The Sign

March 9, 2009
Set against a backdrop of ancient and modern religious conflict, this solid thriller from bestseller Khoury (The Last Templar
) explores a number of current planetary preoccupations, from far-right political demagoguery to global warming. While in Antarctica covering the breakup of the continent's ice shelf, TV reporter Grace Logan and her crew are astounded to see a “bright, shimmering sphere of light” in the sky. They film this astronomical anomaly as it runs through a variety of tricks, then disappears. People around the globe wonder: is it a UFO? a sign from God? or some sort of techno trick fashioned by perpetrators unknown? After the blazing sign reappears over the Arctic, a possible link emerges to an old Catholic priest, who has heard on a desolate mountain in Egypt a portentous voice in his head (“Are you ready to lead your people to salvation?”). Unrelenting action and a suitably twisted ending compensate for the clichéd prose.

How would anyone recognize a true miracle? As he did in THE LAST TEMPLAR, Raymond Khoury plucks the strings of deeply held religious beliefs with THE SIGN. When a ball of light appears in the sky, it causes a religious fever across the world. Miracle or hoax? Regardless, the phenomenon is soon appropriated by villains, and three people must take it back. Richard Ferrone pulls no punches, giving the type of solid, straightforward performance that has made him a favorite of audiobook fans. He gives Matt and Danny Sherwood and Gracie Logan distinctive voices as he guides the listener into a world of miracles and mayhem. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine