Product Description

'Shots rang out across the cathedral. Sporadic. Cries suddenly silenced. Death stalked the cathedral as the monks slaughtered the few remaining survivors... All for a sack of bones. Why? Why steal the bones of the Magi?' When a group of parishioners is burned to death in a German cathedral, the US sends in Sigma force. For this tragedy is more than a case of arson - someone has stolen the priceless treasure stored in the cathedral's golden reliquary: the bones of the biblical Three Kings. Commander Gray Pierce leads a team on the hunt for the Royal Dragon Court, a clandestine aristocratic fraternity of alchemists that dates back to the Middle Ages and seeks to establish a new world order using the mystical bones. Pierce and his team follow a trail that leads from Europe's Gothic cathedrals through the remnants of the seven wonders of the ancient world to a mystical place where science and religion unite to unleash a threat not seen since the beginning of time itself...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19091 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Kati Nicholl, DAILY EXPRESS
'pacy and totally "listenable" as read by the king of the thriller readers, the fabulous Kerry Shale.'

About the Author
James Rollins is the author of seven bestselling novels. An amateur spelunker and scuba enthusiast, he also holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He currently lives and writes in Sacramento, California.

Customer Reviews

Map of Bones chills to the core!
Parishoners in a German Cathedral are murdered at a midnight mass, by an ultrasecret cult within the church. The only Witness is murdered.
The only Clue; The bones of the Magi, the three wise men who visited Jesus at His birth in the Manger, are stolen by the cult.
Called in to investigate; A secret U.S. Government angency called Sigma, and accompanied by a Vatican Cardinal in charge of Church security, and his niece, an agent in the Carbinieri, Itali's version of our FBI.
The group Chases around Europe after the Cult, and the clues to the importance of the Bones of the Magi-the M(or Metalic)State of Gold, offering power beyond anyone's wildest imagination, and extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.
The action is nearly non-stop, in this mystery adventure that puts The Da Vinci Code to shame for pace, story line, and research.
This is without a doubt Rollins's best book yet! And I've read every one of his excellent adventure thrillers!
For anyone who like Matt Reilly's Temple, and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, give this one a try. I garantee you'll be more than satisfied!

Rollins comes at you with a dizzying pace,
Excellent book! Rollins comes at you with a dizzying pace and almost overwhelming information. After 20 pages you adjust to his speed and data ... and you enjoy the ride! This is a modern thriller with obvious comparisons to The DaVinci Code. Three American intelligence operatives and two Italians (priest and niece) form an unlikely and tight partnership to thwart an ancient religious order from gaining an ultimate prize. Perhaps this is a perceptive view of our 21st century, a harmonious blend of science and spirituality, history and technology, religion and government agents across borders. A high point is Rollins' use of a loyal team of five very diverse people devoted to one another and their mission. This is a fine read!

Going From Strength To Strength
Map of Bones will inevitably be compared to The Da Vinci Code and it does share some similarities. Religious history and iconography features heavily in the plot, along with age old conspiracies with links to the Vatican.

James Rollins' latest novel however, is Dan Brown's novel with a heavy dose of adrenalin and a strong strain of the fantastic injected. It is also a far more satisfying read and should be taken purely on its own merits. Forget comparisons to Brown's blockbuster. Map of Bones is a great book in its own right.

It is also an improvement on Rollins' previous books, including Sandstorm, which introduced the activities of Sigma Force that feature in Map of Bones. The story is better paced, along with being more rounded and satisfying.

The only weakness is in the characterisation. Wilst they fulfil their roles the individuals who populate the story are nothing more than dramatic devices. They lack depth and their actions are cliched to the point of predictability.

Despite this Map of Bones remains a satisfying read, with events moving along at such a rapid pace that you barely notice the flaws. If Rollins can continue to improve his next book, Black Order, should be more than worth waiting for.