SYNOPSIS
In this second Disclosure Paradox novel, the most powerful weapon ever to be used against the universe is located in Turin, Italy: The Holy Shroud, which bears traces of Jesus Christ’s blood. A malevolent race of beings from another world will do anything to capture it and extract the precious DNA to conquer populated star systems. Paul Vecchiet’s novel includes his research on little-known information about The Shroud and the scientists who study it, as well as new theories of Jesus’s purpose on Earth-both then and now.
Former Army Ranger, Robert Ladd, travels to Italy to find a friend who has suddenly — and very suspiciously-gone missing. With the help of Interpol and the US Embassy to the Holy See, Robert uncovers not only the murder of his friend but the shocking truth behind a human conspiracy with reptilian-looking otherworlders to steal The Shroud during Holy Week. But his own life is in grave danger. Interpol’s chief to the Vatican will kill anyone suspecting his involvement in the interdimensional crime. With the long- distance psychic assistance of his partner, Katrina, and their friend, Mary Ellen-cohorts from Book One-Robert just might have a chance to thwart alien plans for domination.
Can Robert Ladd, given the charge to protect the Blood of Christ, survive multiple assaults and convince the authorities that war and the end of all that is good are about to happen? And at what great cost?
FOREWORD
Controversial phenomena have intrigued scholars of human history for centuries. I’ve been studying the Shroud of Turin, the reputed burial cloth of Jesus, for over forty-six years. What makes the Shroud exciting is that it is possible evidence for the existence, crucifixion, death, and even the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, believed by millions to be God incarnate. It has always been a controversial subject—and for good reasons. It touches on the truth of Christianity while simultaneously dealing with the meaning of our very existence. Many people don’t realize it, but the Shroud is the most intensely studied artifact in human history. Not just the most intensely studied religious relic in history but the most studied artifact of any kind. In 1978, a group of mostly American scientists known as “The Shroud of Turin Research Project” (STURP) studied the cloth for five straight days around the clock. Most of these scientists worked in the USA’s nuclear and space programs. They published their findings in high-tier scientific peer-reviewed journals and concluded that the Shroud was not the product of an artist.
Another controversial subject is “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” or “Unidentified Anonymous Phenomena” (UAPs), the current terms for “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs). While many tend to think of them as mainly a post-WWII phenomenon, history has recorded accounts of them for literally thousands of years. Some people believe that these phenomena could be physical entities from elsewhere in the Universe, while others believe that they are demonic in nature.
Occasionally, I do searches on Amazon for “UFOs and Spirituality.” One of the search hits I got was a novel called The Disclosure Paradox by Paul Vecchiet. I read very little fiction, but the book looked interesting, so I decided to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and decided to contact Paul via Facebook to tell him how much I liked it. I told him the only thing that would have made it better was if he had brought the Shroud of Turin into it. I mentioned my research on it, and we began a running correspondence. The correspondence with Paul had a bonus—he ended up connecting me to another person that has become part of my Shroud circle.
I informed him that I had a list of people interested in the Shroud to whom I sent weekly emails. Topics include the latest news, books, videos, podcasts, and other related information. He requested to be added and so began to receive them. He told me he found the Shroud to be fascinating. In the meantime, he put out a prequel to The Disclosure Paradox titled What Doesn’t Kill Her. And in this third novel, The Disclosure Paradox: Salvation, Book Two in the trilogy, Paul has incorporated accurate information about the Shroud into the plot.
When I read any new material on the Shroud, I am normally so excited to go through it that I often go too fast and must back up and reread some passages. This happened to me with Paul’s new novel, even before I got to the Shroud material in the book. It is a fast-paced read, with no lulls in the action. It is written in such a way that a reader can absorb it as a stand-alone book, without having to read the first two novels. (But both are highly recommended!) Taking place on several continents, it is full of interesting characters and constant intrigue.
Fiction can be a way to impart deep truths. Vecchiet has managed to accomplish that in all three of his novels.
The Shroud of Turin has changed countless lives, including my own. I have spent thousands of hours analyzing it over the course of almost five decades. With the recent loosening by the US government regarding the release of information pertaining to UAPs, that subject is becoming more prominent in USA society. Whether the UAPs are actual extraterrestrial beings or whether they are demonic, it’s an issue that is going to have an impact on everyone all over the world. Both the Shroud and UAPs can be overwhelming. Investigating them can help stir us out of our stagnant theological and scientific bubbles. Reading Paul Vecchiet’s The Disclosure Paradox: Salvation could be a painless and even enjoyable way to start coming to grips with the questions that those topics raise. You can begin a possibly unsettling but necessary journey to truth. And as Jesus himself said, “The truth will set you free.”
– Joseph G. Marino – President of the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association