$5.00
1 in stock
| Book Title | Samaritan |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Author | Philippe Van Rjndt |
| Publisher | 1980 |
| Published | 1980 |
| Format | Mass Market Paperback |
| Condition | Good |
| Condition Notes | Vintage paperback with moderate shelf and reading wear. The front cover shows light rubbing, scattered surface marks and age-related discoloration, particularly along the outer edges. Corners and edges have noticeable wear, with a small amount of curling/creasing. The cover remains firmly attached and the distinctive artwork and lettering are clear and presentable. Overall, this is a solid vintage reading copy with normal wear for its age. |
| Condition | Good |
A mysterious man known as the Samaritan becomes the center of an international struggle involving political power, religion, violence and intrigue.
As extraordinary events surrounding him begin attracting worldwide attention, governments, religious authorities and powerful individuals are forced to determine who—or what—the Samaritan really is. Is he a gifted man capable of inspiring millions, a dangerous fraud, or something far more extraordinary?
Philippe Van Rjndt builds the novel around that uncertainty, gradually expanding the story into an international suspense thriller in which belief, ambition and political power collide. The result is an unusual blend of conspiracy thriller and religious speculation that should appeal to readers who enjoy sprawling vintage thrillers with provocative premises.
EugeneBookStore Summary
Samaritan is one of those wonderfully unusual vintage thrillers that immediately makes you wonder where the story is going.
Rather than relying solely on spies, assassins or political intrigue, Philippe Van Rjndt mixes those thriller elements with questions about faith, miracles and the enormous influence a charismatic individual can have over society. The mystery surrounding the Samaritan drives the story while the consequences of his appearance spread far beyond the people immediately involved.
Readers who enjoy older international thrillers with ambitious, slightly unconventional premises should find plenty to enjoy here. The striking Pinnacle paperback cover also gives this edition considerable vintage character.
Collector Notes
This is a Pinnacle Books mass-market paperback edition carrying ISBN 9780523421872. The dramatic cover—with the title rendered in blood-red lettering above an inverted crucifixion image—is characteristic of the provocative thriller/horror marketing used for paperback originals and reprints during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Philippe Van Rjndt is much less commonly encountered today than major thriller writers of the period, making Samaritan an interesting addition for collectors of obscure vintage suspense, conspiracy and religious thrillers. It is not generally a high-dollar collectible, but unusual titles like this can have appeal precisely because they have largely disappeared from ordinary bookstore shelves.
