–International bestselling trilogy explores an extreme case of religious fanaticism and the impact it has on the world.

The Sudarium, housed in Oviedo, Spain, is said to be the cloth that covered Jesus’ face after he died on the cross. Stained with what is thought to be the blood and phlegm of Jesus himself, it is rectangular in shape with a small, piece missing in the top, left corner. This missing piece of cloth spurred the entire storyline for The Sudarium Trilogy, by Leonard Foglia and David Richards.

“How could a neatly cut corner be lifted from such a renowned relic?,” Foglia says, “Who took it? And, more importantly, for what purpose?” “Everything in these books could actually come true,” Richards notes, “with the advancements in science, the burgeoning of the internet and the resurgence of fundamental religious sects. Just look around you.” Foglia adds, “The books are our hypothesis of what would happen if a fanatical religious group—believing that they were ordained by God—engineered the second coming.” While the duo had planned to stop with The Surrogate, their readers pleaded to find out what happened next. First published in Spain by Santillana Ediciones Generales under the title EL Sudario, the series continued with The Son and The Savior, which deal with the world-wide repercussions of such a experiment. The works have since appeared in Brazil, Poland, Russia and Mexico. In Mexico, where the work occupied the best-seller list for 10 weeks, the respected newspaper, LA REFORMA, wrote: “Little by little, Foglia and Richards reveal the strands that make up the conspiracy. For that, they succeed in joining the latest developments in genetic experimentation with the moral and religious implications that arise from such an undertaking. A great deal of what they imagine could already be carried out in our times, while other things could easily be a reality in the near future.

‘The Sudarium’ is a story that keeps the reader on the edge of his seat, even when he has turned the final page, because if some questions are answered in the course of the book, others continue to stick in the mind of whoever picks up this disturbing work.”

Leonard Foglia and David Richards have co-authored five novels, The Sudarium Trilogy: The Surrogate, The Son and The Savior, Face Down in the Park and 1 Ragged Ridge Road. Mr. Richards is also the author of Played out: The Jean Seberg Story and Mr. Foglia has directed many distinguished Broadway plays and operas. You can learn more about the authors on their website http://www.thesudarium.com/