Cabal of the Westford Knight: Templars at the Newport Tower is David S. Brody's fourth
thriller, and has the promise of being the next
Da Vinci
Code—if more people knew about this novel. Like Dan Brown's book about a Templar
secret, Cabal of the Westford Knight probes deep into Templar lore not only in Europe but
here in America, beginning with a simple engraving of a medieval knight's sword on a rock ledge
in Westford, Massachusetts. That engraving has been the focus of a local legend about Prince
Henry Sinclair's expedition to the New World in 1398, almost a century before Columbus found the
West Indies.
Brody's novel centers on Cameron Thorne, a once-prominent attorney now doing real estate law,
and Amanda Spencer, an expert on Henry Sinclair, and their detailed research and exploration of
regional archaeological sites. Cameron becomes involved as he tries to help an elderly couple,
who are bullied by a treasure seeker to sell their home. Amanda is his first resource for
information since any question of treasure seems to always come back to Henry Sinclair and his
connection to the Knights Templar. Instead of quiet discussions and some boring library research,
Cameron and Amanda are soon on the road, searching out ancient sites throughout New England, while
pursued by paramilitary goons from a renegade Vatican group based in South America.
The action is fast and the sizzle between Cameron and Amanda ignites as more and more clues
come together to reveal multiple secrets protected by the Church and the mysterious Consortium, who
know everything there is about Prince Henry—or so they think. Cameron and Amanda soon
reveal much more than even the Consortium or the Vatican suspect.
There are enough codes and maps to please any
National
Treasure buff. And, the information revealed about Templar and Masonic secrets would
intrigue Da Vinci Code fanatics. However, this novel, according to David Brody, is based
on actual research. The sites used as clues and locations in this book exist. The theory of a
Templar visitation is legitimate, produced by researcher and forensic geologist Scott Wolter,
who startled the academic world with his interpretation and deciphering of the Kensington Rune
Stone in Minnesota.
Though archaeologists both in New England and Minnesota take Wolter to task, it isn't at all
surprising. Well-held theories are hard to let go and proponents of them don't like their
foundations shaken. This was the case with C. Vance Haynes' theory that the Clovis people were
the first people to inhabit the Americas 10,000 years ago. As new evidence came in with dates
going back farther and farther, Haynes started setting his dates back, but kept insisting that
his theory still held. Today, the Clovis First theory has been replaced by several others that
show multiple cycles of migration to the Americas, including the Bering Strait theory upon which
Haynes' theory is based, but also involving a Pacific migration to South America and the
suggestion of even a European exploration. David Brody, therefore, does paint established
archaeologists in shades of Haynes.
I was fascinated by this book, though I think many people will find the theories here as
shocking, or more so, than those in the Da Vinci Code. Brody presents his case clearly
and even offers up arguments against it. I particularly enjoyed the codes and maps—one of
my favorite types of story devices! But I also found the characters to be interesting, offering
some depth, even with the darker characters.
Cabal of the Westford Knight is a great read. I just couldn't put it down!