The King's Gold: An Old World Novel of Adventure (Red Lion) [Paperback]

Yxta Maya Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2008 | Series: Red Lion

One look at the centuries-old document she receives from a mysterious stranger is all it takes to plunge Lola Sanchez—a brilliant bibliophile and owner of the Red Lion bookshop—into the adventure of an already adventurous lifetime. The ancient writings tell of a stolen fortune in Montezuma's gold—and of the thief's transformation from conquistatore to alchemist . . . to werewolf.

Riches beyond imagining possibly await the stalwart globe-trotter who can solve the intricate riddles hidden in the artifact's crumbling pages. But a deadly curse is buried there as well. On a dangerous quest through the dark shadows of history, Lola and her dashing companion, Eric, will have to unravel the twisted strands of her own family's fantastical past—and stay a step ahead of the villainous treasure hunters who would eagerly kill for the secrets she possesses and the Aztec gold she seeks.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Law professor Murray continues her Red Lion series (following The Queen Jade) with a death-defying treasure hunt that transforms her sedentary, word-mad bibliophile heroine into a genuine biblio-adventurer. When a stranger approaches Lola Sanchez, a Long Beach, Calif., bookshop owner and the daughter of legendary archeologist and old-fashioned pulp hero Tomas de la Rosa, with a centuries-old letter offering clues to the location of Montezuma's lost gold, she can't resist the lure—especially when told that her father died while searching for the treasure. Assisted by her half-sister, fiancé, mother and stepfather, Lola follows the clues in a suicidal treasure hunt that leads across Italy and to some of history's most iconic sites. The characters are unique and memorable, the action fast-paced, the plot serpentine and the riddles challenging in this entertaining adventure. In heroine Sanchez, Murray has created a perfect counterweight to the traditional macho hero. (Apr.)
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Review

“A romp like this, of course, is only as good as its characters and Murray draws ehavily on the lively cast she introduced in The Queen Jade...Murray does a pretty nifty job of pulling it all together at the end....” (Los Angeles Times )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060891084
• ISBN-13: 978-0060891084
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,424,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Adventure Novel, May 31, 2008

By 

Bright Star - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Gold: An Old World Novel of Adventure (Red Lion) (Paperback)

I got this book last Saturday and finished it on Sunday having put it down only to sleep. The plot is very quick, with lots of turns and puzzles, all of which make sense when you look back. The settings are beautifully described historical sites in Europe and South America. But the best part is the characters and their dialogue. The Washington Post just gave it a rave review calling the heroine "Indiana Jane," but it is much, much better than the Indiana Jones series. [...]

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars One of best ideas gone so wrong!, June 30, 2008

By 

Pamela J. Lloyd "pamlloyd" (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The King's Gold: An Old World Novel of Adventure (Red Lion) (Paperback)

This is perhaps the silliest books I have ever read, and that includes children's books. Great idea, could be a thrilling book and a wonderful made-for-television movie; however, this was all over the place. I did not like the people, thought them vague, foolish, and I just didn't care enough about them. The author either doesn't know about character development or perhaps just likes to grind out novels. Also, did she do any on-site checking of locations? Descriptions of wonderful places just was left vague and rather colorless and boroing. I'm so glad I have visited some of these truly wonderful places or I would have struck them off a travel list.

Certainly will not read novel number one, and will by pass her name on my list of "must have" authors. An "Old World Novel of Adventure?" Not likely.