Jesus Christ becomes a hostage when extortionists kidnap a tabernacle and three monks during a murderous monastery melee.
Will Rome pay millions in ransom?
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Two monks die hideously when kidnappers invade St. Luke’s Basilica taking three hostages along with the altar tabernacle filled with consecrated communion bread.
Millions of dollars in ransom are demanded from the Catholic Church for release of the captives.
The FBI and local police mount a campaign to locate the hostages while the Catholic Church meets the ransom demands of the kidnappers.
The last hostage, a 90+ year-old monk so affects the thinking of one young captor, the two escape together in a seaplane using skills the monk tries to remember from piloting in World War II.
A bloody shootout and partial cave-in ends the hostage crisis with the other kidnappers.
Excerpt
Horrified by the startling sight of the four gunmen, with only their eyes and mouths visible through holes in their masks, the monks just sat and stared.
“All three of you get over here now,” she commanded. The monks looked at one another, but were too shocked to move. Malena aimed her gun at the monk in the center of the church and fired, missing him deliberately, but the shot splintered the top of the pew very close to his left shoulder.
Professional Reviews
Ageless Justice
Malena is a sexy, hard criminal out to pull off the largest kidnapping heist in history to save her CEO sister who has invested and lost a huge amount of company funds. So she and her fellow thugs carefully plan and carry out the kidnapping of three monks and the tabernacle from a Western Pennsylvania monastery. But things go awry in a TV- drama-like scenario; two monks are killed and one of the thieves is injured. Blood is everywhere before the plot is carried out and the thieves and victims are safely hidden in a secret cave surrounded only by water.
Jessica Harding is sharp as a whip with detective skills that tolerate no foolishness. Add to that she's got an unusual feeling nature for what the victims of this nefarious crime must be experiencing as well as the horror of Catholics after they discover the theft of what to them is sacred. She initially has to set her fellow officer, sent from the FBI, in a proper working relationship without his aggressive, know-it-all attitude. Quickly achieving that goal, they wait for the kidnapper's demand or demands, wondering where this is all headed.
It wouldn't do well to tell the whole story, but suffice it to say that an ingenious plot that could have financially scored the thieves a treasure seems well on the way to a satisfactory conclusion. There are several scenes of ferocious acts that convey just how uncaring and brutal a criminal mind works. Two witnesses, though, will convey enough details to allow Jessica and Dexter to bring this horrific case to a successful end.
One of the captured monks, however, is a wise relic who has deep spiritual as well as practical military abilities. It is Brother Martin whose words and more seep into one of the criminal's psyche - or perhaps more accurately, his soul!
By the end of this ripping yarn that would make a great TV movie, the reader will be quite surprised at the outcome of both victims and victors, perhaps a miracle, perhaps not!?
The plot is superb, dialogue a bit unnatural in a few places, and the action non-stop thriller style. The way Brother Martin treats Stony is realistically spiritual, a style that increases the credibility of this story and its emotional impact. All in all, this is a great light read that will stretch your imagination quite realistically into a realm where justice travels a most surprising road with fascinating twists and turns. What is imprisoned is freed from more than a life of crime!
Reviewed by Viviane Crystal
April 11, 2006
Reviewed by Viviane Crystal
Courtesy Crystal Reviews
Review - The Island off Stony Point
Keith Sinteris and his wife Malena (the brains of the operation) hire three skilled accomplices (Stony, Bartolo and Duane) to kidnap three hostages from a monastery along with the holy tabernacle containing consecrated "bread". For all her planning, Malena had no way of knowing just how awry the hostage taking could go.
Detective Jessica Harding and FBI Agent Rob Dexter are on the case. Strong willed and quick witted, Jessica puts the FBI agent in his place from the moment the two were introduced. Intrigued, Rob cannot get her out of his mind. With so few clues, the odds are stacked against the two "good guys", yet they struggle on while the immense ransom demands continue to haunt the Catholic Church.
This is a well-told story line involving a mysterious home on an island that has a distinctive secret. The author uses scenes such as the fantastic cave hideout, the lung-busting chore of stashing loot and a magnificent storm to heighten interest.
There are several unique aspects to this suspense-filled novel over others in the adventure crime thriller genre. For one thing, the two women are the strongest characters - both leaders and quick thinkers, but on opposite sides. The Island off Stony Point certainly conveys the inherent goodness of people but also shows the great lengths that desperate and driven people will pursue. I also thought it was interesting that this is actually the second novel involving the leading hostage character, a Father Martin - who was in Regis's first novel, The Oculi Incident.
Kudos to author Regis Schilken for this excellent novel!
Author: Regis Schilken
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
ISBN#: 1-933538-13-9
Pages: 220
~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment - Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry.
Review - The Island off Stony Point
Suddenly the monastery is under assault, monks die, three are taken along with their tabernacle host. The world is shocked, could someone truly be holding Jesus and His servants hostage and will the Catholic church pay for their return?
We meet Detective Jessica and FBI Agent Dexter, two fierce go-getters who follow the leads in this case and become more than co-workers. We also meet Stony, an African-American and part of the kidnapping gang whose soul is worth saving, or so Father Martin, the ancient monk who was kidnapped says. The stage is now set for our story.
In this read we are taken into the minds of those who are evil, have no respect for life or Deity; those who live for themselves and their greed. And we are taken into the heart of one Priest who sees with the eyes of God and whose faith certainly can move mountains. Not only does he land a sea-plane without water but he saves a soul and changes a life along the way. Not bad for a day's work.
This novel has suspense and adventure, a tad of romance, mystery and strong character development. Wrap it up with a breath-taking conclusion that proves even one soul is worth saving and you have a winner. Very well done, great read.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review
