The Blood Cloth Syndicate

A Relics Novel #1

By: Joseph Racconti

Narrated by: Shaun Toole

A group of people forged in the fire of ancient Israel, the shadowy remnants of a French claim to power and one of the most controversial relics to ever exist.

Brothers John and Jimmy have a big night planned with one of their childhood friends, but when they arrive at his house to find he is missing, their plans take an unexpected turn.

Information they receive while visiting their grandfather, the last remaining relative, spurs the reunion of old friends who discover their relationships were not by chance.

Can they follow the clues left behind in order to continue the work of their ancestors?

Do they have what it takes to stop a secret religious cult before they change the world forever? Can they rebuild The Blood Cloth Syndicate?

©2014 Joseph Keffer (P)2015 Joseph Keffer

Really great book!

This novel was amazing; I listened to the audiobook version and it was the author's vivid and intense writing that really made it stand out. A group of friends in Israel find themselves in the middle of conflict and the originality shines through without ever losing momentum. The characters themselves felt alive and complex, almost as if they were real, and the book starts from right away with vibrant and scenic descriptions. The Blood Cloth Syndicate is an excellent novel and I highly recommend it.

The bad guys are playing for keeps.

A group of brothers and friends get swept up into a mysterious conspiracy. As one by one they are threatened or injured, they band together to sort things out. Brothers John & Jimmy think their aged grandfather, their last living relative, may have some answers. What they learn about an ancient religious relic is almost too much to believe. However, their French foe is definitely convinced of it’s existence and will stop at nothing to locate it. This thriller will take the reader to various parts of the world as you follow along on this entertaining ride.

This book combined mystery, action, and archaeology – some of my favorite things. As this band of men dig into the mystery, they must visit various archaeological sites to find the answers. These characters are constantly in motion. Which is a good thing because the bad guys aren’t holding still either. There is a French organization convinced of their moral right to attain and hold on to the bloody shroud Jesus was wrapped in when he was taken down from the cross. They have funds, trained personnel, and a deep drive to accomplish their task. Indeed, our good guys face true danger and not all of them live to the end of the book.

There is even some collateral damage. Sad, but realistic. I really appreciated that the author kept this real. Many action flicks don’t really include a good guy body count. By showing us that the bad guys are competent and willing to kill to achieve their goal, the story was that much more gripping. Some scenes were very potent because of this, especially when there was collateral damage to those not involved in the pursuit of the shroud.

There is one weakness to this book: the ladies. Yep. There are just a handful, none of them make plot decisions, they are not working with the good guys, and we never see two of them together chatting about the plot (which is something the guys do all the time). With that said, I did like Jenny who was competent with handguns and hand-to-hand combat. She’s a bit of a psycho, but late in the story we see a more human side to her.

The author had characters of various ethnic backgrounds which was awesome! It also tied into the plot as the characters dig into their roots and try to figure out what their ancestors and dead relatives did or did not know concerning the relic. While the ancient relic is of a religious nature, the story never gets preachy. This was awesome as well.

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks!

The Narration: Shaun Toole did a decent job. His French accent was better than it was in The Statement of Andrew Doran. He had distinct voices for all the characters, including the ladies. His voice for Andy threw me off at first as Andy sounded mildly retarded to me; however, it’s clear from the story that he is not.

I enjoyed this book

The story kept me coming back for more with this book. As always I want there to be more, but i get that all books have to end. I will definitely look for more by this author!

Suspense

Any additional comments?

This audiobook is full of suspense and action packed. It keeps you wanting more and on edge until it's resolved.. The narration is also very good

Dreadful narration spoils a good book

The plot is not a new one - a family secret held down the centuries hides something so momentous ( I won't tell you what), that people in a particular organisation will kill to find it.
It is well-written, with a good pace, plenty of action, though it is rather violent at times.

Having said that, I didn't finish it and will continue on Kindle, as I want to know what happens.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I couldn't bear to listen to this narrator any more.
Admittedly, there were a large number of characters, but the changes in pace, tone and pitch was painful to listen to and I gave up. Growly voices, squeaky voices, weird accents and everything in between, few of them seemed to fit the characters they were supposed to portray. It became too unbearable, and I had to abandon the attempt.
Such a pity. I do hope a different narrator is chosen for the next book.

Amazing story

This is a fantastic story! Just a great story! The ONLY thing that I didn't like was the narrators change of voices.. While I know that we need a change in voices, some of them made what's supposed to be a grown man sound childish or just plain goofy! Other than that, Fantastic story!

A good thriller

I really enjoyed this book, it had a lot of twists and turns, definitely keeps the reader guessing. A few complete shocks too. 

I struggled a little with the narration, at times I thought it was fantastic but the changes in tone and inflection for different characters was off putting. They just didn't seem quite right. 

The Blood Cloth Syndicate: Relics Review

I thought his was an exceptionally good story with realistic characters. Very enjoyable and terrific narration by Shaun Toole.

I'd recommend giving this one a listen and will likely check out the next in the series.

Audiobook received in exchange for an honest review.

Hard to finish

What would have made The Blood Cloth Syndicate better?

A new narrator

Any additional comments?

Unfortunately, I couldn't listen much past Chapter 1. The voice was annoying and almost impossible to listen to.

The Blood Cloth Syndicate

Would you try another book from Joseph Racconti and/or Shaun Toole?

Maybe with a different narrator

What could Joseph Racconti have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

hired a different narrator or just had Mr Toole read it without 'voices'

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His character voices were atrocious.There were some I couldn't even hear.

Any additional comments?

I wanted to finish this book.I tried twice and could not get past the terrible narration.Shaun Toole does an atrocious job of character voices.