Four medieval knights. One cursed secret. A stolen relic that could grant eternal life—if someone doesn't kill for it first.
When a priceless reliquary vanishes from Canterbury Cathedral on the eve of the Pope's historic visit, ARKANE agent Morgan Sierra is called to investigate what should be a simple theft. But when the relic reappears—and proves to be a fake—Morgan realizes she's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a robbery.
The missing relic contains a fragment of Archbishop Thomas Becket's skull, the saint martyred by four knights in 1170. But there's another relic connected to those knights, one hidden for over 800 years. The heart of Methuselah, said to grant nearly a thousand years of life. And someone will do anything to possess it.
Morgan's investigation leads her from the gothic grandeur of Canterbury Cathedral to the shadowed corridors of a Boston biomedical company, where CEO Dr. Kelley Montague-Breton presides over a empire built on human remains. Kelley carries the burden of her family's darkest secret—a legacy that stretches back to the medieval knights who killed Becket and stole something far more valuable than gold from an ancient tomb in the Holy Land.
As Morgan races to recover the stolen relic before the Pope's arrival, she uncovers a chilling conspiracy that connects medieval penance to modern science, and ancient curses to the multi-billion dollar trade in human body parts. The four knights sought redemption through a sacred artifact. Their descendants have turned that quest into something monstrous.
An Archaeological Thriller with Gothic Horror
Tomb of Relics weaves together historical mystery and modern suspense in J.F. Penn's signature style. The novel explores the dark intersection of faith and science, immortality and mortality, and the price some will pay to cheat death.
From the Martyrdom site in Canterbury Cathedral to medieval tombs in the Judean Hills, from Boston's biomedical laboratories to ancient reliquaries hidden for centuries, Morgan must untangle a web of secrets before more blood is spilled on holy ground.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
- Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series (The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons)
- James Rollins' Sigma Force adventures with historical mysteries
- Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's Pendergast novels
- Strong female protagonists
- Religious thrillers rooted in authentic history
- Gothic mysteries set in cathedrals and ancient sites
- Archaeological adventures with supernatural elements
- Stories about relics, saints, and the medieval Church
- Medical thrillers with ethical dilemmas
- Canterbury Cathedral and Thomas Becket history
Series Information: Tomb of Relics is Book 12 in the ARKANE thriller series featuring Morgan Sierra. Each book is a complete adventure with beginning, middle, and satisfying end, but characters and relationships develop across the series. Morgan's partnership with Jake Timber deepens with each mission, and long-time readers will appreciate the evolution of her character. New readers can start here and enjoy the story fully, then explore the rest of the series.
Themes & Setting: The novel explores profound questions about mortality, the ethics of the human body trade, religious relics and their power, medieval history and penance, and what price we'd pay for immortality. Set primarily in Canterbury, England, with scenes in Boston, USA, and historical sequences in the Holy Land during the Crusades. The atmospheric portrayal of Canterbury Cathedral during renovation adds authenticity and gothic atmosphere.
Story Details:
- Genre: Religious thriller, Archaeological adventure, Gothic mystery
- Series: ARKANE Book 12 (can be read as standalone)
- Length: Novella
- Reading time: 2-4 hours
- Mood: Dark, atmospheric, fast-paced, thought-provoking
- Setting: Canterbury and Northumberland, England, Boston USA
- Main Character: Morgan Sierra
- Content note: Contains descriptions of medieval violence, dark themes around mortality
Author Note: "I've been fascinated by Canterbury Cathedral since childhood, and the story of Thomas Becket's martyrdom has always haunted me. When I discovered the real history of the four knights—banished to the Holy Land in penance—I knew I had to explore what secrets they might have uncovered in those ancient tombs. This is also one of my most personal books, exploring themes of mortality and what we leave behind." — J.F. Penn