The Second Coming

Heubusch’s debut, 2017’s The Shroud Conspiracy, tells the story of the birth of a baby cloned from DNA found on the Shroud of Turin. Unfortunately, the blood droplets turn out not to have come from Jesus. The resulting child, Hans, is an evil being known as a Watcher, who curses the world with a terrible pandemic. How can this plague be eliminated and the Watcher defeated? In this disappointing sequel, forensic anthropologist Jon Bondurant, an atheist, and believer Domenika Josef decide to solve the problem by cloning another child from blood taken from a different Christian relic. When this new child, Christopher, heals a bunch of sick children in a hospital, it’s clear that this time they’ve got it right. Thus the stage is set for the inevitable showdown between Chris and Hans, but readers must endure loads of predictable religious thriller action before the boys grow up. When the big battle finally arrives, it comes as a brief, unsatisfying letdown. Da Vinci Code fans can safely take a pass on this one. [em]Agent: W. Scott Lamb. (Aug.) [/em]