Red Templar (Templar, #6) by Paul Christopher

Red Templar (Templar, #6) Reviews

• 
  Harvey Burgess

  Paul Christopher's "Red Templar" is the sixth and far and away the best entry into his terrific Templar series featuring Col. John 'Doc' Holliday. Christopher (a well-cloaked pseudonym) further establishes his credentials as a master of developing characters and atmosphere, easily on a par with the greatest in any genre. In this episode, Holliday and sidekick Eddie Alfonso, a Cuban/Russian bear of a man who joined Holliday in a previous adventure, are pulled into a labyrinth of deception and intrigue by a mysterious and erratic former Soviet who has convinced them he knows the location of the near-mythical fourth Templar sword that, by implication, can unlock certain secrets dating back to the Crusades and that could change the course of world religion and, perhaps, metaphorically dethrone the mighty Catholic Church. There are those at home and abroad who want to stop Holliday's quest, and in this sprawling adventure they use all manner of method to exact that end. I can't say too much without giving away key plots, but the closing chapters are literally explosive and fascinating in their historical roots. This is a marvelous adventure and well worth the trip. Paul Christopher has, from 'Michaelangelo's Notebook' through 'Red Templar', thoroughly established himself as one of the best action/adventure writers ever to put pen to paper.
  
• 
  Claire Scarrott

  I am a fan of any Templar mystery related fiction and Templar hidden symbols and mysterious objects and secrets are Paul Christopher's stocking trade. He didn't disappoint and dished them up liberally in this book. It is a wonderful escapist read.
  
  I only gave it 4* because just occasionally it would seem to drag but over all Christopher pulled it off with tense scenes of excellent writing where John Holliday our hero uses his army training or historical knowledge to get himself and others out of a sticky situation or to crack secret codes and move nearer the prize.
• 
  Tracey

  This was very different read then I expected , it had suspense and history in it that I enjoyed reading .
• 
  Andrew Macrae

  What do the Knights Templar, Vladimir Putin, Rasputin, Fabergé Eggs, and Stalin’s secret subway have in common? They are all elements of this brash, bold, and bodacious mash-up of Dan Brown, Indiana Jones, and Grand Guignol theatre.
  
  One-eyed, retired U.S. Army Ranger John Holliday is a twenty- first century Templar, a position he inherited with reluctance along with a bankcard providing access to the order’s seemingly unlimited funds. He and his friend and boon companion, Edimburgo Alfonso, a tall, black Cuban with a talent for languages, piloting aircraft and killing, are dragooned into yet another mission and this quest takes them to Mother Russia in search of a long-buried secret. A secret for which many have died searching for and has been fiercely guarded by fanatics far too willing to kill to prevent its discovery.
  
  The body count in this fast- paced adventure is not just high... it’s astronomical. Secondary characters fall left and right as fast as the pages turn. The Vatican, the U.S. State Department, the Russian Government, and the Russian mob (is there a difference?) and even the Templar’s own governing directors— ostensibly on Holliday’s side but distrustful of his access to their secret wealth—all conspire, connive, and sometimes cooperate in their efforts to control this howitzer of a loose cannon.
  
  The scene shifts from Saint Petersburg to Moscow, to points between, and even further, and if Holliday’s mother ever told him to keep his mind out of the gutter he didn’t pay attention, as there’s more traipsing through sewers in this book than any novel by Victor Hugo.
  
  Unlike other writers in this popular genre, Paul Christopher does his homework. Frequent visits to Wikipedia while reading this yarn confirm much of what is presented as background and his description of modern day street life in Russia rings with the sound of truth or what passes for it in such stories. So, sit down, strap in, hold on, and enjoy a rollercoaster of a ride.
  
  Reviewed by Andrew MacRae for Suspense Magazine
• 
  Matt

  Well... I have to admit that I was highly unimpressed with this installment and feel that Mr. C may be slipping into the mediocrity he did with his previous series (the name escapes me). While some have called it a DaVinci-esque type book, I would not offer it that honour. The Templar theme has faded into the background as a secondary or even tertiary focus and the development of something related to that theme was entirely lost on me.
  
  I will admit, Paul Christopher did a lot of background research on Russian history and it shows in spades throughout the book. Perhaps a little far-fetched using Vlad Putin as one of the characters, but I do not disagree with the way he is described or his back room motives. Even the pokes at the Canadian PM were not far off from what Putin probably feels. (It also proves that Christopher is Canadian, as no US author would take the time to mention the Head of Government of their neighbour to the North.)
  
  I found the Russian and Spanish dialogue highly irritating, though it does show a great deal of research. I speak neither language and felt, especially with the Russian, like a car stuck in mud as my eyes tried to decipher what was said. The occasiona Cyrillic when it comes to signs and the like is fine, but the jilted conversation (and sometimes no translation) made me feel I was watching a foreign film and were expected to pick up on the theme of the conversation.
  
  I did not feel the action, the move forward and the Templar nature of the case. Loads of killing and speculating, even some historical treasure found (and something Biblical). I felt more as though this was a Cotton Malone story, though not written as well as anything Mr. Berry would pen.
  
  July, you can redeem yourself in July, Mr. Christopher. Your teaser of the next book sounds good... let's hope it is!
• 
  Stephen

  not the best in the series so far maybe the author is running out of ideas yes action paced but felt missing something
• 
  Rusty Dalferes

  This one is another unfortunate entry in the series that starts with a good plot backbone, but proceeds to shoot itself in the foot with some truly bad narrative points, including many I've noted in previous reviews of earlier books in this series, but also some new ones that go so far as to contradict what those earlier books had already established. I'd recommend this only to people who have read the earlier books in the series and simply feel the need to finish the whole set, but I can't say I recommend it as a stand-alone novel.
  
  Set immediately after the end of the previous book, the sixth in the series begins with "Doc" Holliday and his newest friend, Eddie (a black Cuban who was living in the Central African Republic who just happens to speak Russian), trying to escape their African tribulations at the Khartoum airport. There they are approached by a Russian man claiming to be an archivist from the Hermitage in Moscow with possible information on the whereabouts of a fourth Templar sword (the first was left to Doc in the initial book in this series, and a second and third had been found throughout the series), and tries to use that information to entice Doc and Eddie to help him search for a Faberge egg which allegedly holds a secret about Jesus. The search takes Doc and Eddie to Russia and other locales, all the while being chased by forces sent by Vladimir Putin, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Vatican, the White House national security office, and other nefarious forces.
  
  Once again, the outline of the plot of this book sounds like the makings of a fantastic international thriller with historical underpinnings, yet the plot proceeds with so many obvious mistakes (made by both the characters in their decisions and the author in his narrative) that the plot is no longer plausible. Again, Doc seems to jump into another international mission without any thought, planning, or basic security measures, and proceeds to compound this lack of forethought with a complete absence of any operational security, like, say, having all the main characters sleep on a train at the same time, without setting watches, when they know they're being pursued by enemies. Another character is noted as entering Harvard Law School at age 18 (without noting an early graduation from high school or college). Someone is also described as being a high-ranking official in the White House national security apparatus who had been BOTH an assistant director at the CIA AND a deputy director of the FBI, which simply wouldn't happen in the real world (the FBI and CIA are famously contentious agencies who have different mandates, so it's extremely unlikely that someone would rise to a director level at both). The author names Brian Statham as a famous action star (instead of Jason Statham), and names Doc's dead wife as Fay, though in every other book her name has been Amy. And, without giving away spoilers to the conclusion, I HATE HATE HATE the trope of "we've just found the most earth-shattering artifact in the history of mankind, but we're going to destroy it because doing so is an easier plot to write than actually describing the repercussions of that artifact being made public." At least two stars were deducted for all of these disappointing narrative mistakes.
  
  And yet a third star is deducted because of the abysmal edit. The copy is full of spelling and punctuation errors, poorly translated phrases in other languages, and formatting errors (like internal thoughts not being set apart by being in Italics). It was already hard enough to get through the book with the narrative issues, but having to deal with grammatical issues as well is too much.
  
  I kept reading this series because I have a hard time not finishing a series once I start it, and there have been some four-star books in Christopher's Templar saga, but this was not one of them. For those of you who, like me, need to finish a series once started, consider this a rickety bridge in the overall story between earlier narratives and the ultimate conclusion to the series that will come in later books. I can only really recommend this book in that way: as a stepping stone to a saga's conclusion.
• 
  Eden Thompson

  From my book blog
  www.JetBlackDragonfly.blogspot.com
  Amongst my holiday reading was this thriller by Paul Christopher. It looked like a standard Russian KGB/Nazi/Templar treasure hunt action novel and whatever the plot was, its stunning revelation is about to unleash cataclysmic changes unto the world as we know it. They usually do.
  Red Templar caught me by surprise with its crazy plot twists, fast action, and I was soon loving it. I since found out it's the sixth in a series which began with The Sword of the Templars, and continues up to The Lost City of the Templars. If I knew that I might have expected more of an Indiana Jones style adventure, which is what it really is. The pace is fast, there is action on virtually every page.
  
  John Holliday has a doctorate in history and teaches at West Point. He carries the Codex Mysterium, a bloodstained notebook he was handed in the first novel, which contains 900 years of Templar history including names, accounts, and secret codes.
  In the series he is on the quest to retrieve four sacred Templar Swords for the East, West, North and South. In the last book, he obtained the Sword of the West, and he inherited the Sword of the East in the first novel. These are the four swords mentioned in the Arabian Nights, which also mentions the fabled fifth Sword of the Rose.
  
  Some books lay out the whole plot on the back of the paperback; this jumps right past that as John returns from an African adventure and is stopped by a man as he transfers through Russia, the man knows of the Sword of the North. He and his buddy are soon whisked off to Bulgaria, where an old monks last deed is to show them a picture of a secret 1945 meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, an evil group who have been secretly ruling for hundreds of years, including Soviet Ambassadors, Stalin's former Minister, head of Soviet Secret Police, Vladimir Putin's father, and George W. Bush's great Grandfather. The Sword of the North was made by a magical midget blacksmith - yes - and hidden by the Templars ~ the key to its' location hidden inside one of the Faberge eggs on display in the Kremlin! John must get the egg, and find the key and the sword before the KGB goons pursuing him catch up…they are right on his tail!
  You may be thinking this sounds far fetched, and it is, but it's amazing how much he has jammed into this thriller. He also throws in Rasputin, Czar Nicholas the second, George the fifth and the British Royal throne, Philby and the Cambridge Five spy ring, secrets of the Hermitage, vaults of the Kremlin, Vatican assassin, stolen bi-planes, an escape from the TransSiberian railway, diabolical booby traps in Ivan the Terrible's torture dungeon, Vladimir Putin's secret gang of henchmen, Constantine's great library, bejewelled caverns hundreds of feet below the Kremlin with spiral staircases going further down to golden altars, a hidden gospel possibly written by Jesus himself, the ark of the covenant, and the power to destroy the Western world. And I am not even telling you all of what is in Red Templar!
  
  That being said, it was a terrific read! Just sit back and take it all in.
  Christopher has his tongue in his cheek with lots of humour and danger. Several times he references Dan Brown and Indiana Jones, so you know he's having fun with it.
  I was incredulous at first, expecting a Robert Ludlum style KGB thriller, but found the type of book I really have fun with. A completely ridiculous adventure with a capital A. By the end I wanted more and followed Red Templar with his first book, The Sword of the Templars (next review). I look forward to all the others ~ though what is left in the kitchen sink after this novel, I have no idea. Adventure fans looking for a modern day Indiana Jones, I highly recommend it!
  I read lots of thrillers and my rating may be high, but for my personal surprise enjoyment of it - sheer fun - as well as just pulling it all together, I give it five stars.
• 
  Dr Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya

  Book Review: Red Templar (The Templar Series)
  Author: Paul Christopher
  
  Red Templar is Paul Christopher's sixth book in The Templar Series and by far the best in the series. The terrific series featuring Col. Holiday. Christopher has developed the characters and atmosphere through the entire series in such audacity that the series stays at par with some other famous ones around the world. In this book the protagonist Holiday indulged into another labyrinth of mystery and nail biting thriller in Soviet Union in search of the location of four Templar swords.
  This is a marvelous adventure and worth the read.
  Three stars for Red Templar
• 
  Conor Grath

  Another brilliant book by Paul Christopher. It has everything from secret societies and clandestine organisations, the Vatican, the fsb or kgb as it was known. Important world leaders involved in world wide secrets and power plays, This time its all to do with Russian history but all the time the secrets of the templars, I look forward to getting reading the rest of the series. I have read the next one Valley of the templars.
• 
  Dave

  Although I enjoyed this book I found that too many characters appeared and disappeared leaving me confused about who was doing what and to whom at times.
  
  I’ll still continue to the next book in the series and let’s hope it’s a little less complicated a storyline.
• 
  Allen Steele

  The names of the different people as well as the phrases in Russian were definitely challenging. However, this was exciting and historical. I might read other books in series. Very smooth equable writing, energetic and action packed.
• 
  Jeremy

  couldn't finish it. done with this series.
• 
  Simon Foley

  Not as good as the previous one, but an entertaining read nonetheless.
• 
  Maxence Perico

  Pas mal.
• 
  Speesh

  It's absolutely possible that this is the best in the series so far. I know for many that won't be saying a whole lot, but hey! I enjoy them. You probably will as well, if you come to admit it (in public) or not. You just have to avoid looking too long into the plot's darker corners.
  
  Otherwise, it is great escapism, with a touch of realism, some interesting 'facts' here and there (I haven't fact checked, but they certainly sound plausible enough) and well put together over all. Well worth you wasting some time and money (I've bought them all pretty much second-hand, so not too much money) on. Looking forward to reading the next one.
  
  
  Speesh Reads. Probably the internet's best book blog
• 
  Alanpalmer

  OK , The Title should have told me but I picked this up from the library in the hopes for some historical fiction. We have the perfect conspiracy thriller. The Templars, Catholic Church, Russian Orthodox, Vladimir Putin, Medvedev, secret societies ( The order of the Phoenix, no Harry Potter though) Even a guest appearance by George HW Bush. With a couple of disparaging comments about Dan Brown and Indiana Jones before it tries and fails to be both of these combined with some James Bond Ns Tom Clancy techno thrillers the result is more like Father Ted complete with Bishop Brenan. This author has a great imagination, some knowledge of vivid and detailed ways of killing people, a twisted interpretation of history I can not comment on his knowledge of weapons but as for technology? GPS signals do not penetrate 300 ft under ground when tall buildings in a city can confuse disrupt them.
  
  If you like the above description of this total mix of every mystic conspiracy spy supernatural quasi religious thriller you'll love it. For my part , an edition of the famous five is more believable and more entertaining.
• 
  Laurie Tomchak

  Excruciatingly badly written. The cuban character speaks ill-translated Spanish. One can only wonder how the author has done with the Russian passages. I tend to finish books, even if they are poorly written, but I'm tempted just to take this one only half-read to the used book store. It's like a cold war book in a time warp. I had hoped for more templar references. sigh. It didn't ever get better, though I enjoyed the glimpses of current Russian society. Women have little or no place in this world. It seems to be a nihilistic one in which the "sides" in the battle between good and evil keep changing. You kill someone who saved your life a year ago, and it's not certain why. The templar/albigensian plot is never developed. The characters come and go, shoot and are shot at, blood spurts. Something about a gospel written by Jesus himself, an ark of the covenant, but this is never developed. Fairly complete descriptions of sewage pipes and weapons, meals and the resulting flatulence. A Russian Snowplow plays a prominent part. Off to the used bookstore with it.
• 
  Rob

  A decent read about the search for a templar secret in the heart of Russia. Good action throughout the novel. The author also does a great job to introduce each character - especially those who get killed off quickly afterwards. This makes each action episode feel more real.
  
  I was confused at times trying to keep the templars, order the of phoenix, Russian 4, Catholic church, US government, and treasure hunters straight. After a while I just ignored all the elaborate connections between the groups and just read for the action components. I thought is was also a bit of a reach to connect storyline in with the templars... did not seem to fit. This is part of a series and I think reading the earlier novels should happen first. Book can stand on its own, but probably reads better in the series.
• 
  Lorraine Webb

  OK, so I didn't really start it today - I just finished it today. Started it about a week ago. I found it difficult to get into and never really bonded with the characters. Very visual storyline - you could tell it was written in the hopes that it might become a film. It would probably work better as a film. For me it was a book I didn't want to leave unfinished, but didn't find difficult to put down and pick up again later. I'd read another in the series if I spotted it on the hotel bookshelf and there wasn't anything else I fancied... but I wouldn't go out and buy it from a good bookshop if I were looking for something to read.
• 
  Tommy

  This is the 6th book in Christopher's Templar series and I have enjoyed every one of them. This one takes place mostly in Russia so the frequent use of Russian dialogue seemed to slow down the pace of my reading as I tried to pronounce the Russian words & then decifer what was said. There was also a lot of Spanish dialogue from the main character's sidekick. this also slowed down the pace as I don't know Spanish. However, the use of these languages did not deter from the storyline.