Map of Bones (Sigma Force Series)

A thriller of Mediterranean history, religion, and modern technology...at breakneck speed!

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!

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

James Rollins: Map of Bones

James Rollins is one of my new favorite thriller authors, among the ranks of Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Child. His plots are thrilling and incredibly unique leaving you in suspense and utterly surprised by the twists and turns. The first of his "Sigma Force" series, Map of Bones, is by far one of his best works yet and definitely one of my favorites from this series. Grayson Pierce is an interesting James Bond-esq lead character with whom you instantly fall in love and wish you were more like. His historical references as well as theological and mythological foundation are incredibly intriguing, making outside research on the topics fun and useful. Map of Bones is easily comparable to The Davinci Code, as the setting and religious elements are very similar. However, Rollins' writing style as well as the more thrilling theme makes it, in my opinion, a superior novel. Possibly one of my top ten favorite thrillers, Map of Bones is a must read for any action lover or someone looking for a new interesting author.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Another DaVinci Code Wanna-Be

Sorry folks, but I can't recommend this book. It's another DaVinci Code wanna-be. Authors, please pick another theme. The "mysteries hidden by the Catholic church" theme is really getting old. Oh, and also - I really hate two-word paragraphs, but apparently this author loves them.

A lot.

4 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

I don't get it

Okay - I don't get the excitement over this book. The plot is laborious and totally unbelievable (The protagonists somehow accomplish more in one day than any human could hope to do in 2 months). The writing concerning the romantic storyline with Rachel and Gray is nauseating. And is it just me or does anyone else wonder how St. Thomas - a contemporary of Jesus - baptized the three magi? Anyway - I've read worse but I cannot recommend this book.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Good, Not Great

James Rollins has always been one of my favorite action/thriller writers, but he seems to have drifted in his last two books, gravitating toward the Matt Reilly-type thriller with lots of shootouts and narrow escapes, and less of the creative bent that characterized such efforts as Amazonia and Subterranean. The plot of 'Map of Bones' has a touch of 'Da-Vinci Code', with Biblical relics pivotal to the plot. Overall, it's a fun, fast-paced read, but wait for the paperback or get it from the library.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Trail to Adventure

This is the first book I have read by James Rollins. I am sorry I haven't run across his books sooner. The book is full of nonstop action. I loved the tie ins with historical facts and his conjectures on the possible ways these facts might work together to further the plot of the novel. The characters are pretty standard fare, but the action is what we came for and Mr. Rollins does not disappoint.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Thrilling Adventure from Beginning to End

Within the first couple chapters I was hooked! Map of Bones is an archeological thriller that beautifully weaves real life history, mysteries, religious and historical artifacts and secret societies into a thrilling adventure. The characters are developed in a way that you either love them or despise them. Their victories become yours and you can't help but feel a little thrill when the bad guys have difficulty. As a warning, this book is nearly impossible to put down. Rollins has truly mastered the art of keeping the reader engaged. It's one of those "just one more chapter and then I'm going to bed" books that keep you up late into the night.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Always Exciting

1 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended - you must check it out!!

Highly Recommended - you must check it out!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great read!

This is one of those books you just can not put down. Good and believable plot. Great characters with a fantastic ending.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Read!

Map of Bones was a thrilling novel by James Rollins. If anyone enjoyed reading The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, they will enjoy this book. It is arguably better than the bestselling DaVinci Code. Definitely a must read!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

highly recommend - Great bits of history woven into the story line!

book was recommended by a friend now I am hooked on reading other James Rollins books!

Highly reccommend

Love the history and excitement of this book. Surprising twists and turns

WOW!

Better than DaVinci Code - this one kept me turning pages long after I shoyld have turned the lights out.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. This is the first time I've read

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. This is the first time I've read Rollins, and I was impressed at the quality of storytelling maintained while sharing an enormous amount of science and information. At times I felt a little overwhelmed by all that science, yet the story was rivoting and fast-paced enough to make it all work. I'm looking forward to exploring more of the author's work.

I don't normally read this type of fiction, but it was free, so

I don't normally read this type of fiction, but it was free, so I thought what the heck. Wow it had me hooked, and all the time things are happening, good and bad, kept me on the edge of my seat at times. I really enjoyed this book!!

Good read but ....

This book would make a great movie. It has a lot of action and a great blend of fiction and non fiction. What i didnt like was the over emphasized detail esp between the two main characters. This made the book too long and boring in a number of sections. Rollins detailed descriptions are great for the imagination. I just feel he wwent overboard so much so i almost shelved the book before finishing it on a number of occasions. I am glad that i finished the book. The ending was great.

Great couples book!!!!

My husband and I started reading this book together for my birthday as a compromise since we couldn't decide on anything else. We loved it!!! It had action and stuff blowing up for him and some science and romance for me. We are now hooked on this series and love our book seller for introducing us to this author!!

A very entertaining novel

A very enjoyable page-turner. Rollins created a believable Sigma Force team that does a great job of racing to keep ahead of the bad guys only to find the bad guys are smart too. Fun reading. Looking forward to more of Rollins yarns. LadyB

WOW!!!

I have read all of the Sigma Force series and they are all fast paced and can't put down books. Once you start to read you just can't put it down.