The Jesus Thief [Anglais] [Relié]

*Starred Review* Two novels have been published this year in the odd genre of Christ cloning: James BeauSeigneur's In His Image, and Lankford's Jesus Thief. Lankford's narrative is as eccentric as BeauSeigneur's, but she's more interested in characterization than technical background. Her Dr. Frankenstein is a rich physician named Felix Rossi, who, with elaborate subterfuge, manages to steal some threads from the shroud of Turin. Rossi believes himself an agent of the Second Coming. He prevails upon his long-suffering girlfriend to be his Mary, but she retreats in horror. Maggie Johnson, the maid, volunteers. As it happens, she's black. And a virgin. This is great stuff, and while Lankford's thriller plot occasionally intrudes, the delightful Maggie keeps everything on track. John Mort
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"A gripping and original novel ... raging controversy ... sharply written, thoroughly entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking"

"It's all tremendous, page-turning fun."

"The Jesus Thief is a fascinating thriller [with] excellent symbolism ... Its pace rockets along to a touching conclusion.

Not since Michael Chrichton has a novelist offered such a believable glimpse into [cloning]... Keep your eye on this author.

The science is impeccable, the writing superb, the plot exciting, the climax breathtaking.

A taut thriller that tackles religion with as much aplomb as it does the science behind cloning

In The Jesus Thief, her national debut, Lankford bypasses apocalyptic themes for mainstream storytelling of an attempt to clone Jesus using DNA stolen from the Shroud of Turin.

At the center is Dr. Felix Rossi, Harvard MD-PhD in obstetrics and microbiology, devout only-son of a Catholic family—or so he’s always believed. Rossi has also been a passionate aficionado of the Shroud since he was a child. He is convinced that the face on the ancient linen is that of Jesus Christ and that the linen’s Type AB blood contains the DNA of God.

The novel opens as his dream of conducting research on the Shroud comes true. Yet Dr. Rossi is in turmoil, having just learned the hidden truth of his family’s Jewish heritage. Instead of studying the Shroud, Felix finds himself staring at "the largest bloodstain, the one that flowed when the Roman soldier used his lance to pierce the side." Moments later he steals two threads from Christendom’s treasure.

The Jesus Thief is a story of lost family ties and a lost identity, of a devout man’s search for God, a powerful man’s fear of a Jesus clone, and a poor woman’s yearning to be special.

J R (Jamilla Rhines) Lankford's writing is rich with international settings and diverse characters for good reason. Fascination with cultures and a yen for travel is in her blood. The oldest daughter among twelve siblings, she grew up in a home full of books and music, dreaming over her family's old passports. Initially she pursued an international career in electrical engineering, in which she worked and traveled for twelve years. In 1993 she left to transform herself into a novelist.