Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Vigilante Stories

There are a lot of vigilante stories, and my debut novel, KILLER OF KILLERS could be classified as a vigilante story. I was inspired to write it because our society seems to have more sympathy for the murderers out there than for the innocent victims they murdered. Many times they are let out of prison to kill again, or acquitted outright. That isn’t right.

KILLER OF KILLERS is about a man who can’t stand murderers escaping justice. He decides to counter a corrupt legal system that sees murderers being acquitted at record setting paces. Yeah, it’s a vigilante story, but it’s not your usual vigilante story. The mc, Trent Smith, does not see his family murdered, not his girlfriend or parents. That would be Batman, the Punisher, and Death Wish, starring Charles Bronson. And there’s probably a hundred other stories that see the mc’s loved ones butchered by criminals, causing him/her to seek revenge.

No. Trent Smith is just fed up. Period. There are reasons in the story on both sides for it happening. But when it does happen, that’s when the action starts. It’s an action packed adventure of the world’s greatest martial artist who decides to put his knowledge and skill in the martial arts to good use to fill the gap created by an apathetic and corrupt society. I hope you can read it real soon. It’s a great story, if I don’t mind saying so myself. ☺

No comments:

Post a Comment