After his wife's death, a baseball star races to solve a mystery dating back to the very first Christmas--if the deadly agents of a desperate European noble don't catch him first.

SYNOPSIS:

A combination of kick-ass contemporary action/adventure dealing with ancient mystery, a revenge thriller, and a heart-warming holiday tale. A Christmassy National Treasure/Indiana Jones meets P.S. I Love You. What is the secret of the Star of Bethlehem? Who were the magi? What is their true legacy? Throughout their married lives, baseball star Gaspar Bethlen's wife gave him a mystery every year for Christmas. Now, Beth is dying. Pursing one last mystery for her husband -- an astonishing secret from his family's past -- Beth travels to Europe, and finally to a mysteries chamber deep under a gothic Roman monastery. The monks there won't surrender the secret -- they can only give it to the "Bethlen heir" himself. The thugs that confront Beth outside in the dark Roman streets don't know that. The shock is too much for Beth's weakened heart; she dies. The thugs -- and the Hungarian count they serve -- curse when they discover that she doesn't have the book they sought. Back in America, Gasper Bethlen wins a game for the Red Sox. His victory celebration doesn't last. He breaks down in silent sobs as his manager breaks the news. Beth died in Rome. "It's too soon...." Gasper manages. Months later, Gasper is a wreck of a man. He hasn't left his home in months. The Sox manager calls to check in, but Gasper doesn't bother to answer. The manager leaves a message, wondering if Gasper ever learned why his wife was in Rome. Gasper frowns. Going through the things he hasn't had the heart to touch, he finds a clue: Beth's last Christmas mystery. The heartbroken man follows a coded message that leads him to an antiquarian bookstore, where he meets Will, a fan and amateur detective, and receives an old book ... volume one of three ... the history of the Bethlens. Gasper and Will travel from Boston to Prague, Venice, and finally to a lost fortress in Iran. Along the way, Will falls in love with Ana, an exotic beauty with a mysterious connection to the sinister count. More, Gaspar learns that the Count may have been involved in his wife's death, and the death of his father years ago. Now, the stakes are even higher. Along the way, they break in to the Venice library to steal a look at Marco Polo's original manuscript, race killers across the rooftops of Prague and through an ancient European castle, face a fight in the canals of Venice, survive a deadly indoor car chase, and fight a last, desperate battle in the sands of Iran. Pursued by killers, with one desperate fight and escape after another, he races to unravel a puzzle involving a priceless jewel, ancient star maps, a noble bloodline, and an astonishing secret that dates back to the very first Christmas. The treasure, and the secret, hold the key that begins the healing process -- the true Christmas miracle.

THE STAR IN THE EAST