inspire the main characters, Victor Finn, Holly Webster, and Jack Butler. The plot revolves around Victor Finn’s discovery of an ancient scroll and the ensuing attempt to decipher the meaning. He recruits Holly Webster, a linguistic expert in ancient languages and Jack Butler, a special operations officer to help him.

Reminiscent of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol, the scroll is an anagram that allegedly reveals the location to the covenant of civilization, the Perfections of Paradise. Cornell describes the time period of the Zep Tepi, when “Overlords began to misuse the gods’ power … wield it for greed and wealth.” The Perfection of Paradise, if found, can reveal the world’s paradigm in the olden days; however, there is a group called the Brotherhood who is in pursuit of Finn and his crew.

The Brotherhood appears to be a rendition of the Knights Templar, an age-old secret society that seeks to function in secrecy. The Brotherhood, it turns out, seeks to keep things secret because its members believe that the revelation of the covenant of the Perfection of Paradise could uproot the model of the world in which we live.

Essentially, the entire team of scientists, military personnel, and the three main characters risk their lives in the lands of the biblical Exodus in hopes of gathering more clues. Adventure abounds and thrills aplenty keep the reader totally absorbed.

Ultimately, the search for paradise kindles romance and fills the audience with an adrenaline rush not felt since the likes of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton. Breaking Ground is an intriguing and thought provoking text that leads readers to ponder the secrets of history. Written in beautiful prose, Cornell’s knack for creativity and extensive breadth of research is praiseworthy. Breaking Ground is a must read that will have mystery aficionados turning pages to the very end.