Part of Sigma Force, book 6
First published 2009
Three murders span three continents. A geneticist dies in a Princeton biohazard lab. A Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. A senator's son is killed at an African Red Cross camp. Each victim bears the same mark: a Druidic cross burned into their flesh. Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force must solve this puzzle. The trail leads back centuries to a medieval codex hiding a crime against humanity. The first clue comes from a mummified corpse in an English peat bog. Gray works with two women from his past, one former lover and one new partner. The investigation takes them from the Roman Coliseum to Norway's peaks, from ruined abbeys to Celtic tombs. The murders connect to cutting-edge biotechnology and an ancient secret. Gray faces an impossible choice: he must sacrifice one of the women to save the future. The answer lies in a talisman buried by a dead saint, an artifact called the Doomsday Key.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, sacrifice
Setting: Africa, England, Norway, Princeton, Rome, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican
Period: Medieval, Modern
431 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence