The Extraordinary Temptation

Patrick McCusker provided me an e-copy of his book The Extraordinary Temptation in exchange for a review.

The Extraordinary Temptation starts out as what the reader thinks is going to be your basic archaeological treasure hunt adventure. It quickly disabuses that notion. Our hero (the archaeologist) has found (though he doesn't know it immediately) The Crown of Thorns, yes that crown of thorns.

An unscrupulous businessman (you'll have to read the book to get the connections) steals the crown, and finding a desiccated piece of flesh, attempts to clone it. No spoiler here, this is all in the blurb.

The story takes a turn into the macabre and delves deeply into eeriness and horror at this point. The ending brings us back to a Utopian hope.

I don't recall a book that has prompted such visceral reactions in me as I read. I have read many books which have affected me on an emotional level to be sure, but The Extraordinary Temptation went well beyond those.

There are some questionable turns of phrase that were difficult for me as the story is told with British vernacular. The only one I feel pretty sure of commenting on, is when the term "First Nations" is used to identify Native Americans (the former is a Canadian designation not American). Minor, I know but there you go.

For me this story divides itself into three distinct parts. We have the set up in a mundane (not boring) manner, things unfolding the way we would normally expect them. Then we move into the horror, serious horror, that forces us to think about some really unsettling ideas. Questions that quite frankly, scare hell out of me.

The Extraordinary Temptation ends on a much more hopeful, as I said Utopian, note. It still manages to leave us with much to consider. Over all I ended up with a somewhat uneasy feeling.

Author Patrick McCusker has given us much to think about in The Extraordinary Temptation. This is not a lighthearted piece of fluff to pass some time with, it is a story that will probably grab you and take you, for a while at least, into a very uncomfortable place. A unique read is probably the best way to describe it. A very good unique read for sure. Just not an easy one. Enjoy!


Mike