Paul Harvey Jr.

An ancient order tied to today's Vatican...A blood fortune buried in the caves of France...A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil... Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudan hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny; a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

This book is a collection of many of Paul Harvey's radio series The Rest of the Story in which he tells amusing, interesting, often amazing stories, generally with a surprise twist at the end when he reveals who or what the story is about. For example, one story is called "Futility" and recounts an author's writing about a huge ocean liner on its maiden voyage, deemed unsinkable, and hitting an iceberg as it travels from England to New York, killing thousands on board. The name of the ship? The Titan. The real twist? The novel was written a dozen or more tears before HMS Titanic was ever built. The title of the novel? Futility. There are many more stories like this, all about famous people, places, and things. It's a great book, the stories are only about three pages long, and it's wonderful when you only have a few minutes to read something. Buy it!