My review of ``Serpent of Moses`` by Don Hoesel

ABOUT THE BOOK

Moses built and lifted up the brass serpent, healing the afflicted Israelites of snakebites.

King Hezekiah called the serpent Nehushtan. Long thought destroyed, it's been buried for millennia, secreted under the region's shifting sands.

Now the Israeli government wants it back and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Yet they're not the only ones who covet the Nehushtan.

Archaeologist Jack Hawthorne travels to Libya intent on recovering the sacred object, but one does not cross the Mossad and expect to walk away without a fight. Jack and his friends must find the priceless "snake of brass upon a pole" before those who are also hunting it find them... and silence them forever.

MY REVIEW

Let me start by saying that Don Hoesel's previous novels have won high recommendations from me for their non-stop action, excellent plots, and Hoesel's strong command of the English language. I therefore approached "Serpent of Moses" with expectations that this book would live up to his previous works. In many ways it did, because the story features plenty of high-octane action scenes and interesting locales. However, for some reason I found much of the story to be somewhat plodding, and I finished the book not even quite clear on whether I liked Jack as a character. He definitely experiences growth during the story, coming to realize that his relationship with his partner is more important than the latest archaeological find or large financial reward. But his whole reason for going after the object in the first place is utterly without merit, and because of this the book lacked the sense of justice and rightness that would make me normally side with the main character and their mission. Jack simply didn't deserve to win anymore than anyone else in the story did. And despite the coolness factor of the artifact, its importance to Israel itself isn't fleshed out that strongly in my opinion.

The result is that I can only give this book a mild recommendation to readers who typically enjoy stories of action and suspense, and a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don Hoesel, the acclaimed author of Elisha’s Bones, Hunter’s Moon, and The Alarmists, lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. Don holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Taylor University. When not writing novels, he spends his days working in the communications department of a large company.