The Arimathean — Vernon J. Baker

Alex Donovan survived battle against insurgents in Afghanistan, and again in Zurich against a fallen angel. Now he must fight for his soul, drawn into a war that has waged across the centuries between angels and demons for control of a legendary relic more valuable than the Shroud of Turin. Gaspar de Rouse, a mere man with the gift â€" or curse â€" of immortality, is the latest in a long line of devoted guardians who have protected the secret for two thousand years. He received his sacred duty centuries earlier, passed down through generations of Knights Templar, to serve as The Arimathean. Gaspar enlists a reluctant Alex into the conflict when Alex inherits his grandfather's estate, which includes the historical records of the legend and ownership of an abandoned medieval church. From ancient Jerusalem to the mountains of France, from the coast of Maine to the canals of Venice, the clues unfold, the mystery deepens, the final showdown looms as good and evil clash yet again over a relic so powerful, if it even exists, its exposure would rip apart the modern world. The Arimathean is book two in the Slow Boat to Purgatory Series