The Tenth Apostle — Taylor Adams

A pulse-pounding historical thriller that uncovers Christianity's most dangerous secretWhen Rome burns in 64 AD and Emperor Nero blames the Christians, skeptical scribe Cassius Aelius discovers a fragment of a forbidden gospel that could shake the foundations of the emerging Church and the Roman Empire alike.The fragment speaks of a mysterious Tenth Apostle named Matthaeus, who received Christ's final, secret teachings about spiritual authority—teachings that condemn both imperial power and religious hierarchy. When a senator is murdered for possessing this text, Cassius is thrust into a deadly conspiracy alongside Junia, a senator's daughter secretly practicing the forbidden faith.Hunted by the ruthless assassin known as The Purifier and imperial forces across the Mediterranean, Cassius and Junia race to recover the scattered fragments of Matthaeus's complete gospel before they're destroyed forever.Perfect for fans of The Da Vinci Code, The Name of the Rose, and Quo Vadis, this meticulously researched historical thriller explores the tension between institutional religion and authentic spirituality against the vivid backdrop of the ancient Mediterranean world. The Tenth Apostle combines pulse-pounding pursuit, theological intrigue, and a poignant love story in a tale that will leave readers questioning everything they thought they knew about Christianity's formative years.Some truths are eternal—and some are worth dying for.