▁First ▁published ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁by ▁P engu in ▁Group ▁( USA ), ▁the ▁religious ▁thr iller ▁followed ▁the ▁explo its ▁of ▁Jon athon ▁Pay ne ▁and ▁David ▁Jones , ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁featured ▁in ▁all ▁of ▁K uz nes ki ' s ▁thr ill ers . ▁It ▁also ▁introduced ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Nick ▁D ial , ▁who ▁has ▁appeared ▁in ▁every ▁K uz nes ki ▁novel ▁since . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁end ors ed ▁by ▁several ▁notable ▁authors , ▁including ▁C live ▁C uss ler , ▁Nelson ▁De M ille , ▁Steve ▁Ber ry , ▁James ▁Roll ins , ▁and ▁T ess ▁Ger rit sen . ▁ ▁P engu in ▁UK ▁released ▁the ▁British ▁version ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁book ▁clim bed ▁to ▁# 1 1 ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁best s eller ▁list . ▁The ▁foreign ▁rights ▁to ▁Sign ▁of ▁the ▁Cross ▁have ▁sold ▁in ▁more ▁than ▁fifteen ▁languages . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Jon athon ▁Pay ne ▁and ▁David ▁" D . J ." ▁Jones ▁are ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁find ▁Dr . ▁Charles ▁Bo yd , ▁an ▁ar che ologist ▁who ▁recently ▁found ▁the ▁C ata com bs ▁of ▁Or vi eto , ▁the ▁safe ▁haven ▁for ▁the ▁pop es ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁While ▁Bo yd ▁avoid s ▁purs uit , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁vict ims ▁turn ▁up ▁dead , ▁people ▁who ▁were ▁tort ured ▁and ▁cru c ified ▁like ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁on ▁his ▁final ▁day .