A Moment of Faith
by Martin Svaneborg
Publisher: Kingsley Publishers
Release Date: March 25, 2022
Reviewed by PJ
Copenhagen, 1840 – Fighting to reconcile his obligations with a quest for romance, the eccentric philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, rushes through the cobbled streets, thrusting himself into the arms of Regine and a disastrous engagement.
Copenhagen, 1855 – Withering away in a hospital bed, Bitter and alone, Kierkegaard conjures up a preposterous scheme. A vendetta against the Bishop of Copenhagen, and a mission to save the future of love.
Copenhagen, now – Introvert Christian Kardahl, meets devout and mysterious Emma for the first time. Two days later, Christian comes across an old letter aimed to destroy a famous, eccentric philosopher. When a sudden murder is added to the mystery, the past has caught up. Christian and Emma are drawn into an involuntary quest that will make them question their belief in history and, unless they can sort out the puzzle, their faith and love will be forever doomed.
PJ's Thoughts:
I had no idea what to expect when I elected to read and review this book. It started a bit slow and didn't really grab my attention for the first few chapters (set in the past) but I stuck with it and wow, am I glad I did. The story soon picked up speed, with its dual timeline between 1800's and present day and suspense-filled adventure (this is a suspense thriller, not a romance). I found myself getting more and more involved with the characters in both timelines and eager to discover the twists and turns their stories might take. The mystery was tightly woven, keeping me eagerly turning pages and wondering what turn the story might take next. I'm happy to say that I was surprised many times.
Learning about (the real life) Kierkegaard was fascinating. The author skillfully and seamlessly threaded actual events in his life with present-day fictional events and relationships, moving smoothly from past to present and back again.
Having reached the end of the book, I was happily satisfied with the outcome of Christian's and Emma's quest and confident that I knew where their story would take them next. Then I began reading the epilogue, where Svaneborg gifted readers one final twist. I readily admit I don't know what to think now. This book is going to require some deep contemplation and, possibly, another read. I love books that make me think.
A Moment of Faith is the first book in Martin Svaneborg's Kardahl Trilogy. I don't know when book two is scheduled to publish but I'll definitely be reading it.
If you've read and enjoyed Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, you might want to give the compelling page-turner that is A Moment of Faith a try.
