"The Bible of Clay" Review

by Julia Navarro

Bantam
Hardcover
$24.00 or as low as $10.47 from Amazon.com

Julia Navarro's new novel takes place in Iraq shortly before the first Gulf War. Iraqi archeologist Clara Tannenberg has discovered two tablets that refer to another set of tablets written centuries before papyrus which hold Abraham's story of the creation of the world. The discovery threatens the teachings of many different faiths and sets off a competition to find the new "clay Bible" between good guys and bad guys. It's a story reminiscent of Agatha Christie, but without Christie's craftsmanship. It's a compelling idea, but never quite fulfills the promise it makes in the beginning.