The God Machine
by J.G. Sandom
Published by Bantam Dell
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Review by Susan Palmer
What do Abraham, Leonardo Da Vinci, Ben Franklin and Edison all have in common? The creation of the God Machine, an engineering blueprint passed on for generations of freemasons. It is present day and Joseph Koster is summoned by his friend Nick Robinson, a collector of unique books, for a task of finding the Gospel of Judas. Nick had previously sent Joseph on a quest for the Gospel of Thomas, which Joseph did not succeed and had lost his girlfriend Marianne in the process. Joseph still has nightmares about that quest. Nick promises Joseph this will be last quest and even offers someone to help Joseph, an electrical engineer named Savita Sajan.
As both Savita and Joseph search through Benjamin Franklin’s coded journal in the task of finding pieces of a map that direct them to the Gospel of Judas, many people try to harm them in their quest. Joseph concludes that not everyone wants the Gospel of Judas to get out, which could possibly destroy Christianity along with the prospect of Jesus Christ asking Judas to betray him, rather than Judas taking on the action alone. Roman Catholics and present-day Freemasons would harm Savita and Joseph in this search. What Savita and Joseph do not know is they are not really collecting pieces of a map but pieces of the blueprint that will help someone create a machine that will transport you to God.
J.G. Sandom creates a thriller that compares in suspense of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. The story takes place in present day but also includes snippets of Benjamin Franklin’s time. For Benjamin Franklin was closest of all in building the God Machine. Franklin’s quest was simple: he wanted to be connected with his dead son Franky whom he loved dearly even more than his other children.
This book is considered a sequel to Gospel of Truths, yet it is a story that is fast paced for the reader and succeeds in telling its own story of the God Machine.
Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star thriller.
Author’s Web site: http://www.JGSandom.com