The Calling

The 1599 painting, The Calling of Matthew by Caravaggio inspired Rod Ensor's story that merges history, fiction and symbolism through the eyes of Victor Bou, a scientist who is lured into a secret scheme to rescue a stranded Russian cosmonaut who threatens to destroy humanity. The novel's lines of reason transcend space and time, and blur the limits of fiction, reality, and science. It is a moving thriller with a scientific and technological premise. Its historical elements provide the theme and balance the fast pace of The Calling's contemporary plot. Like Caravaggio's painting, The Calling's narrative threads bridge two worlds. "The plot is wonderful. It weaves two completely different times and themes throughout the book. The way Rod Ensor brought the two storylines together at the end was brilliant. While there was use of four different languages (English, Spanish, Italian and Russian), it was done in such a way that it does not leave the reader wondering what exactly was meant. It was very evident." Janet SmithAuthor of best-sellingDunnottar and other novels