I learned to love reading at a very early age, thanks to many hours of being read to by my parents and grandparents. As far back as I can remember, libraries and bookstores have consumed much of my time and money. One of history’s greatest cartographer, Johannes Cellarius, disappeared in the 17th century under mysterious circumstances. Now, more than 200 years later, his body has been recovered in a bog in Germany with an amazing object clutched in his fist- a 57 carat ruby. Cellarius’ connection to the Tavernier stones has prompted treasure hunters from around the world to converge on Europe, among them John Graf, an Amish cartographer and David Freeman, a brilliant gemologist turned con-man. They reluctantly form an alliance to find the solve the cryptic message on one of Cellarius’ maps and find the famed Tavernier stones, racing against countless others to be the first to claim one of history’s greatest prizes. Competition is very stiff, however, and the two may not make it out of this adventure alive.
The Tavernier Stones by Stephen Parrish is an excellent debut novel which demonstrates this writer’s huge potential. Parrish has chosen to craft his novel in the tradition of Indiana Jones, forcing the characters to follow clues and decipher cryptic messages in order to find their prize. As with any good treasure hunting novel, there are a few red herrings thrown in for good measure. The novel flows very well from chapter to chapter and the characters’ depth allows the reader to understand their individual motives for finding the stones. Readers who enjoy such authors as Dan Brown and Matthew Reilly should relish this book, as it would be a fine addition to any home’s library. I am looking very forward to Parrish’s next novel and hope he will bring back John Graf, who has the potential to be a long lasting character like Brown’s hero Robert Langdon. I would give this book 5 of 5 stars.-Jud Hanson