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.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.5 based on 193 reviews)

Map of Bones

This book is sort of a slow starter with the same action sequences happening over and over. It picks up about 250 pages in; however, I would recommend reading Black Order by James Rollins instead. This book is much more interesting and a page turner!
January 02, 2009

Map of Bones

This is a fast paced thriller/ mystery. Really good and interesting. Makes one think "What if".
November 19, 2008

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.
November 09, 2008

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.
October 24, 2008

Read This First, in Sigma Series

Map of Bones is a fast paced thrill ride. I loved it. The book is a little too long, but all in all, I couldn't get enough. This is the second book in the Sigma series. The first book, Sandstorm, is not as good, and most of the central characters are introduced in Map of Bones and not in the first book.
August 12, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Black Order: A Sigma Novel (Sigma Force Novels)
by James Rollins

Sandstorm
by James Rollins

Excavation
by James Rollins

The Judas Strain: A Novel
by James Rollins

Ice Hunt
by James Rollins