by M.J. Rose
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Product Description
A bomb in Rome, a flash of bluish-white and photojournalist Josh Ryder's world exploded.
Nothing would ever be the same.
As Josh recovers, his mind is invaded with thoughts that have the emotion, the intensity, the intimacy of memories.
But these are not his memories. They are ancient... and violent. There's an urgency to them he can't ignore--pulling him to save a woman named Sabina... and the treasures she protects.
But who is Sabina?
Desperate for answers, Josh turns to the world-renowned Phoenix Foundation--a research facility that scientifically documents cases of past life experiences. He is led to an archaeological dig and to Professor Gabriella Chase, who has discovered an ancient, powerful secret that threatens to merge the past with the present. Here, the dead call out to the living, and murders of the past become murders of the present.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Meh, 2009-01-06
As an easy beach-type read I liked the book. My main problem with it are occasional lectures about reincarnation, which is not something I really believe in. I think the believer may have a better time with this book as it would appear to be more approachable on that level, but as a guy looking for a thriller it fell short for me.
Objectively I thought the story itself was written well. There were some plot twists which ,in hindsight, were telegraphed in advance, but I don't believe they were very obvious and I did find myself guessing a little throughout the last quarter of the book.
All in all, it was a pleasant diversion for a few hours and I think I got my money's worth (Kindle version here!).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
great concept, fair execution, 2009-01-05
The book was a great concept. Part da Vinci Code, part Last Templar. I thought the book was good in some parts, and other parts it dragged. There wasn't much to an ending.
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
 Visual Pqage Turner, 2008-12-09
This is just one of those books that sucks you in and doesn't let you go. The way Rose writes you think you're watching the whole story.I loved the characters- Josh/Julian especially and I'm fascinated by history so this really was up my alley.
There are books that you read and forget... this wasn't one of those. I keep thinking about the end of the book - it didn't end the way I wanted it to but it had to end that way... it was really moving and somehow right.
Loved it!
7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
 The absolute worst book I have ever read, 2008-12-05
I pride myself on both finding books with plot lines and writing styles out of the norm, and finishing every book I pick up. Perhaps I should have spent a few moments idly flipping pages so I could get a feel for Ms. Roses's sense of prose, or in this case, the lack thereof. What could have been a thrilling page turner is about as animated as the corpse uncovered in the archaeological dig around which the plot takes shape. I ceased trying to make sense of the thing after 260 pages, halfway through the book.
The idea of time travel or of wobbling back and forth between time periods is hardly a new literary theme, but to portray it convincingly takes creativity and attention to detail. "The Time Traveler's Wife" is an excellent example of how to do it well. Rose compounds things by throwing in historical and archaeological references, which one suspects she hasn't spent a heck of a lot of time researching. She then completely goes off the deep end with the theme of reincarnation, the examination of which she tries to turn into a quasi-scientific discipline sporting its own "institute." L. Ron Hubbard stands a better chance of being endorsed by the AMA.
Validity of past lives aside, the plot moves at a snail's pace, whether in the past or the present, doubling back and reiterating what has already been established to the point where one wonders if Ms. Rose considers her readers dolts or she has a hard time remembering what she has heretofore scribed. The characters, even after 260 pages, remain nothing more than cardboard cutouts uttering banalities and conversing with each other in stilted, self-absorbed tones that do nothing to reveal what makes them tick. Elements that could play into Josh's modus operandi are briefly touched upon -- the accident that triggered his condition, his experiences as a photographer, his claustrophobia, his failed marriage -- but none of this is explored. Consequently, he just comes across as depressed, self-pitying and not very likable. His past-life love, Sabina the Vestal Virgin, is initially portrayed as cold-hearted harpy who doesn't give Josh's third-century alter ego the time of day until he (some kind of priest whose exact duties aren't described) rescues her from a fire, whereupon she awakes from unconsciousness, stares into her rescuer's eyes and (presumably, it isn't very clear), becomes smitten with him. Spare me the Harlequin Romance.
Finally, while normally I am not moved one whit by the head shots authors use on the dust-jackets and back covers of their tomes, Ms. Rose's carries perhaps the most conceited, contemptuous expression I have ever seen on the face of any writer, living or dead. Her hauteur, especially in light of this particular bit of drivel, is hardly merited.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Not bad..., 2008-12-02
But not great either. This novel is good enough to entertain during a long plane trip or one's daily commute and it does have its page-turning moments. On the other hand, the plot is predictable and the characters pedestrian. Short story -- If you need something to reduce boredom while you travel or wait in some doctor's office, this novel will do the trick, but it will probably not end up on anyone's "best of" list.
Among its good points are that the historical details are interesting and, as far as I can tell, accurate. The author also does a good job of describing the time and place of events, and in this regard her scope is impressive. She appears to capture the feeling of Central Park and other NYC landmarks quite well and also creates a convincing portrait of Rome and environs, both in ancient times and today.
On the not-so-great side, the plot structure is familiar and offers few surprises. The idea of one's past life "bleeding" through to the current life has been done repeatedly, and often more deftly. (Anya Seton's Green Darkness for instance.) And authors such as Diana Galbadon have set a very high bar for the "time traveling lovers" device. Also, the characters are not particularly well drawn and I found their struggles less than compelling.
If, however, you haven't read many novels about reincarnation and/or "romance through the ages" then The Reincarnationist may be of greater interest to you.
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