The Die Is Cast is the first book in Lady Jane and the Last Supper Dish by Heights and Woodhouse, featuring an array of unforgettable characters and an adventure of a lifetime. What if the dish from which Jesus and his disciples ate the last supper still exists? Well, it does in this book. The discovery of a shrine that contains the truth about the Last Supper Dish in Istanbul sets in motion a cast of interesting characters with strong backgrounds, including filmmakers Ray Cozart and Natalie Ashbrook, Jane Witaker, a retail heiress, and archeologist Adam Burke. As these characters set out with different motives to unearth one of the hidden truths in history, an ancient order with a dark secret, the Order of Andronicus, is determined to thwart their path and keep the truth hidden. But there is a traitor in their ranks whose card will determine the outcome of this deadly game.

This is a spellbinding story with a twisty plot; it is packed with surprises. The cast of characters includes the Pope, cardinals, bishops, medieval monks, television professionals, and many others. Characters like Anthimos and Tobias are very symbolic and Heights and Woodhouse write such characters to represent a world they belong to and a belief system. The writing is impeccable, at times lyrical, filled with dramatic scenes that transform the story into a real page-turner. The conflict is phenomenal, growing in proportion through each page and escalating to characters dying for the truth or the lie. The descriptive nature of the writing conjures up strong images of the settings. The Die Is Cast is a pulse-quickening and brain-teasing adventure that is never lacking in surprises, melding spiritual themes with romance, and pulling readers into a boisterous adventure that leaves them inebriated with entertainment.

The Die Is Cast is a superb opening in the Lady Jane and the Last Supper Dish series by Heights and Woodhouse, a story that features adventure, mystery, and high-scale intrigue, with strong religious and love themes. The discovery of a shrine in Istanbul sets the stage for the drama between the powerful church organizations who want to prove their monopoly of the truth. Ray Cozart and Natalie Ashbrook are filmmakers who have weathered the storms in their rocky relationship. Jane Whitaker is a retail heiress who wants to unveil the truth about the shrine and she brings along the archeologist Adam Burke. These characters are determined to go to any lengths to uncover the truth about the Dish of Christ, but the Order of Andronicus, a secret society, will do everything it can to conceal the truth and keep history buried from prying eyes.

The ingenuity when it comes to character development and storytelling skills is exemplified in this first entry in a series that will, undoubtedly, blow the minds of readers. Heights and Woodhouse combine action and mystery with complex, sophisticated characters to weave a yarn that is spellbinding, keeping readers focused on the pages as they follow the drama unfolding in the narrative. The premise is strong and the authors use it to pull the readers in, then the skillful handling of motivation moves the story forward as the characters pursue their singular interests. The humor is strong, at times biting, and it allows a better appreciation of characters that are robust and that evolve as the plot moves forward. The Die Is Cast is balanced, rich in character, and deftly crafted. It had me racing through the pages.