Book 4: Holy Spear of Magus

Book 4 in The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series.

In HOLY SPEAR OF MAGUS, Jotham Fletcher is catapulted into yet another another desperate struggle but this time his enemies are more diabolical than ever.

Holy Spear of Magus

The Covenant will be fulfilled

THE MAGUS COVENANT WILL BE FULFILLED AND TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY WILL BE SWEPT AWAY…

Jotham and Madena Fletcher remain dedicated to finding the Simonian Sect. They leave their baby daughter at home and travel to Krakow in Poland to investigate a theology professor known as the Guardian of the Spear. Meanwhile, a mysterious Hungarian arrives at the hilltop monastery of Saint Dimitrios in Greece in search of an ancient relic that is rumoured to be buried there.

When a large Pentecostal Church in San Diego is crippled by a cyberattack, Jotham heads there with young computer genius, Eugene Beaudreau, to find out if the sect is responsible. They meet Pastor Silas Conrad and his strange family who are all obsessed with the Holy Spear and its curative powers.

When two monks arrive from the ruthless Brotherhood led by Father Dominic, Jotham is catapulted into a desperate struggle to track down the Holy Spear and stop it falling into the wrong hands. He races to Europe – but his enemies are more diabolical than he could possibly imagine.

FEATURING: a fast-paced and gripping plot, cybercrime, a mysterious object, murder and an ending that you won’t see coming.

Don’t miss this action-packed thriller!

There are three other books in this series – enjoy Jotham Fletcher’s continuing story.
Book 1: THE MAGUS COVENANT – The secret that will change the world
Book 2: THE ROCK OF MAGUS – Code Red in the Vatican
Book 3: THE MAGUS EPIPHANY – Ancient treasures and a new revelation

HOLY SPEAR OF MAGUS is now available at all Amazon outlets: USA – UK – Australia – Canada – France – Germany – Italy – Netherlands – Spain

Here is an excerpt from HOLY SPEAR OF MAGUS

Chapter 1

Greece

The hilltop monastery of Saint Dimitrios in Greece was more than a thousand years old, perched precariously on top of a sandstone peak in a remote part of Northern Greece. Draco Spiros was seventy years old and he had worked there for more than fifty years. He was like a part of the furniture, ignored by everyone as he went about his work as the maintenance man.

While he waited outside the abbot’s office, he tapped a finger on the arm of the chair to hide his shaking hands. He had been summoned there without any explanation and he knew that mean trouble.

At last he heard a creak as the door opened, and he could see inside the austere office. Father Lambros was eighty years old, but his back was straight despite the constant pain of arthritis. Dressed in a rough grey habit, he glared at the visitor. “Come in, Spiros. I have an important matter to discuss.”

Draco stood up and shuffled into the timber-lined room. Father Lambros wasted no time in getting to the point but he spoke in his normal, calm voice. “I know that you’ve been pilfering money from the monastery. Whatever you could get your hands on, for several years.”

The game was up. Draco felt as if a hole had opened up beneath his feet and he was falling into a deep, dark pit. “No, Father. There’s been a mistake,” he said.

“Everyone knows it, Spiros. We’ve all been watching you for a long time. But I hoped and prayed that you would change your ways and adopt more Godly behaviour.”

He tried to plead his case. “Why would I steal from the monastery? I lead a simple life.”

Father Lambros shook his head. “Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. You used our meagre funds to pay for your gambling and drinking. Now I’ve finally decided to let you go. Your work is finished for today. Leave now and don’t ever come back.

Draco’s head was spinning. “I’ve worked here all my life. My family has worked here for more than a thousand years.”

“I’m aware of your familial ties to the monastery. But you’ve given me no choice.”

Blood rushed to Draco’s head. “You’ll be sorry, Lambros!” he said with a snarl and then charged towards him.

The old man stepped back in fear and cried out for help.

The abbot had been expecting trouble and two monks were waiting nearby. When they heard the scuffle, they burst into the room and grabbed hold of Draco’s arms. Neither of them was young but they were able to manoeuvre the short, stocky man into the corridor. He struggled with them all the way, but they managed to drag him to the front door and throw him out into the cold night air.

He was destined never to return.

***

Krakow, Poland

Jotham and Madena Fletcher were on a three-day trip to Poland and at that moment they were on a stake-out. Their curiosity had been piqued after reading that one young student from the University of Krakow had committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the cathedral. After investigating further, they wanted to find out if the Simonian Sect had infiltrated the Faculty of Theology. The suicide of a student was not that unusual but the young man who had died was popular and loved by his peers; his suicide was completely out of character. Now they were keeping some of the people who worked and studied there under surveillance.

Madena was a former army officer who had come to work for Jotham two and a half years ago. Her job was to help in his quest to stop the Simonian Sect and part of her role was to pass on her martial arts skills. Together, they were a formidable team and she loved her work. But now they were married and the proud parents of a beautiful daughter: little Belle was almost one year old.

Madena was a consummate professional and just as dedicated to their mission as her husband but this was her first time away from Belle for more than one night. They had left her with Cynthia Young, the housekeeper at their estate in the Peak District. She and her husband Felix, the chauffer and handyman, were like the child’s grandparents, and they were confident that she was in safe hands.

After inheriting a fortune from billionaire Iago Visser, Jotham Fletcher decided to dedicate his life to stopping the Simonian Sect. He also wanted to stop the deadly Brotherhood, whose members were willing to commit any crime in pursuit of the same goal.

The Simonian Sect was a cult that followed a religion created by their founder, Simon Magus. He was a nefarious magician who was mentioned briefly in the New Testament. He had a small following that endured after his grisly death, but most people believed that his cult had died out by AD 400.

Three years ago, Jotham Fletcher had been an Anglican parish priest in Australia. He visited Rome to give a lecture but ended up uncovering a shocking conspiracy. He found out then that the sect had in fact survived in secret for two thousand years. There were cells around the world and the goal of the organisation was to fulfil the Magus Covenant, a vow to undermine and destroy the Christian Church. Members of the sect had, since the time of the apostles, infiltrated churches and led people astray. They had inspired most of the church’s misdeeds.

Jotham and Madena did some research before they left home on their current mission, and decided that they wanted to know more about Professor Walter Kowalski. He was the Head of the Department of Church History in the Faculty of Theology. Although he was not a priest, he also had the honorary title of Guardian of the Spear.

“That’s sounds like a peculiar role,” said Madena in her very proper British accent. Jotham couldn’t help gazing at her as she ran a hand through her wavy brown hair.

“I’ve looked into that,” said Jotham. “It’s just an honorary title, given to a well-respected member of the church community,” said Jotham. “There’s a relic on display in Krakow Cathedral that is supposedly the Holy Spear.”

She grimaced. “You mean the spear that a Roman soldier used to stab Jesus on the cross?”

“Yes, that’s right. To check if Christ were still alive, they pierced his side to see if blood flowed out. There was only a trickle, so they presumed that he was dead. But most authorities claim that the spear in Krakow is a copy of the original. There’s no evidence that the relic is genuine and there’s no historical trail of evidence. There are several other claimants around the world, including one in Rome.”

Jotham and Madena flew to Poland the next day in their private jet. Now they were acting like a couple of lovers, which of course they were, relaxing in a café in the main square of the old town. It was right opposite the faculty building, an elaborate late-Gothic structure.

It was a warm spring morning and Professor Kowalski was loitering outside chatting to a group of male students. He was in his late fifties with fair skin and a serene expression. The exchange appeared to be friendly, but Jotham felt uneasy. The students looked so young and naïve and he saw the older man exchange a knowing glance with one of them.

He turned to look at Madena and, as always, was struck by her tall, lean figure and flawless complexion. “What do you think, darling?” he asked.

“Well, I think he looks innocent enough,” she replied, narrowing her wide-apart blue eyes and taking his hand. “But there’s something not quite right in his manner. How many members of the sect have we encountered so far who aren’t what they seem to be at first glance?”

“So what do you suggest?”

“I think we should stake-out his house tonight.”

Jotham nodded. “Agreed. There’s something about him I definitely don’t like.”

END OF CHAPTER ONE

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