Unholy night by Seth Grahame-Smith

What if the three wise men were petty, murderous thieves who, under cover of night, stumble upon the celebrated manger with its newborn child? The last thing they'd want would be to be slowed down by Joseph, Mary and their infant, but when King Herod's men began their slaughter of the firstborns, they were left with no choice but to help the young family on their flight to Egypt ...

If I weren't an almost compulsive book finisher, I would have quit before the halfway point. I can't even put my finger on why I was bored, but I'm glad I kept going because there are a few happenings at the very end that, as a father, put a big knot in my throat.

After hearing this story one way for many years it was really refreshing to read it anew. Really, this is the story of Balthazar, one of the three “wise men”. He has a great story and it quite the character. Balthazar's story just happens to run concurrently with that of the baby named Jesus.
I enjoyed this as much as Smith's other books, and even found myself chuckling at some points. Other times, the action was so over the top, it felt like an action movie. All of that is forgivable when you mix in Herod (so evil, you have to love him) and the magus (who needs his own prequel with the rest of the magi).
Good stuff. Perfect for the beach!!!

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. I really liked it. I think this is a great story for both religious and non-religious readers. I went through many emotions while the story progressed. I do have to admit, since I “read” it as an audio book, I was able to fast forward through one part which was a little too graphic for me. But it was just a short forward and I'm certain it didn't change the story for me.