The Byzantine Cross, by Dena Weigel

If you’re a fan of Clive Cussler and Dan Brown, you’ll enjoy author Dena Weigel’s international, historical thriller. You’re invited to join a most exciting espionage pursuit of a legendary jewelry piece, alongside a most unique and heroic former OSS spy, Sarah Kraft.

She’d decided to leave the dangers of cloak-and-dagger life to others to embark on what she expects to be a peaceful 1950s life in New York City. Her former boss needs her though. He needs her special skills on one more job that will test even Sarah Kraft’s talents and determination. The CIA needs her to steal an ancient artifact, the Byzantine Cross, from inside the Kremlin. When she accepts the assignment, she has no idea the perils she will endure and the enemy she will face.

The road ahead immediately presents challenges and trials that test her resolve and strength. Who can she trust? Can she collaborate with the seductive force of Marco, a man she once knew well, or at least she thought she did. In Moscow, she’s promised the aid of a Russian double agent, Nicolai Rodzyanko, but some things just don’t seem right about him. Not only is someone else after the Byzantine Cross, but someone is also committed to stopping Sarah from getting the cross. A hitman intends to eliminate her.

The Kremlin is not a place Sarah can easily waltz into, pick up her coveted jewelry piece and dance away. Her research into the history behind this biblical relic provokes intrigue. What she’d been told had been deceptively cursory. This is far more than a simple artifact. There are even supernatural forces swirling. Now Sarah questions the possible motives of her former boss and the agency she once trusted. She will have to make a daunting decision that could change the course of history. With unwavering spirit and a heart full of hope, she will persevere and try to do what’s right with the Byzantine Cross.

Author Dena Weigel brings heart-pounding action from cover to cover in this masterful thriller. The characters are so vivid, and they dare the reader to face the adventurous challenges with them, as they think through what each next step must be.

Driving forces for each character differ and the author skillfully highlights different aspects of human nature. Sarah Kraft is a hero for the ages. The descriptions of historical and famous settings from New York to Moscow are seamlessly woven into the action of the story. Readers feel they are there. It’s not just the location, but also the iconic historical period, and the look and the feel of that jewelry piece — the object of the relentless search.

It’s no wonder this international story holds so well with a talented author like Dena Weigel. After growing up in a small Kansas town, Weigel earned a degree in fine arts and went on to study art and culture in over 30 countries.

— By Wendy Kendall

Wendy Kendall is an author with The Wild Rose Press. Her mysteries include Kat Out of the Bag and the prequel Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash. Her newest ebook is Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For.