Map of Bones

May 2005 (May 2006 Paperback)/Fiction-Thriller, Publisher: Harper
By James Rollins/Jim Czajkowski. 523 pgs.
Overview: Site, B&N, Amazon, Wiki, MC
During a service at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, a band of armed intruders dressed in monks robes unleash a nightmare of blood and terror, ruthlessly gunning down worshippers and clergy alike. The killers havent come for the churchs gold and valuable artwork, but for a priceless treasure secreted within: the preserved bones of the Three Magi who once came to pay homage to a newborn savior. As they flee the carnage they have wrought, they carry a prize that could reshape the world. The Vatican is in turmoil, and Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Romes carabinieri is assigned to lead the investigation. But no ordinary police organization alone can deal with the bizarre theft and massacre, and SIGMA Force—an elite covert arm of the U.S. Defense Department—is called in under the command of Grayson Pierce. New to SIGMA, Pierce assembles a crack team of scientific and Special Forces operatives to unravel the mystery of the stolen bones, and together they set out on a twisting trail through a labyrinth of clues and dark revelations that carry them to the sites of the Seven Wonders of the World—and to the doorstep of the mystical and terrifying Dragon Court. (Site)
Review: B+ (5.14.07) This book is considered to be Sigma Book #1 (Sandstorm introduces some back story and characters). Includes two pages of the informative authors notes, and a 16 page preview of the Black Order. The first book I read as I made my commute on the bus, I averaged 80 pages a day (usually a touch more, but I didn't always want to read). I like the science and historical aspects of Rollins writing, and of course the action. I wouldn't say this is insanely awesome stuff, but I still enjoyed it.