I've read more than a few books on the Templars in my day, and consider myself fairly knowledgeable on them, and the vast number of bizarre conspiracies that they have inspired. And never, ever, have I read a book that suggests that the Templars have ended up in a trailer park in California.

THE KNIGHTS OF THE CORNERSTONE tells the story of Calvin Bryson, a book collector and borderline recluse living in anonymous suburbia. Asked to deliver a package to an uncle living in New Cypress on the California side of the Colorado River where it splits California and Arizona. This little town is a quiet place, but it harbors more than a few secrets. Before long Calvin finds himself at the center of a war between the remnants of the Knights of the Temple, and an evil local gang intent on usurping their power and stealing their horde of relics. Before long, trebuchets, motorboats, water cannons, high explosives and camel charges have turned New Cypress upside down.

In the hands of a less capable author, this story could have become a pretentious, self-important, overly dramatic snoozer. Blaylock, however, chooses a lighthearted breezy style that keeps the story flowing along, winking at the reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. And a delightful, breezy ride it is, and a refreshing change to the often bloated, overly serious tone that most authors feel compelled to take whenever the Templars get involved.