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When a medical school chum phones Ryan Laughlin, a widowed physician practicing in St. Paul, with news of the shocking murder of a researcher at a local professional conference, Laughlin finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue that stretches from placid Minnesota to passionate Italy, where the original research of a remarkable, life-changing manuscript is still in progress. The death sends shockwaves through the international academic and research community, compounded by the discovery of a puzzling manifesto in the decedent’s hotel room describing the research as “dangerous nonsense.”
The Prophecy Scroll, a two-thousand-year-old manuscript, has seven realms for creating a life imbued with wisdom, health, happiness, prosperity, beauty, peace, and love. Each of the ancient scroll’s seven documents translated by Italian scholars, endoring the noteworthy project. Dr. Vanessa Venetre, co-leader of the project, leads seminars along with her staff of educators at an ancient Roman spa in Brisighella, Italy, teaching participants how to actively employ the principles outlined in the Prophecy Scroll—the Seven Realms of Life, the Seven Beasts, and the Seven Blessings. Venetre and Laughlin must go on the run when they’re targeted by a skilled stalker who seems determined to eliminate anyone associated with the research studying ancient knowledge.
Fricton kindles romance in the plot but adds suspense and tension to the narrative as readers wait to see if the two young physicians survive to pursue their dreams. The author draws upon his expertise as a researcher in preventing chronic pain to craft an authentic fictive universe in this visionary thriller set in Minnesota and Italy. Readers will luxuriate in Fricton’s detailed descriptions of the Italian countryside, cuisine, and culture that bring the story to vivid life.