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Map of Bones
by James Rollins
A surprise attack on a German cathedral leaves hundreds dead, giving new meaning to the
term "mass murder." The only survivor describes a scene that leaves investigators puzzled
enough to involve Sigma, an elite and highly secretive black ops unit, dedicated to defending
America from its most hidden enemies. The investigating team is led by Grayson Pierce, a
stony, charismatic warrior scientist considered to be one of the unit's best field agents.
His team discovers that the Dragon Court, a rogue Gnostic sect devoted to the teachings
of Saint Thomas, utilized the hidden properties of one of the world's precious resources
to carry out the attack and unleash a power dating back to the time of Moses. However,
this attack was only a preview of much bigger things to come. Grayson and his team soon
find themselves immersed in a race across Europe, riddled with as much danger as action,
and the security of the world waiting at the finish line.
This book can be accurately described as Indiana Jones meets Dan Brown, but with
more action than the former and more depth than the latter. The author clearly showed his
knack for researching his subject matter and utilized his characters well to convey that
research. The main character is almost instantly familiar for anyone who is a fan of the
archeologist made famous by Harrison Ford and George Lucas, which increases the hero's
likeability factor. The supporting cast is equally familiar and well-utilized. There are
the wise-cracking yet capable teammates, the sultry yet tough heroine, and the well-versed
Uncle Vigor, a Vatican intelligence operative used by the author to convey information
to the reader.
The action is quite fast-paced and seemingly non-stop through the first third of the book.
Such a pace threatens to leave the reader behind in confusion, but the overall story doesn't
suffer. All in all, the book may not be of "read-again" material, but is well worth reading
the first time, especially for those who enjoy action/adventure and Biblical history. |
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The Book |
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Avon |
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April 25, 2006 (Reprint edition) |
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Mass Market Paperback |
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0060765240 |
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Espionage / Thriller |
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More
at Amazon.com |
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Excerpt |
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NOTE: |
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The Reviewer |
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John Washburn |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: Reviewer John Washburn
is the author of When Evil Prospers. |
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