The Healer’s Daughters : Jay Amberg

With the world so filled with news about terrorist attacks this novel brings to light much more. Osama Flynn is about to take the same ride that others have when they set off a bomb, kill innocent people and think they will be forever immortalized as a martyr. Author Jay Amberg takes us inside the mind of this man as he explains his plan, how it will be carried out and the vision that he feels the world deserves. The attack takes place in Turkey and Tugce Iskan is sent by the Ministry of Culture in Ankara as the person on point to find out the rationale and motive behind the attack. Her investigation moves slowly, and she learns one of the victims of the attack had an ancient gold coin on his body. Her thoughts go back to a document she was sent and to another time period. She realizes that this was a terrorist attack and was connected to the past related to artifacts of Galen a philosopher and architect from the second century who the author allows readers to get to know when flashing back to the past. The time period is the second century of the Common Era and what Iskan learns and uncovers does not allow her to learn what she hopes to as the obstacles placed in her path are many and the wall of silence tall. Iskan’s goal is to get the Galen cache. The investigation is broad and allows her to learn that her son might be linked to selling and dealing with the Hamit family who is in organized crime. His goal is selling artifacts to them and a retired archeologist called Ozlem who has in her possession the ancient Roman document that would verify this. This document is being hidden by Ozlem and the whereabouts of the ancient burial grounds replete with these treasures is unknown and hidden. The Hamit family wants it and is watching her every move.

An American couple has the Sekhmet amulet but is it authentic and dealing with Mustafa is dangerous as he is part of Hamit family, and his father is the patriarch and more deadly that most terrorists. Bora the nephew oversees the family’s current clandestine digs. Serkan is a social climber and wants to be part of the deal and will take any chances including jeopardizing his family’s safety to get what he wants and be part of the final deal. Instead of having another attack with an adult a young child is used as a ruse and he is taken as a slave, a bomb vest attached to him and then things happen that will make the reader shudder. A young child and his mother are taken in and when the bomb is thrown Ozlem’s life is in danger as she is seriously injured but will she survive and when you learn the truth about what she found you will understand why she wanted the truths about the cache hidden deeply forever.

The Ministry of Culture in Ankara is the setting and Tugce Iskan’s boss and sends her to investigate but when she finds the Roman coin dating back to the Galen and his father’s treasure what is the reason, she is hiding the fact that she has it? The original letter written by Galen was Ozlem’s impetus to learn more and her refusal to give these documents to the higher ups get her fired.

The plot becomes very complex as both sides work hard to find the artifacts. The Hamit’s will stop at nothing having dealers use strong arm tactics and even murder to get at the treasure and using one man to create this attack with the child taking out Ozlem as she is the one that needs to be eliminated in order to for the Hamit family to make their points. Serkan learns of his mother’s injuries and possible death and is told by Elif, his sister to hide because no one is safe. We also hear from Mustafa’s father as he acts against someone, he feels betrayed him, killed his son but the reality is you won’t believe who gets the final revenge.

When Mustafa threatens Elif and she is forced to play by his rules what she does and allows readers to learn will shock her world and that of her family more powerful than the largest bomb going off. Entering the area where she realizes that her documents relate where the cache might be, taking someone’s life is the only safety net and remorse will not pay off at the end. Her mother is in a coma, Iskan comes to see her and she challenges her to act and resolve the problems because only Elif has the power and not how to do this but will she? The Sekhmet amulet had nothing to do with the attack on Ozlem. It was well planned and the Hamit’s believe that her family will ruin their business, outsell them and turn them into losers. This is a story about power, greed, control, hate, revenge, the need to be on top and controlling the market and taking down anyone in their way.

Is the Galen letter real? Does the cache really exist? What does Elif know that the Hamits will do everything in their power to bring her to their side, make her adhere to their deadlines but will she submit, or will she be the one takes them down. Author Jay Amberg brings to light many moral and ethical issues as Tugce faces whether to relate all she knows to her superiors, what about the gold coin will she keep it, or will she find a way to return it to where it belongs? What about Elif her actions speak louder than words and the author allow readers to hear her thoughts and decide for themselves if what she did was right or wrong? A child’s love for her mother and two family’s that would fight for the what they think is right or what they think they deserve.
From the prologue we learn that Galen was a great healer and we learn more about his powers of healing throughout the novel as we hear and see his miracles at work. We learn more about Ozlem, her mother who stands as her conscience at times, Elif who has the power to create sculpture and much more and a mother named Ozlem who risked it all for the what she believed in. The ending is shocking and the group of women that are now joined together to climb to the top of cliff and you can hear the music, feel their heart’s beat and learn the hidden truths behind Ozlem’s dream.

Characters and a storyline ripped right out of the headlines today and a terrorist attack that set the events in motion as the author created a highly charged, electrifying ending to a story that would be told repeatedly: The Healer’s Daughters.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews