The story behind the 'Shroud Codex'

At the USCatholic website, book reviewer Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur calls Jerome Corsi's hot new best-seller "The Shroud Codex" "an incredible tale of science and faith."

And at the Catholic News Agency, Katherine Haas warns that readers should expect to be surprised.

"Anyone who picks up this book should do so with an open mind," she said. "No matter what your expectations are, it will not be what you expected. There are too many levels, too much information, too many angles. But the book succeeds in its purpose, that of bringing together faith, science, the Shroud of Turin, and a unique storyline."

Get Jerome Corsi's mystery-and-faith thriller "The Shroud Codex," autographed!

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Now you also can hear from the author himself his thoughts on the book:

The shroud recently was the subject of a special presentation from the History Channel in a program called "The Real Face of Jesus?"

As a two-time No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, Corsi has acquired a loyal fan base and garnered extensive media attention for his provocative political works of nonfiction that include "The Obama Nation" and most recently "America for Sale."

But here, Corsi makes his fiction debut with "The Shroud Codex," a novel of mystery and faith.

This is the story: After a priest suffers a near-death experience, he is given a new purpose in life – to unravel the codex hidden within the Shroud of Turin.

He must endure three years of intensive rehabilitation before being given 30 days to bring the message behind the Shroud of Turin to humanity.

While saying Mass on the first day he is well enough to return to his church, Father Bartholomew experiences what can only be described as stigmata. Soon thereafter, he begins to look remarkably like the figure of Jesus Christ on the Shroud of Turin.

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As word of the priest's supposed miracles spreads, the Vatican launches an investigation to make sure the astounding transformation isn't an elaborate hoax.

As the investigation widens to include origins of the Shroud of Turin itself, each man is forced to face mysteries of faith that cannot be explained by sheer reason alone.

"The Shroud of Turin has fascinated me since I was a teenager," Corsi says, recalling that he first learned about it during a retreat during his senior year at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I sat in the church for hours studying every detail of the shroud," Corsi recalls, relating his experience in 1998 when he traveled to Turin to see the shroud for the first time. "It was an experience that affected my soul and changed me as a person."

The Shroud of Turin also is on display for the first time since its 2002 restoration, until May 23 at the Cathedral of Turin in Turin, Italy.

"The Shroud Codex" is available in autographed copies from the WND Superstore.

A DVD of "The Real Face of Jesus?" documentary is available for purchase on the History Channel website.