Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Relic Keeper by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Relic Keeper
Author: Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher: independently published
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Genre: Christian Inspirational Historical Fiction
Once a thief, always a thief?
Italy, 1620. Angelo is an orphan, lonely and forgotten. Having been passed on from one family to the next, he ends up as a common thief, subject to and under the thumb of a ruthless robber called Tozzo. The boy knows no other life and has lost hope that any chance of providence will ever replace his lonely, misfortunate existence.
One day, a priest invites Angelo to help with chores around the church and rectory and, in exchange, offers him room and board. Padre Benedetto’s kindness and respect are unfamiliar and confusing, but Angelo’s safety is still a grave concern. Two older robbers have heard rumors about Tozzo’s hidden treasures and will stop at nothing to attain them.
With literary depictions and imagery, Angelo’s story is a gripping and emotional journey of faint hope and truth in seventeenth-century Italy. Using invisible threads, Heidi Eljarbo weaves together her fictional stories with historical figures and real events.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Also Available
The Relic Keeper is a marvelous tale of Angelo, a young man who has fallen in with a robber named Tozzo, out of necessity rather than criminal intent. Angelo has no family, and stealing is the only way he knows to survive. Tozzo focuses on stealing relics, religious artifacts purportedly imbued with supernatural power, and they travel around the country, pilfering from a local church, then moving on to the next target. When Tozzo is arrested, Angelo is free…but free to do what? He has no skills, knows no trade. And he is being pursued by other thieves who think Angelo knows the location of Tozzo’s secret treasure stash, and who are determined that he will reveal it to them.
But when he meets Padre Benedetto, Angelo’s life changes. The Padre offers a place of sanctuary and gives Angelo the chance to earn his keep honestly. But trouble follows Angelo even there, and he fears, not only for himself, but also for the Padre who has been so kind to him. For his safety, Angelo is sent to stay with a friend of Padre Benedetto, where he has the opportunity to learn about art, to see an aspect of life he was unfamiliar with, and to consider what he might want to do with his future. And the Padre makes a journey of his own, with an eye toward trying to find Angelo’s family.
What a wonderful story! The characters are clearly good or bad. Angelo may be a thief, but he’s not bad at heart. Padre Benedetto is delightful and exactly what one would hope to aspire to as a follower of Christ. And many of the characters that populate the Guistiniani household are noble and kind. It is there that Angelo sees the artwork of Gerrit van Honthorst, and “The Adoration of the Child” is life-changing for the young man.
This story isn’t an action-packed mystery like some of Eljarbo’s other books. With both found family and family found, this is, at its heart, a story about redemption. And what better tale for the Christmas season than one that reminds us that the Christ came to redeem us all?
It gets five stars from me!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
About the Author
HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.
Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a paperback copy of The Relic Keeper and a $20 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 9, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 16, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Nice review. Sounds great.
Sounds terr
Sounds terrific