The Map Thief
A Mara Coyne Mystery
Heather
Terrell
Ballantine (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-345-49468-7 (0345494687)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-49468-9 (9780345494689)
Publication Date: $25.00
List Price: July 2008
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Beijing, China, 1421: It is a momentous time for the
Ming Dynasty. Honoring the completion of the Forbidden City, a fleet of
unprecedented size sets sail under Admiral Zheng He. Zheng’s
mission is to chart the globe, trading for riches and bringing glory to
China’s emperor. Among the crew is the talented cartographer and
navigator Ma Zhi, whose work will lead to the first true map of the
world–but whose accomplishment will vanish when the fleet returns
to a very different China than the one it left.
Lisbon, Portugal, 1496: At the height of Portugal’s maritime
domination during the Age of Discovery, the legendary explorer Vasco da
Gama embarks on a quest to find a sea route to India. On board is
navigator Antonio Coehlo, who guards Portugal’s most secret
treasure: a map that already shows the way.
New York, present day: Mara Coyne’s new client has left her
uneasy. Republican kingmaker Richard Tobias has hired her, he says,
because of her skill in recovering stolen art and advocating for the
rightful owners, but Mara senses that he is not telling her everything.
Tobias reveals that a centuries-old map was stolen from an
archaeological dig he is sponsoring in China, and he wants her to get
it back. But as Mara begins her investigation, she uncovers the
shocking truth: The map is more valuable than anyone has ever imagined,
and her client’s motives are more sinister than she suspected.
Review:
Heather Terrell crafts an intriguing tale of the fascinating journey of
a historic map in her second suspense thriller featuring fine art negotiator Mara
Coyne in The Map Thief.
Richard Tobias, a wealthy political insider, is funding an
archaeological dig in China which discovers a map of the world that
pre-dates the voyages of European explorers. The map promptly
disappears, presumably stolen. Tobias hires Mara to find it and return
it to him. She agrees but stipulates that she'll only return it to its
rightful owner. Meeting up with the archaeologist who found the map in
China, Ben Coleman, together they embark on a quest that ultimately leads
them to Portugal where they locate a secret society whose leaders may
know more about the map than they are willing to admit.
There are three narratives presented in The Map Thief:
one from the early 15th century featuring Chinese cartographer Ma Zhi,
one from the late 15th century featuring Portuguese navigator Antonio
Coehlo, and one from the present day with Mara and Ben. The first two
narratives, somewhat unexpectedly written in the present tense but to
great effect, are elegantly symmetrical in telling the tales of their
respective characters. Their stories are compelling, at times riveting,
richly detailed, and fill the reader with the same sense of wonder and
awe the characters must have felt during their journeys. They come to
life in a way fictional characters rarely do. When both narratives end,
there is a real sense of sorrow and loss.
The final narrative, the present day one, isn't nearly as exciting
though there are several inventive scenes and suspenseful passages. And
the brilliant conception of The Map Thief
is marred only by the seriously flawed foundation upon which Mara is
asked to do her search. The disappointment comes towards the end.
Without giving away too much, there's a "But if ... then why ..."
situation that seems to make Mara and Ben's entire adventure rather
pointless. Or maybe the point was to make a politician appear evil and
manipulative. If so, that's hardly innovative and ultimately doesn't
serve the story very well. After creating such an astonishingly
original story, it's incredibly disappointing the author didn't develop
a more adroit manner of wrapping it up, instead relying on tired
clichés. Still, The Map Thief is a remarkable story and, despite its poorly conceived conclusion, is highly recommended.
Special thanks to Random House for providing a copy of The Map Thief for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Mysteries in this series ...
The Chrysalis
Ballantine (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-345-49466-0 (0345494660)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-49466-5 (9780345494665)
The Map Thief
Ballantine (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-345-49468-7 (0345494687)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-49468-9 (9780345494689)
Omnimystery keywords for The Map Thief ...
Location(s) referenced: New York City, Hong Kong, China, Lisbon, Portugal.
