The Himalayan Codex (R. J. MacCready Series #2)

by Bill Schutt, J. R. Finch

Overview

“An action-packed adventure thriller . . . If you like Michael Chrichton’s thrillers and Indiana Jones movies, then you will enjoy The Himalayan Codex.” —San Francisco Book Review

It is 1946, and the world is beginning to rebuild from the ashes of the devastating war. Marked by the perilous discoveries he encountered in the wilds of Brazil, Captain R. J. MacCready has a new assignment on the other side of the globe—a mission that may help him put the jungle’s horrors behind him. He is headed for the Himalayas, to examine some recently discovered mammoth bones.

Arriving in Asia, Mac learns the bones are only a cover story. He’s really there to investigate an ancient codex allegedly written by Pliny the Elder. The Roman naturalist claimed to have discovered a new race of humans, a divergent species that inspired the myth of the Yeti and is rumored to have the ability to accelerate the process of evolution.

Charged with uncovering more about this miracle species, Mac sets off into the remote mountain valleys of Tibet, using the codex as his guide. But the freezing climate and treacherous terrain are only the beginning of the dangers facing him. He must also contend with the brutal Chinese army and a species of native creature even the Yeti seem to fear. The deeper he plunges into the unknown, the more certain it appears that Mac and the associates who join his odyssey may not make it out alive.

“Schutt and Finch provide a textbook example of how to make the fantastic easy to buy into with their superior second Crichton-esque thriller.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062412577
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/18/2023
Series:	The R. J. MacCready Novels , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	405
Sales rank:	6,141
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Bill Schutt is a vertebrate zoologist and author. He is a research associate in residence at the American Museum of Natural History and a professor of biology at LIU-Post. Bill’s first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was critically acclaimed by E. O. Wilson and the New York Times. His next nonfiction work will explore the natural history of cannibalism. Bill lives with his wife and son in Long Island.

J. R. Finch is a painter, history buff, and cave explorer. He lives in New York City with three cats.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/24/2017
Schutt and Finch provide a textbook example of how to make the fantastic easy to buy into with their superior second Crichton-esque thriller featuring field zoologist R.J. MacCready (after 2016’s Hell’s Gate). In 1946, Maj. Pat Hendry visits Mac at his offices in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Natural History and shows him jawbones from a dwarf mammoth that suggest the creature had two trunks. Hendry reveals that the bones came from a remote part of Tibet known as the Labyrinth, which may also be the site of an even more amazing discovery—an incomplete codex believed to have been written by Pliny the Elder, which describes the ancient Roman naturalist’s encounter with something in the Labyrinth that could be “the key to shaping life itself.” Mac agrees to travel to the Himalayas to find and recover whatever that something is. Schutt and Finch enhance their suspenseful plot with descriptions of unusual but convincing life forms. An extended author’s note at the end explains that such speculation is grounded in science. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian MacKenzie Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Looks like Schutt and Finch are filling the void left by the passing of Michael Crichton.” — James Cameron, director/writer/explorer

“Schutt and Finch provide a textbook example of how to make the fantastic easy to buy into with their superior second Crichton-esque thriller featuring field zoologist R. J. MacCready.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch are two of the best adventure writers to hit the scene in a long time. They blend action and science into a read that opens the door to much, much more. My kind of book!” — Clive Cussler, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Looks like Schutt and Finch are filling the void left by the passing of Michael Crichton.”
— James Cameron, director/writer/explorer

“Hell’s Gate has everything I love in a book: rip-roaring action, strange-but-authentic science, and characters that pop right off the page. An adventure that harkens to the glory days of H. Rider Haggard and H.G. Wells. Warning: Do NOT miss this debut!” — James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Hell’s Gate

“This one pushes the envelope to the edge and beyond, with tension and imagination that crackles from the first page. A terrific story, terrifically told. So take a walk on the perilous side, if you dare.” — Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The 14th Colony on Hell’s Gate

“Just think Indiana Jones. For that matter, this yarn evokes more than a few reminders of Stephen King, Joseph Conrad, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Fast-moving fun for thriller readers who enjoy a bit of horror and seeing bad guys get what’s coming to them.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Hell’s Gate

“The authors adeptly balance science and suspense, and a detailed afterword lays out how much of the story line is based in history. Michael Crichton fans will be pleased that the ending leaves room for a sequel.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Hell’s Gate

From the Publisher

Hell’s Gate has everything I love in a book: rip-roaring action, strange-but-authentic science, and characters that pop right off the page. An adventure that harkens to the glory days of H. Rider Haggard and H.G. Wells. Warning: Do NOT miss this debut!

James Rollins

Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch are two of the best adventure writers to hit the scene in a long time. They blend action and science into a read that opens the door to much, much more. My kind of book!

Clive Cussler

This one pushes the envelope to the edge and beyond, with tension and imagination that crackles from the first page. A terrific story, terrifically told. So take a walk on the perilous side, if you dare.

Steve Berry

Looks like Schutt and Finch are filling the void left by the passing of Michael Crichton.

James Cameron

Looks like Schutt and Finch are filling the void left by the passing of Michael Crichton.”

James Cameron