Starred review from June 6, 2011
Morrison's excellent third thriller (after The Ark and Rogue Wave) finds series hero Tyler Locke, aided by TV journalist and Greek scholar Stacy Benedict, trying to defuse a time bomb aboard a Seattle to Bremerton, Wash., ferry by solving an ancient puzzle created by Archimedes. That is merely the first task devised for Locke and Benedict by criminal mastermind Jordan Orr, whose ultimate goal is to locate the tomb of King Midas and the secret of the Midas touch that transmutes base metals to gold. With the lives of their loved ones at stake, the pair embark on a series of increasingly dangerous jaunts to England, Germany, Greece, and Italy to collect and decipher pieces of a puzzle that will allow them to locate the tomb buried among the miles of tunnels underlying Naples. Compelling action more than compensates for improbabilities and lack of character development in this electrifying blend of history, myth, and science.
July 1, 2011
Tyler Locke returns in a rip-roaring adventure that outthrills the series' previous entry (The Ark, 2010). Riding a ferry in Puget Sound, Locke receives a phone call telling him there is an explosive on board, and he must disarm it. He arrives at the location of the bomb to find reporter Stacy Benedict waiting there. She received the same phone call. Soon they both learn it was merely a test to see if they were worthy to carry out the next phase of a madman's plan to discover the lost tomb of King Midas. Locke's father and Benedict's sister are taken hostage to ensure their cooperation in finding the tomb quickly. The Vault could have used a stronger title, but the story line is thrilling, and the pace is unrelenting. Thriller devotees will be clamoring for another Locke adventure as soon as they turn the last page. James Rollins fans, this one's for you.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)