The Codex by Douglas Preston

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Title: The Codex

Author: Douglas Preston

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 404 pages

Published: 2003

Publisher: Forge Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "Greetings from the dead," declares Maxwell Broadbent on the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Broadbent accumulated over a half a billion dollars' worth of priceless art, gems, and artifacts before vanishing---along with his entire collection---from his mansion in New Mexico.

At first, robbery is suspected, but the truth proves far stranger: As a final challenge to his three sons, Broadbent has buried himself and his treasure somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If the sons wish to claim their fabulous inheritance, they must find their father's carefully concealed tomb.

The race is on, but the three brothers are not the only ones competing for the treasure. This secret is so astounding it cannot be kept quiet for long. With half a billion dollars at stake, as well as an ancient Mayan codex that may hold a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases, others soon join the hunt---and some of them will stop at nothing to claim the grave goods.
The bestselling coauthor of such page-turning thrillers as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities, Douglas Preston now spins an unforgettable tale of greed, adventure, and betrayal.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was one of those books that just begged me to not put it down. The concept was great - three brothers heading out separately to try to find their father's tomb, and their inheritance. Tom, the brother who we follow the most throughout the story, is reluctant to start the search. In fact, he only ends up going to Honduras because of Sally Colorado - a woman who wants to find the Codex, a Mayan medical encyclopedia. There are a lot of near-death experiences and you see most of the characters transform because of these experiences. The action almost seemed non-stop, making this a great thriller to read.

You can purchase The Codex through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Codex? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Blasphemy by Douglas Preston

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Title: Blasphemy

Author: Douglas Preston
Series: Wyman Ford (Book #2)

Genre: Mystery

Length: 416

Published: 2007

Publisher: Forge Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The world's biggest supercollider, locked in an Arizona mountain, was built to reveal the secrets of the very moment of creation: the Big Bang itself. 

The Torus is the most expensive machine ever created by humankind, run by the world’s most powerful supercomputer. It is the brainchild of Nobel Laureate William North Hazelius. Will the Torus divulge the mysteries of the creation of the universe? Or will it, as some predict, suck the earth into a mini black hole? Or is the Torus a Satanic attempt, as a powerful televangelist decries, to challenge God Almighty on the very throne of Heaven?

Twelve scientists under the leadership of Hazelius are sent to the remote mountain to turn it on, and what they discover must be hidden from the world at all costs. Wyman Ford, ex-monk and CIA operative, is tapped to wrest their secret, a secret that will either destroy the world…or save it.

The countdown begins…

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

Like most of Douglas Preston's books (that I've read), the action doesn't really happen until the final chapters. The beginning three-quarters of the book is build up to the final showdown. The story itself is not bad, and Preston does a good job of explaining some of the more difficult scientific terms that are used. Fans of Tyrannosaur Canyon will be glad to see Wyman Ford back in action.

You can purchase Blasphemy through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Blasphemy? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

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Title: The Monster of Florence

Author: Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

Genre: True Crime

Length: 322 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") and Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City"), New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy.

In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to learn more. This is the true story of their search for--and identification of--the man they believe committed the crimes, and their chilling interview with him. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster Of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

I love true crime books. I've always been fascinated about what causes people to murder others. So this book was right up my alley. 

The first part of this book tells the history of the "Monster of Florence", along with several of the theories behind who could be responsible. It also shows some of the blunders that were made (for example, not securing the crime scenes) early on in the investigation before it was determined that they had a serial killer on their hands. There were some parts of this that were kind of dull and some parts that were hard to follow and I had to constantly refer to the beginning of the book where there was a list of people involved and who they were. 

The second part of the book follows Douglas Preston as he moves to Italy with his family. Eventually he meets Mario Spezi, the reporter who had been following the case of the Monster from the beginning. Together they come up with their own theory of who the Monster was. However, through politics, the people in charge of the investigation had changed a few times and the investigation went its own way. Eventually both Spezi and Preston are targeted by the police and Preston has to leave the country or risk arrest. Spezi is arrested eventually, so Preston does whatever he can to try to get him freed. 

It seems that nobody will ever know the truth of who the Monster of Florence was, but the authors outline all of the theories in great detail, leaving the reader to determine which is the most likely scenario. (I know which way I'm leaning!) Fans of true crime books will enjoy this. The writing is engaging, unlike some non-fiction books where I find myself bored because the writing is just not engaging enough.

You can purchase The Monster of Florence through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Monster of Florence? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.