Relic: The Quest for the Golden Shrine

Yet again, the discovery of a long-lost document threatens the foundations of Christianity in this mixed bag of a thriller from Norwegian author Egeland (Circle's End). This time, the religious McGuffin is the Q manuscript, a Greek document that was supposedly the source for the gospels and contains additional suppressed sayings of Jesus. The manuscript may be hidden inside a golden shrine unearthed during an archeological dig in Norway. Eccentric Bjorn Belto, the designated site inspector, has spirited away the shrine to prevent it from being illegally shipped out of the country. Belto's efforts to preserve the artifact take him to London and Israel, besides leading him to the truth about his father's death in a climbing accident decades earlier. Belto's quirks are the best part of the book, which loses momentum consistently as it goes along. (Feb.)