First published 2012
Chel Manu holds a contraband Maya codex in her hands at the Getty Museum. The beautifully painted artifact arrived through illegal channels, smuggled from jungle ruins by a desperate looter. As the world's leading expert on ancient Maya inscriptions, Chel faces an impossible choice. She should report the stolen codex to authorities, but the chance to translate such a rare treasure may never come again. Her decision becomes urgent when doctors call her to LA General Hospital. A dying patient speaks only garbled Maya dialect, and they need Chel to interpret his final words. The man suffers from Fatal Insomnia, a contagious neurological disease that spreads rapidly through the city. December 2012 races toward the date ancient prophecy marked for the world's end. As more people fall sick and civilization begins to collapse, Chel realizes the codex holds the key to stopping the plague. She must decode its secrets before December 21st arrives and humanity runs out of time.
Genres: fiction, adventure, archaeology, 21st-century, mystery-thriller, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, race-against-time, secret-history
Setting: Getty Museum, LA General Hospital, Maya Ruins
Period: December 2012
288 pages · Paperback · AW Bruna
Content warnings: death, violence