The Bone Chamber [Mass Market Paperback]

Robin Burcell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2009

Mysteriously summoned to Quantico to help re-create the face of a murdered, mutilated young woman, FBI forensic artist Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick knows immediately this is no ordinary crime. The hit-and-run death of the forensic anthropologist assisting her—a close friend—and Sydney's abrupt dismissal from the case by covert government investigators only strengthen her need for answers. Now her hunt for a killer is carrying her from Washington to Rome to the hidden chamber of a legendary tomb—on the trail of a fabled treasure of the Knights Templar . . . and a curse.

For buried deep in the mysteries of the Freemasons and the Vatican's Holy See is a secret that could rock the world. Suddenly an ancient map is pointing Sydney toward something the Templars wished to hide away forever—something that could unleash an unstoppable tide of blood and devastation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Burcell's second novel to feature FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick (after 2008's Face of a Killer) offers plenty of action, if not the freshest ideas. After Fitzpatrick helps identify the faceless corpse of a young woman as the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Fitzpatrick decides to follow mysterious, predictably gruff covert government agent Zach Griffin to Rome. There they search for a third key, alluded to by a forensic anthropologist friend and colleague recently killed in a hit-and-run accident. Fitzpatrick and Griffin believe the key will lead them to a map, buried in the crypts of Rome or Naples, that may be connected to bioterrorism and a very bad guy named Carlo Adami. All this excitement takes them through standard variations on the Freemason conspiracy theory and a good deal of underground scrambling, Indiana Jones–style. It's all fun, if somewhat clichéd, and a little burdened by Fitzpatrick's many moments of brooding and indecision. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Conspiracy buffs will enjoy this...saga, which gains authenticity from Burcell's FBI training"     --Kirkus Reviews

"Burcell has created a masterwork of historical intrigue and cutting-edge forensic science. Suspenseful, shocking, and lightning-paced!"       --James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author

"Burcell's second novel offers plenty of action...variations on the Freemason conspiracy theory and a good deal of underground scrambling, Indiana Jones-style."  --Publisher's Weekly

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061122297
• ISBN-13: 978-0061122293
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robin Burcell, an FBI-trained forensic artist, has worked in law enforcement
for over two decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator. Her thriller about an FBI forensic artist, Face of a Killer, debuted November 2008 with a starred review from Library Journal. The Bone Chamber is the sequel, due out January 2010. She is the two-time Anthony Award-winning author of four previous novels featuring SFPD Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie: Every Move She Makes, Fatal Truth, Deadly Legacy and Cold Case. You can visit her website at: www.robinburcell.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Lord! CIA,FBI,black ops,Vatican,Knights Templar! .more!!, January 11, 2010

By 

B. Rackley "Sierras Creative World" (Over the Rainbow .. far away) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bone Chamber (Mass Market Paperback)

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The Bone Chamber has more action packed into one book than you could ever imagine!
A list as long as your arm ...everyone gets a short spot in this story that is very much historical action packed and much like Indiana Jones meets DeVanci in the Vatican!

You begin knowing that this is a going to be a search for some artifax! But, you could never ever imagine all of the agencies that are picked up along the way.
Intriguring mystery, Sydney Fitzpatric is a frensic artist for the FBI, Despert for a long awaited vacation, she must miss the plane a dozen times?
Her search to help uncover the identy of a corpse that has no feats urers takes her on a complicated search for history and links to and from Rome, the Vatican, deep into crypt in Rome and Naples.
All the agencies that come to mind, FBI CIA Mafia figuers, black ops, international hit men, even questionable agencies, following
long standing rumors, ledgens and details rumored regarding the Vacatin, The Knights Templar, Freemassions, There all here! Plots
and sub plots! Glorious reading!

This is a well researched book, totally believable. I will leave it to the others to give names and characters and say to you if you love fast acting adventurers, crypts, ledgions, you will love this book, Looking forward to another by this author. It is a read again book.
Hope this has help in your selection.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 stars for those who like conspiracy stories about the Freemasons, Templar Knights and other secret societies..., January 9, 2010

By 

Denise Crawford "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bone Chamber (Mass Market Paperback)

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The Bone Chamber is yet another title that is reminiscent of the conspiracy and Templar Knights novels by Dan Brown, Steve Berry, Raymond Khoury et al. This action-packed thriller features FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick in her second outing (after Face of a Killer) and is a romp through the city and the underground burial chambers of Rome as she and her cohorts try to foil a dastardly plot involving money and murder. Despite being advertised as such, this is not a book about the Catholic church keeping a secret from the world and the Vatican is only vaguely mentioned. It's more about a super secret agency, ATLAS, that is charged with protecting the world from a competing group of megalomaniacs who want to possess the treasure of the Templars, including a map that just might contain directions to the location of all the Biblical plagues of Moses -- the better to make a bio-weapon.

It is a bit long and drags in places; Sydney is annoying at intervals as she displays a lot of angst over trusting herself but repeatedly sticks her nose into the case long after being dismissed from her forensic duties. There are the typical mad car chases, escapes from certain death at the hands of the evil henchmen, and a harrowing scene in the underground burial chambers. A little romance with one of the ATLAS operatives is developing and the book ends with hints that there will be a sequel involving Griffin.

I might be tempted to check out the next book in the series. You don't have to read the first one to understand the characters or the plot of this novel as it can stand alone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Great that Ain't, January 22, 2010

By 

A. Sullivan "RedbugSullivan" (Graham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bone Chamber (Mass Market Paperback)

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As I write this review, my reflections vacillate. The main character rocks. She is strong, intelligent and resourceful. On the flip side, the reader must suspend belief in specific facts- the rules of gravity and motion do not apply to sections of this tome... and that irritated the snot out of me!

The bottom line is to chose The Bone Chamber for "escape reading." I loved the tension, flow and resolution within the telling of this tale. As a result, it is only good as a reading snack. Don't take it too seriously!