The Scroll by Anne Perry

First Sentence:  The early winter evening was drawing in. In the antiquarian bookshop well away from the High Street in Cambridge, Monty Danforth sat in his room in the back, working on unpacking and cataloguing the books and papers from the last crate of the Greville Estate.

      

Monty Danforth’s boss is out sick so it falls on him to unpack the shipment of books received from an estate sale. At the very bottom of the box, is an incredibly old scroll written in a language unknown to Monty.  Thinking to have it translated, he tries both photocopying and photographing it, only to find blank images. Soon, three very different individuals come to the shop insisting he sell the scroll to each of them.  He is also given a warning that the scroll could present great danger.

      

How delightful to have a contemporary story from Ms. Perry.  Even more delightful is that it is a combination of mystery, supernatural, and spirituality.  As well as the quandary in which Danforth finds himself, there is an increasing level of threat in the story, as well an element of faith, beyond any one religion, that causes one to wonder what they would do.

“The Scroll” is yet another example of Ms. Perry’s writing excellence.  It’s a tiny bit Di Vinci Code and a tiny bit Stephen King in the best possible way, with just a touch of philosophical questioning.  The only problem with having it be a bedtime read, is the ending leaves you contemplating long after finishing the story.  And isn’t that the mark of an excellent book? 

THE SCROLL (Novella-Monty Danforth-England-Contemp) - Ex

Perry, Anne - Standalone

The Mysterious Bookshop – 2011 / Amazon Digital Services – 2012