GENESIS In his inaugural novel, Nikolaus Baker takes the reader through a hidden fantasy world that revives an enigma that has endured for centuries. Genesis is not a religious story, it is a dark fantasy. There is an ancient quest that continues for a hidden knowledge that brings power, corruption, and death in a dark tale that originates in the remote Scottish village of Mauchline where tranquillity is about to change when a freak earthquake hits and precipitates a dramatic fall in temperature. Meanwhile, in Vatican City secrecy surrounds an untraceable security breach in the computerised nerve-centre of papal authority. This has consequences for the suspect Cardinal Giovanni Dalla Gassa. He believes in the legendary links to God, each link hidden in different locations and thought to exhibit magical and powerful properties. Powers that would tip the cosmic and spiritual balance in favour of the holder. He must have them all. The mystery thickens with the disappearance of a senior I.T. systems administrator Michaelangelo and the torment of his close friend and colleague I.T. expert Francesca DeRose. Chased for her life, she unknowingly becomes lost inside the catacombs where the cursed Abaddon Clerics lurk… the unliving. What links the hub of Catholicism with what was once the heart of covenanting Scotland? The prophecy. Heed it well. Genesis is a mystery wrapped within layers of an enigma, tied up by networks and packaged in history. Readers will enjoy the fast-moving action and fascinating twists that Baker describes with vivacity and invention. A compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel by Nikolaus Baker. I did not expect its twist into the dark side. It ended with a real cliff hanger and I can't wait to read the sequel, Devil's Temple. Is this really a holy mission to find God or is it a supernatural grail quest to the grave…