AustLit

"Theo Griepenkerl, visiting Iraq, discovers an ancient Aramaic manuscript and smuggles it back to Canada. When he translates it, it turns out to be an eyewitness account of the crucifixion, revealing the all-too-fallible humanity of Christ. Theo writes a foreword, finds a small publisher game enough to take it on and the narrative moves to the book tour. Fun cameos abound: homicidal believers, suicidal ex-believers, sneering cynics, a nuggetty little smalltime publisher and a glossy American senior editor who pulls out a handgun to save Theo from a pistol-toting crazy. Then Theo's Manhattan reading is firebombed, he's kidnapped by an odd-couple of mismatched zealots - and the plot really ramps up." (Publisher's blurb)