Christopher Buckleyâs âhilarious, bawdy, and irreverent frolic of a taleâ about a sixteenth-century relic hunter and the artist Albrecht DĂźrer who conspire to fabricate Christâs burial shroud reads âlike Indiana Jones gone medievalâ (USA TODAY).
The year is 1517. Dismas is a relic hunter who procures âauthenticâ religious relics for wealthy and influential clients. His two most important patrons are Frederick the Wise and soon-to-be Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz. While Frederick is drawn to the recent writing of Martin Luther, Albrecht pursues the financial and political benefits of religion and seeks to buy a cardinalship through the selling of indulgences. When Albrechtâs demands for grander relics increase, Dismas and his artist friend DĂźrer fabricate a shroud to sell to the unsuspecting noble. Unfortunately DĂźrerâs reckless pride exposes the trickery, so Albrecht puts Dismas and DĂźrer in the custody of four mercenaries and sends them all to steal Christâs burial cloth (the Shroud of ChambĂŠry), Europeâs most celebrated artifact. On their journey to Savoy where the Shroud will be displayed, they battle a lustful count and are joined by a beautiful female apothecary. It is only when they reach their destination they realize they are not alone in their intentions to acquire a relic of dubious legitimacy.
âA rollicking good time, Christopher Buckley has transported his signature wit and irreverence from the Beltway to sixteenth-century Europe in The Relic Masterâ (GQ). This epic quest, âas rascally and convivial as any that Mr. Buckley has writtenâ (The Wall Street Journal), is filled with fascinating details about art, religion, politics, and science; Vatican intrigue; and Buckleyâs signature wit âholds the reader till the very last pageâ (The New York Times Book Review).