Map of Bones - Harry Potter 6 Books

Product Description

During a crowded service at a cathedral in Germany, armed intruders in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and destruction. But the killers have not come for gold; they seek a more valuable prize: the bones of the Magi who once paid homage to a newborn savior . . . a treasure that could reshape the world.

With the Vatican in turmoil, SIGMA Force leaps into action. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri, they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9960 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Released on: 2006-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 560 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A mysterious biblical object, nefarious Vatican spies and a deadly centuries-old religious cabal—sound familiar? Sacramento veterinarian Rollins offers more Da Vinci Code–style thrills for the seriously addicted. In this seventh outing, hooded men invade midnight mass at the Cologne Cathedral and slaughter almost everyone present, then break open a gold sarcophagus and steal... the bones of the Three Wise Men. Grayson Pierce, top agent in the Department of Defense's covert Sigma Force, takes a team to Rome, joins up with love-interest Rachel Verona, a carabinieri corps lieutenant, and her Vatican official uncle, Vigot. It seems that the Dragon Court, a medieval alchemical cult-cell that still operates within the Catholic Church, is to blame, and it also seems that the bones of the Magi aren't really bones, but the highly reactive Monatomic gold that the group plans to use to accomplish its ultimate goal—Armegeddon. Rollins has few peers in the research department, which makes the historical material fascinating, and he keeps the dialogue believably colloquial and the incidental elements motivated—and plausible for at least short stretches. Clumsy romance is mostly overcome by lots of action. Dan Brown-ers looking for methadone will add to Rollins's usual solid numbers. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This novel about an ancient secret society and the race to find priceless antiquities is sure to be compared to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, but, in every way, it's a much better book. Where Brown's best-seller was predictable despite its compelling premise, this tale is clever and suspenseful. Where Code featured ropey dialogue and assembly-line characters, this one offers (mostly) real people engaging in (mostly) real discourse. Like Brown, Rollins makes the most of a moderately implausible premise, this one requiring that the reader accept the literal truth of a certain allegorical aspect of the Bible. But, as both books prove, a thriller can be as implausible as it likes as long as it is entertainingly developed. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will obviously want to read Map of Bones, but even those who found Brown's opus unpalatable will thoroughly enjoy the taste of this one. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Sure to be compared to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, but, in every way, it's a much better book."
-- Booklist (Booklist )

Customer Reviews

Map of Bones
This is a fast paced thriller/ mystery. Really good and interesting. Makes one think "What if".

Suspend your disbelief and skip pass the dribble
I have read four of Rollins' books, two of which I gave five stars, but since I almost stopped reading this book at most it only gets two stars. It is one of the few books that I laid down several times and wondered if it was worth finishing as I didn't care how it ended.

I did a lot of skipping past the code-breaking details. Here is part of a review by Dr. J. "Dr. J" (Virginia) posted on April 28, 2007 that says it all, "What would you tell me if I was trying to find some socks in my 10 year old's room (a feat to itself), and I told you that because I found a drawing of a cat on his desk, and cats have 4 legs, 2 ears, and 1 tail, that this means that there are 7 paces from the desk to the socks somehow. But wait, the cat was pointing north, so it means that I must perhaps take the fact that cats are said to have 9 lives, and take the difference, so that confirms that there are 2 socks in a pair missing due north in the room! Amazing, isn't it?"

If you can suspend your disbelief and skip pass the dribble, Rollins can tell a good story about a plot that leaves a lot to be desired.

Suspend disbelief...
If you want a fun, historically interesting, fast read - this is it. I liked the book but was at times thinking it was a bit ridiculous. The end was a bit of a dud for me too. Overall, I liked the history and science in the book - all of which can be further researched. And, I liked the main characters. There is a clunky mini-romantic element which I am not sure why it was included. There are some over the top sequences and escapes too. But you read these books for what they are - escapist fun! Suspend disbelief for a while and enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the other Sigma Force books.