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Books in Amari Johnston Novel series

  • Carbon-14: The Shroud of Turin

    R.A. Williams

    Paperback (Independently published, Sept. 9, 2017)
    More than 99 percent of the evidence proves the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. Only one test says otherwise—the carbon date performed in 1988. A serial killer with a fetish for fire targets the faithful of Tucson, Arizona. Homicide detective, Pete Johnston, works to catch the killer before more clergy are killed, before more churches are burned. His daughter, Amari, is a criminal justice major at the University of Arizona. When the Shroud is carbon dated at her university, the results reveal that the relic is a 650-year-old forgery. Amari investigates this ancient cold case file for a class project and makes a shocking discovery that could alter the fate of Christianity. She teams up with Dr. Kevin Brenner, a brilliant young experimental physicist, and together they gather evidence so they can plead their case to the Vatican—unless the killer can stop them first. Her father desperately tries to protect her and catch the killer before she becomes his next victim.
  • The Cult of New Canaan: An Amari Johnston Novel, Volume 2

    R.A. Williams

    Paperback (Independently published, Oct. 3, 2018)
    A UFO cult tries to steal the Shroud of Turin in a preposterous scheme to gain eternal life. Amari Johnston is a feisty private investigator fresh out of college. In 1988, she made the national news after debunking the carbon dating performed on the Shroud of Turin. Her boyfriend, Dr. Kevin Brenner, is a brilliant young physicist with his own theories as to why the carbon dating is wrong. One year later, they find themselves in another dangerous situation, one that could land them in the headlines again—and the obituary section as well. A devout Christian named Ernesto Galliano shares Amari and Kevin’s passion for proving the Shroud is the authentic burial cloth of Christ. As sole heir to his father’s vast fortune, Ernesto is determined to use his inheritance for good. He hires Amari and Kevin to join his own personal A-Team, an organization he formed to right the world’s wrongs, one mission at a time. At first reluctant to join this team, Amari’s father, veteran homicide detective, Pete Johnston, finally agrees to take the job so he can protect his daughter from harm. Amari’s bizarre first mission comes after a UFO cult attempts to steal not only the Shroud of Turin but also the Sudarium of Oviedo. However, in a surprising twist of fate, she and Kevin find themselves captured by the very cult they pursue. Desperate to save Kevin and his daughter, Pete unravels clues previously discovered by Amari in a frantic attempt to rescue them before they fall victim to the cult leader’s suicidal vision. Although this novel is Volume 2 in the Amari Johnston series, it can easily be read as a standalone title.
  • Sixty-Five Roses: An Amari Johnston Novel, Volume 3

    R.A. Williams

    (Independently published, Feb. 15, 2020)
    An ancient Christian relic. An astonishing power to heal. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive disease with no cure. And for one dying little girl with this illness, there is only one hope—an ancient Christian relic with miraculous healing powers.Amari Johnston is a feisty private investigator fresh out of college. Her father is a retired homicide detective. Together, they work as a team for a wealthy philanthropist named Ernesto Galliano.While staying at Ernesto’s estate, Amari befriends an endearing four-year-old foster child named Kathleen. But Kathleen isn’t like the other foster children staying at the estate. She has a severe case of cystic fibrosis, and Amari is desperate to find a cure. She researches the latest medical advances, but after learning that effective treatment is decades away, she nearly gives up hope.Meanwhile, inside the restoration laboratory of the Royal Ontario Museum, a conservator discovers a relic with miraculous healing powers: a woolen scrap of fabric from the cloak of Jesus Christ. When the museum conservator gets fired, and the miracle cloth goes missing, Ernesto sends Amari and her father to investigate the case. As Kathleen lies dying in the intensive care unit, Amari puts her own life on the line in a desperate attempt to find the miracle cloth before it’s too late. Although this novel is volume 3 of the Amari Johnston series, it can easily be read as a standalone title.