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THE ILLUMINATION
by Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori
Macmillan, January 2009
309 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 0312375972


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

An especially valuable artefact is looted from Saddam's treasury during the chaos of April 2003. The thief murders the artefact's caretaker, then buries the mysterious object but is, in turn fortuitously slaughtered before he can retrieve the priceless item.

Five years later, journalist Dana Landau finds a leather pouch decorated with eyes on either side in Baghdad's sands. Inside is a strange pendant and Dana decides to send it to her sister, Natalie, with whom she had quarrelled prior to leaving for Iraq. She gives it to a colleague, Rusty, with instructions to deliver it to Natalie. Unfortunately, a servant sees the object before it leaves Dana's possession and she is murdered - as is, subsequently, the unfortunate Rusty.

For an object that is supposed to provide protection (as evidenced by the eyes) the Eye of Dawn doesn't appear too efficient.

Hasan Sabouri is a fearsome creature, so far as his countrymen are concerned. He has blue eyes and therefore is reputed to have the "evil eye" and is able to kill simply by looking at a person. Even his wife takes good care never to look in his eyes. This strange man learns of the whereabouts of the pendant and is determined to "rescue" it from Natalie.

Various groups, motivated by religion or just plain greed are on the heels of the oblivious Natalie. She, however, is determined to learn the translation of the inscription inside the leather pouch containing the pendant.

There is, as in the authors' previous work, plenty of action. The pages are littered with bodies and the streets surrounding Natalie must surely be soaked with blood. She does, however, acquire a protector in the person of a former colleague of Dana's. Or is he as devoted to her welfare as she thinks? Given the way various people who at first appear to be allies rapidly become enemies, perhaps Natalie should be even more on her guard than the murders have made her.

While the foundation of the tale, the notion that a portion of the Light, that was created before the creation of night and day could be separated from the whole and put in a pendant, is quite intriguing, it's a shame that the tale descends into a bloodbath, no matter how exciting the chases. To my mind, more could have been made of the Light, rather than all the murders.

I must say that I enjoyed the authors' first collaboration rather more than this outing although it was, in its way, quite intriguing.

Reviewed by Denise Pickles, December 2008

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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