A priest observes a mute child staring at a glass-encased document. The little boy ignores the priest but speaks, "it is the language of the forsaken. The tongue of the dead."

Someone knows God's secret. It's the Voynich manuscript resting in the Beinecke library at Yale University. The 500-year-old manuscript, discovered in 1912 but never translated, is the bible of the Nephilim -- soulless beings created by the crossbreeding of angels and humans and despised by God.

When the manuscript is stolen, the Vatican stops at nothing to protect the Church from the truth of "God's mistake."

In Tongues of the Dead is a compelling religious thriller, skilfully woven within real-life mysteries. The Voynich manuscript is real and Kelln's references to its contents and history are real. And the story of Nephilim is a sustaining topic of religious debate.

Kelln leads the reader on a frantic chase to protect the child, unravel the plot to protect the secrets of the manuscript and face the complex phenomenon triggered by the forces determined to destroy anything that stands in the way of the mission. The priest flees to Canada seeking the help of a trusted friend, Dr. Jake Tunnel. The pace is action driven and the real history becomes part of a thriller with twists and a concluding turn that feels just, especially if you're a Da Vinci Code fan.

Tongues of the Dead is Kelln's third and best thriller to date. His readers wait for more.