399 pages
English language
Published April 10, 2011 by Penguin Canada.
Out of the searing heat and sandstorms of the infamous summer of 2003 in Baghdad comes The Witch of Babylon, a gripping story rooted in ancient Assyrian lore and its little-known but profound significance for the world. John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother, Samuel, a mover and shaker in New York's art world. Caught between his brother's obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq's National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one. Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist-two men with their own secrets to hide-John races against time to unearth the dark history behind the old science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all? Against his will John is …
Out of the searing heat and sandstorms of the infamous summer of 2003 in Baghdad comes The Witch of Babylon, a gripping story rooted in ancient Assyrian lore and its little-known but profound significance for the world. John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother, Samuel, a mover and shaker in New York's art world. Caught between his brother's obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq's National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one. Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist-two men with their own secrets to hide-John races against time to unearth the dark history behind the old science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all? Against his will John is taken back to Iraq. Awaiting him is a fabulous underground treasure trove and the truth behind a famous story the world believes is only a myth. John needs to unearth the dark history behind the old science of alchemy while trying to survive through a deadly game set up by an old childhood friend.
i thought i would be all over this, a thriller involving ancient alchemical cults, with a bibliography a mile long. unfortunately i found it mostly boring. there was no thrill in this thriller thanks to unrelatable characters and flat writing. on the plus side, i’m now more interested in the actual history that underlies the premise, so the aforementioned bibliography is worthwhile.
