The release date for The Seventh Plague, the newest installment in James Rollins’s Sigma Force series, is December 13, 2016. This happens to be my birthday, which is a pretty awesome birthday gift from my absolute favorite author! (Thanks, James!)
Though the novels do not have to be read in order for maximum enjoyment, I understand the need for starting at the beginning of a series. I am a stickler for that, myself. For a list of the Sigma Force series novels in order, click here.
As with all of Rollins’ Sigma Force series novels, The Seventh Plague is full of pulse-pounding action & suspense from the very first page. This is one of the (many) reasons I love his novels so very much. Another big reason is the thorough amount of historical & scientific research he completes and weaves into the stories. The notes section at the back of his novels are sometimes just as exciting as the story itself! It’s fascinating to find out what parts of the story are fact and which are fiction.
A British archaeologist, Harold McCabe, who has been missing for over two years is found in the Egyptian desert. Unfortunately, he dies before he is able to give any information that could lead to the whereabouts of the rest of the research team, including his son. A startling discovery occurs during the autopsy – his body had started to mummify while he was still alive. To make matters worse, those who had worked on McCabe’s body for autopsy become extremely ill with an unknown, but highly contagious disease that quickly spreads through Cairo and beyond, threatening to become a global crisis. An old love interest of Director Painter Crowe, Safia al-Maaz, happens to be McCabe’s colleague, and she reaches out to Crowe (and Sigma) for urgent help.
Commander Gray Pierce and his team (with some of the usual Sigma characters: Seichan, Monk, and Kowalski) set out, risking their lives as they discover a threat linked back to ancient history and biblical passages. Along for the adventures are McCabe’s daughter, Jane, and the old archaeologist’s prodigy and friend, Derek Rankin. As they try to piece together the puzzle from McCabe’s research, others are tracking them, trying to find answers as well. They are forced on the run by a cold-hearted, extremely skilled female assassin on par with the likes of Seichan. Gray and his team unearth clues in an ancient tomb beneath the desert sands, while Painter’s group must travel to a remote Arctic landscape in an attempt to stop the release of another set of plagues upon mankind. The novel is rich with historical details, involving famous figures Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Henry Morgan Stanley.
The Seventh Plague moves forward at breakneck speed (in trademark Rollins style), switching back and forth between the action in the desert and that in the Arctic. Readers won’t be able to put the book down until the final page. Will all the Sigma team members make it out of this story alive? You’ll have to read it and find out for yourself. You won’t be sorry you did!
Fans of Steve Berry, Ken Follett, and David Baldacci will surely enjoy any and all works by James Rollins. He is a master of blending historical mysteries and scientific discoveries into a terrific story, each and every time.
Librarian Laura 