Mysteries Galore.com

Posts Tagged ‘james rollins’

Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair

I have read many of the books written by both of the authors of The Blood Gospel, and while I enjoy them both, their subject matter is so vastly different that I was quite curious to see what the collaboration would bring. Would it be a character driven historical novel as Cantrell is known for or would it be an adventurous thriller loaded with science and along the lines of Rollins’ books? The answer is it’s a little of both mixed into something completely different. There is action, science and history, but the premise involves the possibility of there being some truth to the vampire mythology and it’s all twisted up in the search for book containing a Gospel written by Christ in his own blood.

While on a dig in Catesarea, Israel, Dr. Erin Granger’s team realizes they may have uncovered the remains of Herrod’s massacre of the babies. But they soon realize there is something off about the small bodies. The bones have strange markings on them-almost as though they had been gnawed. In Masada, Israel, a family from California is enjoying their last vacation together with their critically ill son when an earthquake hits releasing a sweetish gas which instantly kills everyone except the ill boy. These two scenes are brought together when the Israeli government sends a helicopter and soldiers to Catesarea to bring Erin to Masada. There is something under the mountain that they need her help finding. With her will be her military escort Jordan and a Catholic monk. What they find below is first given to readers in the prologue. As a reader, this is one prologue you must not skip. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Teri Davis

What do these things have in common? The Mormon Church, Lewis and Clark, the mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis, Native Americans, The Founding Fathers of the United States, the disappearance of the Anasazi people, the Iroquois Nation, nano technology, Indian mounds, volcanoes, and the emblem of the United States? One thing, the book The Devil Colony.

When you live near the Rocky Mountains in Utah, naturally exploring by climbing and hiking is a frequent activity for many. Trent Walker and Charlie Reed decide to follow an old Indian map that was drawn on an old deer hide piece. The two are trying to find the landmarks on this faded fabric and attempt to compensate their map with erosion and weathering. The two had just finished high school and Charlie was planning on entering college in the fall while Trent plans to work locally.

The map belongs to Charlie’s grandfather who is currently experiencing a taste of a traditional trip, or hallucinogenic. Only a few of the tribal elders even know that this map exists. This is a great opportunity for the two friends to finally explore and have an adventure before their lives change with their prospective futures.

The two are looking for a supposedly haunted cave which has some kind of a secret hidden treasure.

The two discovered the cave with mummified bodies. However, the bodies looked Caucasian, not Native American. Being shocked and uneasy, the two quickly begin to leave the cave when Trent slips and falls. Charlie continues to leave the cave. Trent is ready to yell for help when he hears voices outside the cave and then a gunshot. He chooses to hide further back into a tunnel in the cave. He hears something rolling into the cave. It is Charlie’s body followed by his elderly grandfather who then puts a pistol to his own head and shoots himself. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair

Although best known for his series of thrillers, author (and veterinarian) James Rollins’s Altar of Eden appears to be a stand alone work of fiction. That’s not to say that fans of his thrillers will be disappointed. There is plenty of action in this one as well and he has finally found a way to use a veterinarian as a protagonist.

Lorna Polk, a Louisiana State Veterinarian, is mysteriously summoned from her lab and hustled away in a helicopter to the sight of a beached fishing boat. Though initially puzzled as to what this shipwreck could possibly have to do with her, her curiosity was replaced by horror when she realized what the cargo was. The hull of the boat was filled with exotic animals, apparently bound for the US pet trade. Only these were not just any animals. They all had a defect of some sort and a trait that was a throwback to the animal’s ancestors. But the worst scene was when she discovered the animal that was missing, leaving behind a very large newborn.

The first section of the book follows Lorna and U.S Border Patrol Agent Jack Menard as they track the missing animal and start to figure out how and why the animals were on the boat in the first place. Rollins has done a remarkable job of placing the reader in the islands in the Delta region of Louisiana. He also gives readers two interesting characters to root for as they work through the mystery. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Teri Davis

Back in the middle ages, King Edward in England sent one of his trusted advisors to take a census of those within his boundaries for the purpose of discovering all the taxable income. This was knows as Domesday Book. Oddly, a few areas that were visited were listed as “wasted”. Why? What did wasted mean? Why would any area be listed as that?

Also listed in the book was the prophesy listing all the future popes until the end of time. Each was properly named and described in the book. Unfortunately, the book has been misplaced or hidden. What other secrets do the book hold?

Sigma (the good guys) and The Guild (the bad guys) are racing to discover the secrets in The Domesday Book and the two follow no rules in keeping the other from discovering what is in the book. Added to that are challenges of today such as overpopulation and world hunger. Read the rest of this entry »