Judgment Day by Jane Jensen

Judgment Day
Jane Jensen
published by Del Ray in 1999
498 pages

Kay, so I like end of the world books. The apocalypse. The Big Illness that wipes out the planet's population. The Final War. I have even read a book or two about ... a big meteor hitting earth, a tidal wave killing everyone, a giant earthquake rendering our country in two. If they write it about The End, I will read it.
And I'll probably like it, too.
Even the least-likely scenarios can capture my imagination. Even the poorest written pages can make me think, oooohhh, this could SO happen.
Such was my reaction to "Judgment Day" (formerly published as "millennium Rising"), by Jane Jensen. This one, however, had a new little twist. Let me set it up for you. The apocalypse is here. Anyone who knows squat about prophecies and revelation knows that these are THE signs happening- sores and seas turning red, animals dying, a plague that kills millions. Here it comes, folks, hold onto your rapture flags because Jesus is entering the atmosphere!!!!
Except, maybe He isn't.
The main character of this book is a very disillusioned (read: He of little faith) Catholic priest, who has been investigating the signs since they began. Father Deauchez and his soon-to-be-goody buddy, NY Times reporter, Hill, are the only people, apparently, on the face of the friggin EARTH, who see that maybe, just maybe, this whole end-of-the-world thing has been set up.
Now, ask me to believe that signs and portents are happening and millions believe them, ok, yes, but tell me that only two guys, and not the smartest men in the world either, only these TWO, smell something rotten in Denmark, and that's where I start with my eye-rolling. So, as crazy as it sounds to mark down an end-of-the-world book because of unbelievability, that's what I'm doing.
I could spoil it for you, sure, but I won't, because if you like to read these kind of books, you will enjoy this one. It is exciting, a little scary, has enough quotes from Nostradamus to really freak you out, and enough element of What-if to keep you awake at night. Except for the above-mentioned "I don't believe this", it is a really good read. Going on my Shelf of all Shelves, in the section marked "Maybe this will happen".
Just kidding.... I think.