Product Description

As an antique map dealer in a small English town, Harry Blake appreciates the quiet life. But when a local landowner asks him to value a 400 year old journal and twelve hours later he is brutally murdered, Harry's peace of mind is shattered. What does the dusty journal contain that is a matter of life or death? Why is someone prepared to pay Harry a fortune to steal it? He turns to marine historian Zola Khan to uncover the mysteries. The trail of the journal leads him into a world of deadly Elizabethan conspiracies, and the thread of history takes him through a thousand years of religious intrigue back to the blood-soaked Crusades. And he finally learns that at stake are millions of dollars and a plan to trigger nothing less than war...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #320843 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
"'The most exciting book I have ever read' Arthur C. Clarke 'Outrageously exciting. A cunningly devised tale' Literary Review 'Written by a leading astronomer, THE LURE combines electrifying thrills with issues of real concern to the scientific community and all of us...An intelligent, thought provoking and satisfying 'what if adventure' Irish Independent 'It's excellent fiction: a way to catch up on some physics and planetology while an entertaining and gripping story unfolds. The story has a gritty authenticity' New Scientist"

About the Author
Bill Napier is an astronomer at Armagh Observatory and an honorary professor at Cardiff University. His three previous thrillers, NEMESIS, REVELATION and THE LURE, have all been published by Headline. He lives in Ireland with his wife.

Customer Reviews

An Ancient Secret
When I had this book given as a Christmas present I did not think it would be my cup of tea. How wrong can you be? Bill Napier is a new author to me, so I had no pre-conceived ideas of his writing style or accomplishment as a story teller and really loved the book.

Harry Blake is an antique map dealer in a small town in England and rarely becomes involved in anything outside his field of expertise. But when he is asked to value a 400 year old journal by a local landowner who is subsequently murdered, Harry's peace of mind is shattered.

What is contained in the dusty old journal that warrants a murder?

The journal leads him into a world of deadly conspiracies in Elizabethan times and on through more than a thousand years of religious intrigue, back to the Crusades and a secret location of a holy relic.

Can Harry find the missing puzzle in the jigsaw that is attracting some particularly unscrupulous adversaries. At stake are millions of dollars and a terrorist plot . . .

even better than The Da Vinci Code
This is such an exciting book. I picked it up because it said on the cover it was similar to The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown), which I loved. I must say, Shattered Icon is indeed, at least partly, similar to the Code, but it has so much more. While TDVC stays firmly in the present, Shattered Icon delves into the 16th century time and again, where it explains the famous Roanoke expedition as seen and experienced by the 15 year old scottish farmer's son James Ogilvie. This novel really does have it all. Suspense, educational elements, mysteries, ruthless killers, tiny fragments of love and romance (any more would have been cheesey) and a satisfying ending. A real pageturner. Very impressive!

BEAUTY!
This is really a good read. It's that simple. It's a genuine page turner that keeps you enthralled as to what the outcome of the adventure will be. if you liked the book 'The Da Vinci Code' then you will, I am sure, like this one too!