Crucible

by James Rollins

Part of Sigma Force, book 14

First published 2019

Commander Gray Pierce returns home on Christmas Eve to find his world shattered. His house has been ransacked, his pregnant girlfriend has vanished, and Kat, his best friend's wife, lies unconscious on his kitchen floor. With no physical evidence to guide him, Pierce's only hope lies with Kat, the sole witness to the attack. But Kat cannot speak in her semi-comatose state. A neurologist proposes an experimental technique to unlock her memories long enough for questioning. What Kat reveals sends Sigma Force racing against time on a mission that connects to the Spanish Inquisition and the Malleus Maleficarum, a Medieval witch-hunting manual steeped in blood and persecution. As they dig deeper into this historical conspiracy, the team uncovers secrets that threaten not just Pierce's missing family, but the future of humanity itself. The investigation forces them to grapple with the most fundamental question of human existence: the nature of the soul.

Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, high-stakes

Setting: Spain

Period: Medieval, Christmas

480 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow

Content warnings: violence

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