Nominated for an Over the Rainbow Award by the American Library Association
by Bud Gundy
thriller suspense
Available on Amazon
Kindle - Paperback
Something is happening. Something big.
In Ireland at the time of the potato famine, a young servant discovers that he is part of a mystery he could never have imagined. In modern San Francisco, two more unsuspecting people are drawn into the same vortex.
Crashing through the centuries, the mystery snares young and old, rich and poor, the religious and the skeptic. And sometimes, it carries those people along with it through the ages. People walk the earth for hundreds of years, burdened by knowlege they never wanted, and tormented by visions they can’t understand.
Some of the clues lie in plain sight, like the obscure form of a woman on the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the world’s greatest medieval works of art. Other times, the mystery makes itself known in more subtle ways. A scratch on the skin. An empty room.
Sister Mary Rose Harlowe and Broderick Ellis have never met, yet find themselves thrown together, racing to get answers that can prevent disasters and save countless lives. And just as they’ve solved the mystery, they discover that the most shocking revelation is about their own lives.
A secret can live forever, or it can hide forever. It can’t do both.
"A page turner...there are times when I couldn't read it fast enough...Bud Gundy has created a truly innovative romp through history, captured in a voice that is magical and amusing."
In current day San Francisco, Sister Mary Rose Harlowe and Broderick Ellis are brought together by a mysterious old woman to solve a mystery that began in Ireland at the time of the potato famine. Mary Rose and Broderick find themselves in a mad rush to get answers that can prevent disasters and save countless lives. What they uncover is truly remarkable, secret powers that have been in play for centuries. It is something that the holy authorities in Rome will do anything to crush. But as remarkable as this mystery is, Mary Rose and Broderick discover that the most shocking revelation is about their own lives.
Bud Gundy has created a truly innovative romp though history, captured in a voice that is magical and amusing. The plot is chock full of twists and turns and the two protagonist must use their considerable wits to maneuver between the landmines.
Like most good stories, it is the characters that make this tale so interesting. Sister Mary Rose is a devout nun, but she is also a headstrong woman who will not be pushed around by her ‘superiors’. Broderick is a fun-loving gay atheist. Together, they clash in a fun way, much like the Odd Couple or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The plot is both serious and fanciful. It is fast paced and there are times when I couldn’t read it fast enough. It is a page-turner with a surprise ending.
There are times in the story when Sister Mary Rose climbs onto her soapbox to convince Broderick there is a holy power, and to me (a non-Christian) it sounded too much like preaching. I would have preferred that the author have gotten his point across in more subtle ways.
This is a wonderful read that I highly recommend to all readers who love well-drawn characters and a superb story.
- Alan Chin, The Examiner
Bud Gundy reads an excerpt from his new novel Elf Gift at Under One Roof in San Francisco. December 12, 2012.