Saturday Matinee with Mike Lynch-Author of After the Cross

Mike Lynch published his first (non-fiction) book, Dublin, in 2007. His first novel, When the Sky Fell, co-authored by Brandon Barr, was published two years later, followed by two other books they've written together, American Midnight and After the Cross. His latest novel, The Crystal Portal, co-authored by Travis Perry, was released in 2011, along with a host of short stories published in various magazines. Mike lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.

Synopsis of "After the Cross"

At the newly excavated Medieval library in Istanbul, Turkey, a discovery is made that is poised to rock Christendom to its very foundation—an 800-year old letter which purports to reveal the final resting place of Jesus’ Cross.

This explosive news is kept quiet at the behest of Vladimir Zarco, a Ukrainian billionaire whose illegal business activities are threatened by the document’s discovery. He hastily convenes a team of experts in an effort to discredit the manuscript’s authenticity, but when their analysis points to it as being genuine, a bomb destroys the research center. Zarco shuts the project down, and orders the surviving researchers to leave. Two of the linguists, Drs. Mallory Windom and Colton Foster, have other ideas. Once bitter enemies, they decide to hunt for the cross on their own, even though mysterious forces seem bent on stopping them at all costs.

Despite the obstacles thrown at them, Mallory and Colton press on to an ancient Jewish town where the Cross has allegedly been hidden. They soon discover, however, the fiercest battle is not from without, but from within, testing their beliefs, their ethics, and their growing love for one another.