The Curse of the Thirty Denarii

The Curse of the Thirty Denarii is the nineteenth Blake and Mortimer book in the series. The story was written by Jean Van Hamme. Its completion was delayed with the death of the artist, René Sterne, on November 15, 2006. The book was completed by Sterne's girlfriend Chantal de Spiegeleer and was released on the 20 November 2009.

It is a two-part installment containing "The Nicodemus script" (Le manuscrit de Nicodemus) as part 1 and "Orpheus' gate" (La porte d'Orphée) as part 2. It tells of the search for the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus.

Plot

Volume I:

In Pennsylvania, Olrik escapes a federal prison by helicopter after a bloody attack. With Blake forced to cut short his holidays at the news, a disappointed Mortimer turns his attention to Greece, where an earthquake has uncovered an ancient chapel. Before long, people are trying to kill Mortimer over a mysterious Roman silver coin. Could the long-lost relic be one of the 30 denarii paid to Judas for his betrayal of Jesus? And who exactly covets it so much?

Volume II:

Captured and then abandoned by Olrik, Mortimer is now lost at sea with no provisions. Fortunately, he can always count on Blake. Once reunited, and with the help of some old friends, the two British gentlemen continue their dangerous mission to stop Von Stahl from resurrecting the Third Reich using the evil power of the 30 pieces of silver… a mission that will take them throughout Greece and into the very Kingdom of Hades!

Synopsis

Captain Francis Blake leaves the United States after the spectacular escape of Olrik from the Jacksonville prison. Professor Philip Mortimer finds himself alone on vacation. Then he receives the invitation of Professor George Markopoulos, Greek archaeologist, to come support him in an extraordinary case. In fact, it has just been discovered manuscripts and a denarius that indicate that a Greek Christian priest of the 1st century, named Nicodemus, had met Judas Iscariot. This would have missed his suicide mentioned in the Bible. Judas would be buried with the legendary 30 moneys it had never separated. However one of them was kept, but it seems to have become a cursed item ... Mortimer decides to continue research with Markopoulos. Moreover Count von Rainer Stahl, a former officer Nazi in SS and posing since the conflict ended in 1945 as the Armenian billionaire Belos Beloukian, has also seized the mysterious objects. To do this, and become the master of the world, he has the support of Olrik he helped escape. Many adventures and chases are waiting Mortimer, accompanied by Eleni Philippidès, professor and Markopoulos' niece and her fiancé American journalist Jim Radcliffe. Francis Blake and colleagues at the FBI will happily lend a hand to finally find the treasure in the Greek islands. But then intervene Count von Stahl and his band who manage to seize the funds, until the Judas rises out of his grave, and an earthquake engulfs the cave where the main protagonists met.

Volume I mistakes

• page 22, eagle misplaced on nazi officer;
• page 36, Corinthus channel outdated;
• page 41, Colonel Olrik kills a man using an M16 not yet built at the time of action.

English Publication

These two albums were published by Cinebook Ltd in 2012 as The Curse of the 30 Pieces of Silver, parts 1 & 2.

App Game

These two albums were adapted to App Games, sold at iTunes as "Blake and Mortimer - The Curse of the Thirty Denarii - HD". It also had an Android version.