On the surface of it, Rabb's OVERSEER seems to have what it takes to be a very good read. The premise seems interesting, featuring a cabal of well-placed individuals following the theory of a renaissance scholar in a bid to achieve absolute power. That copies of the scholar's document are scarce and the theory little known gives the story a bit of an Indiana Jones feel. Also, the characters have some depth to them.

Despite all the promise, though, this book disappointed me. It took me more than a month to slog through it and I just never really got into it. There was never the feeling that I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And I'm not sure why. Perhaps the problem was that I found the plot rather predictable. Perhaps it was one of the main characters, Sarah Trent. There were issues from her past affecting the events in the story and her response to them, but they were only dribbled out a bit at a time. I never felt that these connections were made entirely clear and, as a result Trent's hesitancy became a little tedious.

Whatever the problem, THE OVERSEER was something of a letdown for me. Others here have liked it, but I struggled to get through it. The characters and situations simply never became compelling for me. I can't give it an enthusiastic recommendation. There are more intriguing books to be had out there.

I went out and bought this after reading the Washington Post review, and I completely agree. This has got to be one of the smartest thrillers I've ever read. Not only is it a page-turner, but the characters are really compelling, and the twists totally catch you by surprise. Plus, i'ts written very well which is usually hit or miss with a book like this.

The best thing about the book, though, is how it manages to get all the ideas about politics and philosophy across. It's clear Rabb really knows his stuff. Read the manuscript at the end. It will blow you away.

Rumors abound in twentieth century academic circles that in the sixteenth century, a contemporary of Machiavelli wrote a treatise on how to rule the world that makes The Prince look like an elementary school primer. The book, On Supremacy, was considered so harsh, the Pope killed its author and banned the printing of its content.

An ultra-conservative group, headed by the mysterious Overseer, plans to implement the book's guidance so that they can establish a new world order built on their concept of society. While most people from Gibson to Roberts to others reject a conspiracy theory, Fed Sarah Trent and Columbia University professor Xander Jaspers realize that an evil plot to homogenize the world under the cabal's rule is happening. They know that the only way to stop the group from succeeding is to obtain a copy of the infamous Eisenreich manuscript and expose the identity of the Overseer.

The incredibly brilliant story line turns THE OVERSEER into one of the best political thrillers of the decade. The out-Machiavelling of The Prince comes across as genuine with a real historical feel to it. Though the lead protagonists seem to be captured and un-captured a bit too much, Jonathan Rabb has written a thriller that will remain popular way into the new millennium.

Harriet Klausner

This book is a thriller/adventure book. Of course, that is my opinion. It is not a historical mystery or historical thriller. It is not a revelation on the true word of Christ; however, it is a small diatribe on the institution of the Catholic Church. Again, this is only my opinion.

My point being, if you like the thriller or adventure genres, then you might find this book to your liking. If you are considering this book because you find the history of the church or scriptures interesting, or you are looking to find a new, different view of the Bible, look elsewhere.

The story centers on a young priest, Ian Pearse, who gets caught up in a quest to find an ancient scroll. The Manicheans, a secret society of a Faith long thought destroyed by the Catholic Church, desperately want to find the scroll so that they may, in turn, destroy the Catholic Church with its revelations on the true word of Christ.

'The Book of Q' is, at points, far-fetched and contrived. But, hey, this IS fiction. My biggest complaint is the unnecessary detail Rabb uses in his descriptions of the various locales used in the book. Without providing maps to reference, his use of exact street names, as well as exact landmarks, often ends up being frustrating, and distracts from the story. Unless, of course, you have actually been to Vatican City and the other places described in the book.

Read this book for the adventure and suspense, not for theological extrapolations.

I managed to get hold of a pre-pub. version of this book a while back, and i thought it was a very good book. I havent read his other book, the Overseer, but i thought that this one was interesting-despite the amazon editorial review which said it was re-hashed. But anyways, I thought that it was well written, and has so many twists and turns that keep you either on the edge of your seat, or sitting back in amazement at the new plot development. It deals with a priest named Ian Pearse who has this scroll that was supposedly lost many many years ago. The scroll is the most important relic of an ancient religous sect, and is rumored to have information on their plans to institute a one world church, in place of all others. A whole bunch of different people are searching for this scroll for different reasons, and it all gets really crazy. Read the book, its a good one.

I couldn't help but think of Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose when I read this. Rabb has the same ability to take esoteric information and make it jump off the page. The cryptograms were amazing, and the description of the monastery in Greece and the "Vault" were fantastic (a little Indiana Jones there). I also like it when a writer knows a city as well as I do (Rabb has clearly spent a lot of time in Rome). That just makes it more authentic for me.

I agree with the other reviewer who said this isn't really about Christianity. Religion just happens to be the setting for a story that explores other issues like mass manipulation, self-doubt, and the power of language. That it all takes place in a totally gripping novel makes it even better.