Customer Reviews

The Map Thief: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an extremely well written novel by Heather Terrell, a practicing attorney, which is suspenseful, mysterious, and historically accurate. Heather uses a ploy which is artfully arranged into sequences, the chapters, so that they traverse the centuries from 1420, 1498, and 2008. Constantly moving forward in the quest to find a stolen Chinese map Mara Coyne, the heroine, travels the globe as you sit beside her while she unravels the mystery of the world chart. While Mara does this, others many years in the past, journey a route designing the diagram she pursues.

She has been hired to retrieve this ancient priceless artifact recently discovered and then stolen. Her sponsor is a financier who she knew from her past. Mara Coyne owns a company which retrieves ancient documents and returns them to their rightful owners. With a demonstrated ability to be successful in this endeavor, she has staff members among who is an ex-FBI agent. He provides vital information by cell phone which enables her to be one step ahead of her adversaries.

Accurate in the smallest detail, the names of historical figures and their positions in history are woven into this astonishing account of Muslim and Christian history as they were in the Ming Dynasty and beyond. Terrell's research into The Knights Templar and The Order of Christ was extensive. Even the descriptions of the buildings in Tomar, Portugal where these orders were housed and where Mara Coyne explored, were so real, you felt as though you were traipsing up and down the stairways with her.

As history unfolds from the ancient past, the tale weaves itself to the present. Each time you go back to the two separate periods of time of 1420 and 1498, the transition to the present is clearly woven into the fabric of today so the perils facing Mara and her companion Ben are understood.

One of the main things that I liked about this book was the clever use of descriptive language. Where Terrell could have said 'they drove onto a new highway' she chose to say, "They shifted onto a new highway ..." conveying a shift vehicle was being driven by Mara. Other nuances abound throughout the book and are very entertaining.

Deception, intrigue, and treachery at every turn keep the main characters high stepping throughout this adventure. Even the historical references are fraught with these same elements tying together past and present. A surprise ending which catches everyone off guard, including our heroine, is the culmination in this fine book. This is a must read and one that will keep you thoroughly entertained, as you watch the Olympics and want to learn more about China.

Clark Isaacs
Reviewer

Famous conservative kingmaker" Richard Tobias hires art recovery investigator Mara Coyne to find a valuable Chinese map stolen from an archeological dig. This is the type of artifact that Coyne searches for as it is the oldest known map to clearly show the entire globe; dating to the early fifteenth century and the expedition of Admiral Zheng to sail around the world. The priceless artifact was smuggled out of China when an Emperor purged any reference to the expedition. It reappeared when Vasco Da Gama used it as a guide in his search for the western sea passage to India.

In the present many groups willing to use force want the map mostly to suppress the evidence that the Chinese came to the Americas decades before Columbus. Mara and archeologist Ben Coleman struggle to find the map and stay alive; neither task easy to accomplish.

Fictionalizing the historical theories of Gavin Menzies (see 1421 THE YEAR CHINA DISCOVERED THE WORLD and 1434: THE YEAR A MAGNIFICENT CHINESE FLEET SAILED TO ITALY AND IGNITED THE RENAISSANCE), Heather Terrell provides a fascinating thriller. The story line is at its best when the focus is on the fifteenth century among Zheng and Da Gama journeys. The modern day cast fails to hold up next to the real historical cast, making most of the contemporaries feel as unnecessary intruders except for Coyne who is the readers guide to the expeditions of Zheng and Da Gama.

Harriet Klausner

The Map Thief by Heather Terrell is an intellectual historical suspense novel involving a stolen map that is unearthed on a Chinese Archaeological dig. The story's lead character Mara Coyne, is a professional lawyer and sideline investigator. Her job is to return stolen art and antiquities to their rightful owners, the top art collectors of the world.

Ever since the Da Vinci Code phenomenon, novel after novel have been pumped out with an incredible amount of art and religious history mysteries. I find this theme enjoyable, but lately felt this topic was waning. But just as I was about to taper off myself on this genre, I found The Map Thief. The title stopped me short as I was browsing my favorite mystery bookstore. The art of cartography has always held my interest so I had to buy it on that subject alone.

The story begins with a 15th century Chinese map of the world being unearthed on a dig, and is suspiciously and immediately stolen. Mara, operating out of her home-base office in New York, is contacted by a wealthy collector who wishes to hire her to locate the map and return it. Mara learns that the stolen map is quite an enigma; it is a world map, depicting the entire world long before a time when Europeans were thought to be aware of it. No previously known documentation had ever mentioned that a map of this ilk ever existed from this time period.

Three lives entwined, at different points in time, tell this fascinating story. Mara's part in present day New York and with her travels to China, investigate the crime to determine who could have stolen the map and why. The second aspect of the tale, and the section I found to be the most interesting, is told through the eyes of the man who created this map, a monastic eunuch going by the name of Zhi. Zhi's story of how his family sold him to the monastery only to soon lose his manhood, a sacrifice to benefit their wealth, is a sorrowful tale that is enlightened when he is chosen to accompany a large fleet of ships as the court mapmaker to chronicle the travels and exploration in cartographic form. Lastly, the third interjected segment is told through the eyes of Antonio Coelho, another talented navigator also on a major maritime journey of discovery who accompanies the renowned explorer Vasco da Gama of Lisbon. Da Gama is enlisted to map the foreign seas around Africa as the church invites him as a Knight of the Cross, on a mission to Christianize the heathens of the Dark Continent.

Alternating chapters of this book soon become intriguing and intellectually stimulating. The reader learns about the art and antiquities world, ancient China, the art of mapmaking, and of early explorers from China and Portugal that jockey for position to be the first to find new land beyond the west of their known world; what we know today to be the Americas.

The trio of oscillating stories sail smoothly across a sea of puzzling questions that navigate through uncharted waters to debate just who first found The New World. The author successfully creates a light mystery, while at the same time offering the reader an education and tutored lesson in history, archaeology, and cartography during the Age of Discovery. I truly enjoyed this second Terrell novel and would certainly pick up another. My only small gripe with the book is that I found at times the author's use of language a bit stilted, with a flow that could have been just a tiny bit smoother. A minor flaw that would not deter a reader from a wonderful entertaining read.

THE CHRYSALIS was one of 2007's great surprises, a debut novel by an author whose tone and setting was pitch perfect. Heather Terrell's sophomore effort, THE MAP THIEF, continues its predecessor's level of quality while heralding the welcome return of Mara Coyne.

Coyne is a unique figure in thriller fiction, an attorney-cum-antiquities hunter who retrieves stolen artifacts with research, intellect and negotiation rather than with a bullwhip. As she did in THE CHRYSALIS, Coyne figures prominently in THE MAP THIEF. Her firm is retained by Richard Tobias, an influential political powerbroker who is sponsoring an archaeological dig in China. A centuries-old map uncovered during the dig has been stolen, and Tobias wants Coyne to retrieve it. She is intrigued by the challenge but is unable to shake the feeling that Tobias has not told her everything about what is going on.

Coyne soon discovers that the map is much more valuable than she imagined, and not only in monetary terms. If publicized, it may well change recorded history, and Tobias is planning to use it for his own ends. Coyne's pursuit takes her from New York to the dusty and desolate dig site in China to Lisbon, Portugal, and back to New York again, where she not only resolves the mystery of the missing map but also indirectly solves a historical mystery surrounding the discovery of the Americas, the answer to which had previously been lost in the sands of time.

What I have detailed only covers about half of THE MAP THIEF. There are two other stories, one that peeks behind the creation of the map that Coyne is pursuing and the other that describes a very similar map used by the Portuguese. The former takes place in China in 1421, at the height of the Ming Dynasty, wherein Admiral Zheng He is undertaking a mission unprecedented up to that time: charting the globe. The narrative focuses on Ma Zhi, a uniquely talented cartographer and navigator. Zhi's story is bittersweet; he is one of the Dynasty's eunuchs, a position considered honorable, yet is treated with repulsion.

The descriptions of Zhi's experiences constitute some of Terrell's best work in THE MAP THIEF, covering his apprenticeship, promotion, triumph and, ultimately, tragedy, which will have repercussions for centuries. Even his victories are bittersweet, given what he gave up --- physically and emotionally --- to attain his position, only to have time and circumstance sweep everything away.

The third story is set in Portugal in the late 15th century during what we now call the Age of Discovery. The narrative primarily concerns a navigator named Antonio Coehlo, who joins legendary explorer Vasco da Gama on his voyage to discover a sea route to India. Coehlo's skill and loyalty earns da Gama's trust, resulting in Coehlo being given the task of guarding a precious map in da Gama's possession --- one that, unbelievably, already shows the route. While Coehlo seems to be a bit player in the story, his contribution demonstrates that even a momentary flash of temper can have repercussions across the centuries.

Terrell utilizes short chapters that alternate among her stories to effective purpose, keeping the narrative flowing quickly while rendering a complex, though nonetheless interesting story readily understandable. Readers of THE MAP THIEF will be left clamoring for more of Terrell and her memorable protagonist.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I highly recommend "The Map Thief" by Heather Terrell.

Western history tells us that the Portuguese were the first to map the world. In her second novel, Terrell surmises the events that may have transpired if in fact, Western history has gotten it wrong and the Chinese were the first to chart the world including the Americas.

Part thriller, part historical fiction The Map Thief effortlessly moves through three provocatively related stories with rich characters, vivid imagery and compelling suspense.

An extraordinarily plausible hypothesis, thorough research, and expert storytelling will have you page-turning this incredible adventure where, akin to the Da Vinci code, the lines between fiction and fact are intriguingly blurred, where seemingly trivial deceptions foreshadow substantial conspiracy. In the end, The Map Thief will have you anxiously awaiting Terrell's third novel and filling time exploring the veracity of our cartographic annals.

The Map Thief is a must read if you enjoyed Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code", Caleb Carr's "The Alienist", or Terrell's own debut novel, "The Chrysalis".

Other reviews tell about the story, so I'll focus on different aspects.

I found "The Map Thief" a completely successful novel. The story is fascinating, the interesting main protagonist and her companion are well fleshed out, but not to the point where characterizations interfere with the story. It's a pleasure to read; and it's worth the time invested in it.

Two aspects of the book were especially appealing. First, I have learned a lot of history and historical arcana from works of fiction -- as is the case with "The Map Thief." But usually, without further research, I do not know where the author draws the line between facts, conjectures, and fabrications. Heather Terrell did her readers a great service, by appending to the story an Author's Note which shows us where she 'adjusted' history for the sake of the story.

The other aspect I found special was the way Terrell wove together, as it were three stories, spanning about six centuries and running through much of the world. The three stories, of course, are three aspects of the same story. She also uses a few brief flashbacks within these parts of her stories. Her skill in this matter enabled her to exercise unusual economy of words in telling her sweeping tale. She hurtles back and forth among her three stories, each with its own protagonist. This has the dual advantage of preventing any of the short segments from expanding into tedium: she moves right along; and she does not have to waste pages explaining the details of how the action in one of the stories moved from one place to another. In other words her book is almost all meat -- no hydrolized protein fillers.

These comments should suggest why this is not a 600 or 700 page book. I hope you enjoy it.

I have this for a travel read while we are away. The book came quickly and was in the condition described. Thanks!

~~~~

It was an enjoyable read!

I read and loved this author's novel, BRIGID OF KILDARE, so I wanted to try this one, too. It's more of a thriller but also fascinating. This author knows how to spin history into a really good story. Thinking I might try FALLEN ANGEL next, even though it seems to be YA.

My book club read this book and everyone loved it. It is fiction but the historical facts are extremely well researched. By the time you are finished you have an amazing insight into the Chinese explorers.

In The Map Thief, Heather Terrell tells three related stories. Mara Coyne, the protagonist of the book's principal story, is hired in the present by a Republican kingmaker to find a priceless 15th-century map that's been stolen from an archaeological dig in China. What her client doesn't tell her is that the map offers shocking evidence that could re-write the history of the European Age of Discovery. Terrell also tells the story of the eunuch Ma Zhi, who accompanied a Chinese naval expedition west in the 1420s and subsequently created the map Mara is searching for. Finally, there is the story of another navigator, Antonio Coehlo, who used the map while sailing with Vasco da Gama in the 1490s.

Terrell's book should be a great read. It's got a lot going for it: an inherently interesting story that spans continents and centuries, an ancient secret whose revelation could cause a storm in the modern world, a pair of protagonists who could wind up having more than a professional relationship. If you're thinking that the book sounds something like The DaVinci Code, you're right: added to the above similarities is the fact that there is a lot of attention given to iconography and imagery in The Map Thief. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities end. Because while The DaVinci Code--whatever its detractors say--is a thrilling read, The Map Thief is utterly lacking in suspense. There are two other substantial problems with the book. Most importantly, the characters are uninteresting (with the exception of Ma Zhi, who is the most compelling): Mara's fate--whether she finds the map or not, hooks up with the archaeologist she's teamed with or not, or is plugged by one of the Chinese mobsters she runs across--is of no interest at all. In addition, the book often gets bogged down in boring details, descriptions of imagery and architecture that, usually, are not relevant to the story. A disappointing book, given its initial promise.

-- Debra Hamel