The Medici Dagger is a roller coaster of a book from beginning to end. It starts in the past and progresses to the present and involves the hunt for Leonardo da Vinci’s Circles of Truth, a coded fifteenth-century map that will lead to the Medici Dagger. The dagger is an ingenious but lethal weapon worth a fortune to arms manufacturers who will do anything to obtain it, even commit murder.

Reb Barnett is a Hollywood stuntman with a tragic past. He lives on the edge in order to avoid thinking about and dealing with his problems. However all this is brought to the fore when he receives a mysterious phone call that appears to send him on a trip to Italy, one that he would rather not make. For Reb the dagger is the only link to his father who died in rather strange circumstances many years ago. He soon finds himself in Italy trying to not only keep himself alive but also Antonia Gianelli an Italian scholar who happens to have the second part of the mystery. They soon find themselves battling to solve the mystery of da Vinci’s Circles of Truth while trying to keep the outcome to themselves.

For me The Medici Dagger is one of those rare books that grip the reader from the start. The author has very cunningly managed to weave together art and history in a stunningly action-packed thriller. It is part James Bondish, part historical a lá Indiana Jones. It is a novel full of gritty realism with an interesting historical twist. The characters (even the minor ones) are rounded and convincing and the storyline is quite believable. What we have in The Medici Dagger is high-octane drama with a cracking ending. As a debut crime novel this is certainly a very good read. One the author should be proud of.

Oh by the way, did I forget to say that I think that it would also make an excellent movie.