The Book of Light

Lily Connor stares at the photograph of the ancient scroll in front of her, barely believing what she is seeing. If the scroll is what she thinks it is, it can only the Book of Light, a biblical document, thousands of years old, purportedly containing the transcribed words of Jesus. No one has been sure the scroll even exists--it's been hidden away from the eyes of the world all this time. Now it's clear to Lily that there are people who will do anything to keep it that way.

Someone, however, wants to reveal the scroll--the question is, who. And why are they sending photographs of it to Samantha Henderson, the head of the Religious Studies Department at Tate University, where Lily is serving as interim chaplain? Samantha asks Lily to investigate, but soon the situation becomes perilous. Questions about the scroll abound, and Lily must decide if the answers are worth the price.

In this third book, Blake has created a story full of rich prose, engaging characters, and a subtle plot that draws the reader inward toward the truth.

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"In the growing subgenre of clerical mysteries, Michelle Blake's series about an Episcopal priest named Lily Connor stands out for a couple of good reasons--besides that essential one of being written with intelligence and grace--that become self-evident in THE BOOK OF LIGHT. For one thing, these books take a long view of crime, finding meaningful lessons in anti-social acts. In EARTH HAS NO SORROW, the issue was hate crimes; in THE TENTMAKER, it was moral corruption; here Blake explores individual commitment to truth. It sounds simple, but the truth can be dangerous, as one of Lily's seminary friends, now teaching at the university outside Boston where Lily serves as chaplain discovers when she learns of an ancient Hebrew text that could undermine the foundation of Christian belief. Watching Lily struggle with this and further challenges to her faith is the other reason Blake's mysteries sustain their interest. "There are many things the Church calls sins that I see as...being human, what people do, who people are..." she says, in the sweet but ever rational voice that defines who she is and why we like her so much."

The New York Times Book Review

"Eloquent prose, astute scholarship, convincing characters and vivid settings, from the streets of Harvard Square to a monastic community on the Greek island of Athos, make this a remarkable work, raising the genre of the parish mystery to new heights."

Publisher's Weekly (starred review)