The Cana Mystery by David Beckett

★★★☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

I had mixed feelings while reading this novel. Parts of it kept me at the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. But parts of it seemed farfetched and made me shake my head at the worldviews and assumptions of the characters.

Of course scientific conclusions are shaped and data interpreted by scientists. The strong waft of Catholic secularism permeated the scientific descriptions in the book: I felt a strong agenda that defined in a particular way the archaeological discoveries in the story. (So 3 stars instead of 4: I'd rather draw my own conclusions than be told so definitely what to think.)

That said, I had fun with this caper. The characters were interesting and mostly believable as they circled the Mediterranean coast. The adventures at times seemed fantastical and over-the-top, which made it all the more riveting. I'd take this book along on a long plane trip in a heartbeat!