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Altar of Bones
TELL NO ONE
Siberia 1939. Lena Orlova plans a daring escape from a grim Soviet gulag to the one place in Russia's icy wilderness she knows is safe: a cave concealing the legendary Altar of Bones.
San Francisco, Present Day. Zoe Dmitroff discovers that she is the last in a line of women who have been entrusted with a secret so great many have died preserving it.
SHOW NO ONE
Propelled into a dangerous quest to discover exactly what she was born to protect, Zoe is soon running for her life from those wanting to harness the Altar's powers. Only ex-Special Ops soldier Ry O'Malley can help her survive, but with time running out and the web closing in , Zoe has a devastating choice to make.
TRUST NO ONE
The ultimate thriller of our time, Altar of Bones spans the generations, crosses continents and unearths the dark secret behind one of the world's biggest unsolved conspiracies.
Siberia 1939. Lena Orlova plans a daring escape from a grim Soviet gulag to the one place in Russia's icy wilderness she knows is safe: a cave concealing the legendary Altar of Bones.
San Francisco, Present Day. Zoe Dmitroff discovers that she is the last in a line of women who have been entrusted with a secret so great many have died preserving it.
SHOW NO ONE
Propelled into a dangerous quest to discover exactly what she was born to protect, Zoe is soon running for her life from those wanting to harness the Altar's powers. Only ex-Special Ops soldier Ry O'Malley can help her survive, but with time running out and the web closing in , Zoe has a devastating choice to make.
TRUST NO ONE
The ultimate thriller of our time, Altar of Bones spans the generations, crosses continents and unearths the dark secret behind one of the world's biggest unsolved conspiracies.
640 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
128 people are currently reading
2493 people want to read
About the author
Philip Carter
107 books43 followersPhilip Carter is a pseudonym for an internationally renowned author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 576 reviews
August 3, 2020
If ever there was a novel crying out to be made into a blockbuster movie, this is it!
In a hidden cave in a remote corner of Siberia, screened by a frozen waterfall, lies an ancient altar constructed from human bones. It guards a pool containing a mysterious liquid that has the property of prolonging human life. In 1939 a resourceful young woman, Lena Orlova, escapes from a Siberian labour camp with her lover. She is the latest in a long line of women who are the keepers of the Altar of Bones. The office has been passed from mother to daughter from time immemorial.
Unfortunately Lena’s lover is actually an officer in the KGB. She discovers this too late – after she has given him a small dose of the liquid, thinking he is about to die of pneumonia. A timely avalanche saves her from being murdered by him, which buries the entrance to the cave and enables her to escape.
The action then switches to Galveston, Texas, in the present. A young priest is sitting by his dying father. He learns that his father has been leading a double life for years and has been involved in some terrible crimes, including murder. Dom, the priest, is desperately trying to contact his brother, Ry, who is a secretive person, often away from home. Dom leaves a message for him but is then murdered by an evil woman with red hair. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a young lawyer of Russian extraction, Zoe Dmitroff, is contacted by the police about the brutal murder of an old down-and-out woman known as Rosie. Zoe is estranged from her mother, Anna Larina, who is the boss of a Russian mafia outfit based in San Francisco. The post mortem reveals that before she died Rosie had tried to swallow a piece of paper with Zoe’s name and address on it, and a DNA test establishes that Rosie was Zoe’s grandmother…….
This is just the beginning of an extremely complicated plot, involving the assassination of President Kennedy, the death of Marilyn Monroe, and some absolutely nail-biting car chases in Paris and elsewhere – I can just picture it all on screen.
Vastly entertaining, and would work exceptionally well as a film, (I might have mentioned that fact once or twice)!
In a hidden cave in a remote corner of Siberia, screened by a frozen waterfall, lies an ancient altar constructed from human bones. It guards a pool containing a mysterious liquid that has the property of prolonging human life. In 1939 a resourceful young woman, Lena Orlova, escapes from a Siberian labour camp with her lover. She is the latest in a long line of women who are the keepers of the Altar of Bones. The office has been passed from mother to daughter from time immemorial.
Unfortunately Lena’s lover is actually an officer in the KGB. She discovers this too late – after she has given him a small dose of the liquid, thinking he is about to die of pneumonia. A timely avalanche saves her from being murdered by him, which buries the entrance to the cave and enables her to escape.
The action then switches to Galveston, Texas, in the present. A young priest is sitting by his dying father. He learns that his father has been leading a double life for years and has been involved in some terrible crimes, including murder. Dom, the priest, is desperately trying to contact his brother, Ry, who is a secretive person, often away from home. Dom leaves a message for him but is then murdered by an evil woman with red hair. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a young lawyer of Russian extraction, Zoe Dmitroff, is contacted by the police about the brutal murder of an old down-and-out woman known as Rosie. Zoe is estranged from her mother, Anna Larina, who is the boss of a Russian mafia outfit based in San Francisco. The post mortem reveals that before she died Rosie had tried to swallow a piece of paper with Zoe’s name and address on it, and a DNA test establishes that Rosie was Zoe’s grandmother…….
This is just the beginning of an extremely complicated plot, involving the assassination of President Kennedy, the death of Marilyn Monroe, and some absolutely nail-biting car chases in Paris and elsewhere – I can just picture it all on screen.
Vastly entertaining, and would work exceptionally well as a film, (I might have mentioned that fact once or twice)!
March 5, 2011
Reading "Altar of Bones" by Philip Carter was like reading a two-hour movie of the week. It's got everything you could want in a fast-paced action-oriented novel, including car chases, assassination attempts, exposed conspiracy theories, riddles, potentially supernatural elements, sexual tension, good guys, bad guys, (and sometimes you aren't sure which is which)...you get the idea. Everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at you leading to a page-turning read.
"Philip Carter" is a pseudonym for an internationally renowned author. I'm not sure who it is yet but this book is obviously not a first attempt by a new author. The two main characters, while not showing National Book Award level characterization, (who would want that in a thriller book anyway?) are well drawn and for the most part, I cared what happened to them. I did have some issues with the secondary characters. There are quite a few of them and they tended to be a bit one-dimensional. Perhaps a little more characterization with fewer supporting characters might be preferable. My favorite thriller novels always have fantastic bad guys and I felt this novel fell a little short in that regard, thus knocking it down one star but still, I enjoyed this one a lot.
"Philip Carter" is a pseudonym for an internationally renowned author. I'm not sure who it is yet but this book is obviously not a first attempt by a new author. The two main characters, while not showing National Book Award level characterization, (who would want that in a thriller book anyway?) are well drawn and for the most part, I cared what happened to them. I did have some issues with the secondary characters. There are quite a few of them and they tended to be a bit one-dimensional. Perhaps a little more characterization with fewer supporting characters might be preferable. My favorite thriller novels always have fantastic bad guys and I felt this novel fell a little short in that regard, thus knocking it down one star but still, I enjoyed this one a lot.
April 27, 2012
Yet another book I'm unsure how to rate.
I really enjoyed it. It was one of those books that I just couldn't stop turning the pages of. But it wasn't unputdownable because I put it down a LOT.
Why?
Because the plot was rather bland in my opinion. I mean sure, the idea was cool and all that... but I just felt like it was a book about awesome action scenes rather than the actual altar of bones or the film or whatever else.
Everything seemed to take a back seat to them kicking butt.
And don't get me wrong - they were freaking EPIC at it. And the comedy between the two characters had me laughing... but other than that everything was same-y. Done before. Done BETTER.
I'm giving it 3 stars officially, because I can't do halves here... but really it'd be a 3.5/ 3.75 star book to me. More could have been done to focus the book in the main plot rather than all of these other bits and bobs and them fighting for their lives and falling in love.
The ending felt like a cop out too.
I dunno. I really liked it, so I'm tempted to give it four, but that's only because it was written well, not because the plot was worth the extra star.
I really enjoyed it. It was one of those books that I just couldn't stop turning the pages of. But it wasn't unputdownable because I put it down a LOT.
Why?
Because the plot was rather bland in my opinion. I mean sure, the idea was cool and all that... but I just felt like it was a book about awesome action scenes rather than the actual altar of bones or the film or whatever else.
Everything seemed to take a back seat to them kicking butt.
And don't get me wrong - they were freaking EPIC at it. And the comedy between the two characters had me laughing... but other than that everything was same-y. Done before. Done BETTER.
I'm giving it 3 stars officially, because I can't do halves here... but really it'd be a 3.5/ 3.75 star book to me. More could have been done to focus the book in the main plot rather than all of these other bits and bobs and them fighting for their lives and falling in love.
The ending felt like a cop out too.
I dunno. I really liked it, so I'm tempted to give it four, but that's only because it was written well, not because the plot was worth the extra star.
November 12, 2017
By far, my favourite book! Could not put this book down. Would love for Carter to put out another book!
September 25, 2011
One dimensional characters, a plot filled with ridiculous storylines and twists. Car chase scenes that went on forever and ever. I believe this book was written in hopes of landing a movie deal, as it already reads like a script. The author is writing incognito for a reason folks. I only read it to the end because so many people raved about it. Do yourselves a favor and pass. Lots of great books being written, sadly this one isn't one of them.
November 17, 2013
Phillip Carter emerges under a nom de plume to create a great thriller, a la Dan Brown or Sam Bourne, filled with politics and science and just a sprinkle of romance. Readers who are not busy trying to figure out who this mysterious author might be will enjoy the overall story that has a San Francisco lawyer and a DEA agent, tossed together by fate, as they search for this Altar of Bones. Carter tosses in some real bones as he posits that those who know about the Altar have undertaken actions that rocked history in the past, including the assassination of a president and murder of a movie star, all to uncover a magic elixir with powerful properties. As the characters trek around the world to uncover the mystery and use riddles to solve thing each step of the way, Carer keeps the reader hooked from the prologue all the way through to the closing sentence.
While the story does have some moments of real cheesiness, I applaud the hard work put into the book. I could not figure out who Carter actually might be, but it is as though I can almost put my finger on it. I know the style, the plot similarities, and the character dialogue, but cannot clearly tell who ‘he’ might be. Alas, even the style reminds me of many: Brown, Bourne, Knox, even Simon Beckett at times as well. Be that as it may, a highly entertaining book with just the right amount of conspiracy and political drama. Well worth the time (and sorry that it took me a lot longer than I would have liked).
Kudos ‘Mr. Carter’! A great book, decent characters, and thoroughly enjoyable storyline. Will there be more?
While the story does have some moments of real cheesiness, I applaud the hard work put into the book. I could not figure out who Carter actually might be, but it is as though I can almost put my finger on it. I know the style, the plot similarities, and the character dialogue, but cannot clearly tell who ‘he’ might be. Alas, even the style reminds me of many: Brown, Bourne, Knox, even Simon Beckett at times as well. Be that as it may, a highly entertaining book with just the right amount of conspiracy and political drama. Well worth the time (and sorry that it took me a lot longer than I would have liked).
Kudos ‘Mr. Carter’! A great book, decent characters, and thoroughly enjoyable storyline. Will there be more?
July 15, 2012
Philip Carter's action-packed novel Altar of Bones reads like Matthew Reilly fanfiction as written by a 16 year old.
The book is in need of an editor, as it tops out at 645 pages. At least three chapters are devoted to the backstory of the altar and how it came into the possession of the likable female protagonist, lawyer Zoe Dmitroff, who works for the rights of abused women. The backstory is a bit science fiction-y as it involves the affairs between JFK, RFK, and Marilyn Monroe; oddly enough, Carter gives the late Miss Monroe surprising depth as a character here.
Zoe is aided by Ryan "Ry" O'Malley, the brother of a priest who's murder sets him off on his own search for the altar. His father, Mike, and Zoe's grandmother Katya are the keys to discovering whether or not the altar can be used as a force for good or evil.
The book is a relatively fast read and nicely paced but, like Chinese food, it left me wanting more. The characters have slightly more depth than those in a typical Reilly novel, but that's not saying much. It was okay, but I doubt I'd actively seek out more of his work.
The book is in need of an editor, as it tops out at 645 pages. At least three chapters are devoted to the backstory of the altar and how it came into the possession of the likable female protagonist, lawyer Zoe Dmitroff, who works for the rights of abused women. The backstory is a bit science fiction-y as it involves the affairs between JFK, RFK, and Marilyn Monroe; oddly enough, Carter gives the late Miss Monroe surprising depth as a character here.
Zoe is aided by Ryan "Ry" O'Malley, the brother of a priest who's murder sets him off on his own search for the altar. His father, Mike, and Zoe's grandmother Katya are the keys to discovering whether or not the altar can be used as a force for good or evil.
The book is a relatively fast read and nicely paced but, like Chinese food, it left me wanting more. The characters have slightly more depth than those in a typical Reilly novel, but that's not saying much. It was okay, but I doubt I'd actively seek out more of his work.
June 20, 2011
Despite a slow start, a likable pair of protagonists make this story somewhat enjoyable, and they hooked me before the many insanely improbable plot elements could get me to walk away. I just had to see how things turned out for those two, and they were by far the best thing about this one. Which, in retrospect, wasn't enough to carry the day. Overall, the pacing is extremely inconsistent, with the narrative bogging down more often than not whenever the bullets aren't flying. Even the writing itself seems to be a cooperative effort here, with some chapters suggesting a masculine hand and some a more feminine touch. Nowhere is this more evident than in some of the more risqué passages, with some seeming to come from a mature feminine hand and others from a twelve-year-old boy. The dust jacket says that "Philip Carter" is a pseudonym for an internationally known author, which leads me to wonder if it's not really a collection of authors. In terms of plot, as is too often the case these days, "thriller" here seems to mean things like "over-the-top, eye-rolling action scenes" and "don't settle for a simple kill or murder when an attention-grabbing assault requiring multiple clips of ammo is available." Things like that. In short, there's an interesting premise behind this one, but it tends to get lost in the silliness. As for the characters, pretty much everyone beyond the aforementioned two principals seems to be one-dimensional, and that's assuming that they're given anything more to do beyond serving as a means for advancing the plot. All in all, a disappointment, and I kinda wish I'd been able to walk away from this one at around page 100.
April 23, 2011
This was quite the book! It literally grabbed me from the first page right until the very end. This book is very fast paced and there’s action on every page. It was not a slow read at all!
It reminded me a little of The DaVinci Code with the hidden icons, conspiracies and all the jet setting to exotic locales. Of course add to that a dash of intrigue and danger and you are in for a wild ride as a reader. There was a lot going on with the plot but the author weaved the story so that it was easy to keep up and know what was going on. I liked that I was left in suspense trying to figure out what would happen next and what everything meant. I could definitely see this book turned into a movie.
My favourite parts were when the main characters Zoe and Riley were in Europe and I was able to live vicariously and feel what it would be like to travel to that part of the world. Mind you I wouldn’t want someone after me trying to kill me!
I would love to know who the author, Philip Carter really is. All I could find out is that he/she is an International Bestselling Author. I googled but came up with nothing. If you know who he/she really is, please let me know!
Read Altar of Bones if you like action and excitement and want a book that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night!
It reminded me a little of The DaVinci Code with the hidden icons, conspiracies and all the jet setting to exotic locales. Of course add to that a dash of intrigue and danger and you are in for a wild ride as a reader. There was a lot going on with the plot but the author weaved the story so that it was easy to keep up and know what was going on. I liked that I was left in suspense trying to figure out what would happen next and what everything meant. I could definitely see this book turned into a movie.
My favourite parts were when the main characters Zoe and Riley were in Europe and I was able to live vicariously and feel what it would be like to travel to that part of the world. Mind you I wouldn’t want someone after me trying to kill me!
I would love to know who the author, Philip Carter really is. All I could find out is that he/she is an International Bestselling Author. I googled but came up with nothing. If you know who he/she really is, please let me know!
Read Altar of Bones if you like action and excitement and want a book that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night!
November 13, 2017
A homeless woman is murdered in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, but she keeps her secret and cuts the killer. A man has a heart attack, but passes on a strange secret to his son just before he dies. A priest is murdered in a church for a secret he will never tell. His brother barely escapes a hit squad, but they try to kill him again. All for an old 8 mm film. All secrets lead back to Siberia. Zoe, a lawyer for female domestic issues receives an intriguing and mysterious letter from a woman she does not know. What is on this film and what is the greater secret that caused it to be made in the first place? Who is the Keeper and what is the Altar of Bones? Zoe and Ry must find out as both their families are connected. Zoe will learn of a heritage and destiny that has remained hidden all her life. The truth will change the course of her life.
I believe the author of this book to be a woman. Either one that has always written in a different genre like Penelope Williamson or perhaps even the wife of an author. Perhaps Baldacci's wife.
Since making this review I have come to suspect James Rollins as the author. But apparently Philip Carter uses the same web designer as Lee Child.
I believe the author of this book to be a woman. Either one that has always written in a different genre like Penelope Williamson or perhaps even the wife of an author. Perhaps Baldacci's wife.
Since making this review I have come to suspect James Rollins as the author. But apparently Philip Carter uses the same web designer as Lee Child.
March 23, 2012
If you like almost constant running and shoot-em-ups, you will like this book. I didn't. I got really tired of those scenes and skipped over a lot of it. If the author cut way back on these scenes, it would have been a much better story. Too much time was spent with the heroes of the story escaping impossible situations in the nick of time. The story line itself is interesting. It is about a woman who has been handed down the responsibility of "Keeper" of the Alter of Bones. This happens out of the blue and she is suddenly under attack and on the run. There is a big love story going on throughout the story involving the heroine and the guy she meets up with who runs with her. If I hadn't actually paid for this book, I probably would have returned it to the library unfinished.
May 30, 2021
I picked this up in paperback last weekend at a Goodwill store because I liked the cover and title. I hadn't heard of it or the author previously and really enjoyed it. In addition to describing "the big kill" it's a pretty good adventure/chase of two people who didn't know each other and are running for their lives. I also liked that the mandatory mention of bougainvillea wasn't included until page 350.
May 14, 2011
Altar of Bones is the first novel by Philip Carter, a pseudonym for an author who is "internationally renowned", according to the cover flap and the author description on Fantastic Fiction.
At first glance, Altar of Bones seems like another 'Da Vinci Code'-type adventure in which contemporary beliefs and mores clash with ancient secrets and truths. However, Altar of Bones is nothing like what you would expect -- especially if you use its position on the bestselling list and its cover art to come to whatever predetermined conclusion you may have. In other words, it's not just another Da Vinci Codecopycat -- but wildly original and shocking!
The novel combines several main characters and story-lines that connect in the most astonishing way by the end; including the mystery of a homeless woman's true identity as she runs from an assassin, a shocking confession from an old man on his deathbed who mumbles nonsense about "The Big Kill", and a story of how the daughter of a powerful Russian mafia boss makes a few surprising discoveries about her past. These plots are all birthed at a Russian concentration camp in the late 1930s, when a woman takes her sick lover to a secret spot in the mountains known as the "Altar of Bones" to not only escape their impending deaths but also to cure him. Basically, everyone in the novel is out to either protect or locate this powerful "Altar of Bones", which is rumored to be a fountain of youth or source of eternal life.
Not only is the mysterious power behind the Altar of Bones intriguing enough to capture your interest but midway through the novel, Carter introduces a more complex plot that will surely excite conspiracy theorists. The overall plot of Altar of Bones is definitely a guaranteed ice-breaker and great conversational topic -- not only for the conspiracy theories but also for discussion on the very modern and scientific explanations behind the workings of the Altar of Bones itself.
Altar of Bones is absolutely worth your time! All readers will love it no matter what your favorite genre may be and the suspense alone makes the novel a page-turner, not to mention the creativity and complexity of the plot. Now if only I knew who the real Philip Carter is, so I can dive into their other novels!
Has anybody else read novels like this that are similar to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, but much better? Does anyone know the true identity of Philip Carter?
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
At first glance, Altar of Bones seems like another 'Da Vinci Code'-type adventure in which contemporary beliefs and mores clash with ancient secrets and truths. However, Altar of Bones is nothing like what you would expect -- especially if you use its position on the bestselling list and its cover art to come to whatever predetermined conclusion you may have. In other words, it's not just another Da Vinci Codecopycat -- but wildly original and shocking!
The novel combines several main characters and story-lines that connect in the most astonishing way by the end; including the mystery of a homeless woman's true identity as she runs from an assassin, a shocking confession from an old man on his deathbed who mumbles nonsense about "The Big Kill", and a story of how the daughter of a powerful Russian mafia boss makes a few surprising discoveries about her past. These plots are all birthed at a Russian concentration camp in the late 1930s, when a woman takes her sick lover to a secret spot in the mountains known as the "Altar of Bones" to not only escape their impending deaths but also to cure him. Basically, everyone in the novel is out to either protect or locate this powerful "Altar of Bones", which is rumored to be a fountain of youth or source of eternal life.
Not only is the mysterious power behind the Altar of Bones intriguing enough to capture your interest but midway through the novel, Carter introduces a more complex plot that will surely excite conspiracy theorists. The overall plot of Altar of Bones is definitely a guaranteed ice-breaker and great conversational topic -- not only for the conspiracy theories but also for discussion on the very modern and scientific explanations behind the workings of the Altar of Bones itself.
Altar of Bones is absolutely worth your time! All readers will love it no matter what your favorite genre may be and the suspense alone makes the novel a page-turner, not to mention the creativity and complexity of the plot. Now if only I knew who the real Philip Carter is, so I can dive into their other novels!
Has anybody else read novels like this that are similar to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, but much better? Does anyone know the true identity of Philip Carter?
Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
March 18, 2011
Altar of Bones by Philip Carter is a fast-moving thriller with a plot on hyper drive. From the first page to the last, it's action, action, action. The titular altar of bones concerns a Russian legend about a fountain of youth and immortality hidden in the caves of Siberia. From there the plot spirals to include, among other things, the KGB, the Russian mafia, and a presidential assasination. It was hard to find my footing at first because the book started out bouncing from one character's perspective to another and from the present to the past then to the present again. It wasn't until I reached Zoe's, the present day heroine's, narrative that I finally got my bearings.
Loved the part about the Russian legend, guarded by keepers whose duty is handed down from mother to daughter throughout the ages. I loved the breathtaking chases set in San Francisco, Paris, Budapest, and Russia. This is a fun read, keeping in mind that it's the literary equivalent of a Fast and Furious movie. It's chapter after chapter of unrelenting improbable and unrealistic escapes and scenes which have cinematic appeal - but slightly dizzying on paper. The sex scene could be termed fast and furious too - all the more apt because it’s on the hood of a car. I turned the page and thought, "wow it's over already…but they just blew out a tire."
And the hero's ability to speak 12 languages, which enables him to fluently converse with anybody in whichever country they're in is stretching it a bit, especially since he's supposedly a DEA agent. But what do I know. Another thing I didn't really go for was the assassination part, with a new twist on some well-covered ground, but not convincing enough for me.
Altar of Bones has the skeleton of a riveting story - I would have preferred more fleshed out, three dimensional characters and less flash.
The unexpected mystery I really want solved is Philip Carter's true identity - apparently it's a pseudonym for an "internationally renowned" author. Guesses, anyone?
March 9, 2014
Had this been written as some kind of satire, I would have probably chuckled along even though satire is not at all my thing. But it wasn't. This author was dead serious and somehow managed to write one book with every single action book/movie cliche I have ever heard.
I was maybe 200 pages in before I realized that what I was reading was completely absurd. You know what tipped me off? The main character was running from the bad guy and she ends up in a Parisian marketplace and the bad guy runs into a pyramid of oranges and they go everywhere and trip him up, allowing the main character to get away. I laughed out loud. A pyramid of oranges?!? Come on. It's like he was picturing an action movie and just typing it all out.
We had: an evil mom, deathbed confessions, evil Wall Street billionaire who is in love with his even more evil assistant, a priest killed in his church, a wise homeless woman, religious icons, the Kennedy assassination, the Russian mafia, a mysterious shop owner who has been holding a clue for 50 years, Marilyn Monroe, hidden caves, the fountain of youth, chase scene after ridiculous chase scene... I could go on and on forever... For, say, 600 pages.
Because yeah, I read on for FOUR HUNDRED pages after I got annoyed. What is wrong with me?
To be fair, I have no idea why I picked this up. The cover blurb says it is for fans of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum. I actively hated The davinci Code and couldn't even finish the first Bourne book.. I do sometimes like a mindless actiony thing, but obviously not this type. Ick.
I was maybe 200 pages in before I realized that what I was reading was completely absurd. You know what tipped me off? The main character was running from the bad guy and she ends up in a Parisian marketplace and the bad guy runs into a pyramid of oranges and they go everywhere and trip him up, allowing the main character to get away. I laughed out loud. A pyramid of oranges?!? Come on. It's like he was picturing an action movie and just typing it all out.
We had: an evil mom, deathbed confessions, evil Wall Street billionaire who is in love with his even more evil assistant, a priest killed in his church, a wise homeless woman, religious icons, the Kennedy assassination, the Russian mafia, a mysterious shop owner who has been holding a clue for 50 years, Marilyn Monroe, hidden caves, the fountain of youth, chase scene after ridiculous chase scene... I could go on and on forever... For, say, 600 pages.
Because yeah, I read on for FOUR HUNDRED pages after I got annoyed. What is wrong with me?
To be fair, I have no idea why I picked this up. The cover blurb says it is for fans of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum. I actively hated The davinci Code and couldn't even finish the first Bourne book.. I do sometimes like a mindless actiony thing, but obviously not this type. Ick.
July 5, 2011
Think Jack Reacher meets The Russian Sopranos meets Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and that will give you some idea of just what sort of a roller-coaster ride you’re in for.
Ry O’Malley, battle-hardened ex-soldier learns of his father’s death bed confession to ‘the big kill’ and of a film that he took many years ago and which someone is desperate to find. So desperate that they’ll stop at nothing to find it. His father wants Ry to find the film or they will kill him. But who are they and what is on the film?
Then he meets Zoe, a tough and smart lady, who discovers that she’s The Keeper of The Altar of Bones, and the inevitable romance ensues. But what is the Altar, where is it and what is the connection with the film of ‘the big kill’?
There are twists galore in this absorbing plot, just when you think ‘how are they going to get out of yet another tight situation with the baddies literally breathing down their necks’ somehow they always manage it! From hair-raising car chases to machine gun toting men they have to be one step ahead or they're dead.
The main characters of Ry and Zoe were incredibly likeable and the bad guys/girls (of course) were not!
This book has everything you would want in a conspiracy thriller, and I highly recommend it.
From Carole's Book Corner
Ry O’Malley, battle-hardened ex-soldier learns of his father’s death bed confession to ‘the big kill’ and of a film that he took many years ago and which someone is desperate to find. So desperate that they’ll stop at nothing to find it. His father wants Ry to find the film or they will kill him. But who are they and what is on the film?
Then he meets Zoe, a tough and smart lady, who discovers that she’s The Keeper of The Altar of Bones, and the inevitable romance ensues. But what is the Altar, where is it and what is the connection with the film of ‘the big kill’?
There are twists galore in this absorbing plot, just when you think ‘how are they going to get out of yet another tight situation with the baddies literally breathing down their necks’ somehow they always manage it! From hair-raising car chases to machine gun toting men they have to be one step ahead or they're dead.
The main characters of Ry and Zoe were incredibly likeable and the bad guys/girls (of course) were not!
This book has everything you would want in a conspiracy thriller, and I highly recommend it.
From Carole's Book Corner
December 25, 2020
The archetypal "airport novel", this starts with a bang and carries on at a fairly furious pace for 600 pages. Highly derivative in that car are on a hunt for a long lost artefact with the good guys being pursued by multiple baddies; historic events are woven into the story - I guessed what "the big kill" was at its first mention - but all all it is great fun, providing that disbelief is suspended while you are reading.
Apparently Philip Carter is a nom-de-plume. Well the writing is better than in much of the competition (two car chase descriptions being particularly noteworthy) and it is all wrapped up at the end obviating the possibility of a sequel.
Apparently Philip Carter is a nom-de-plume. Well the writing is better than in much of the competition (two car chase descriptions being particularly noteworthy) and it is all wrapped up at the end obviating the possibility of a sequel.
November 2, 2020
The premise of this book was really intriguing, a mysterious artifact hidden away in Siberia, and protected for generations by a family of women. Without giving too much away, the artifact is not something typical for books like this, which also enhanced the appeal for me. I was hoping for action, adventure, and originality. The actual book was really disappointing.
Plot points were repeated several times throughout the novel, which made it really predictable, and, in my view, a really weak narrative. It was just lazy writing. Also, once the supposed highly skilled assassin started speaking pig latin, the book really turned into a giant joke.
Not by any means an interesting entry in the thriller genre.
Plot points were repeated several times throughout the novel, which made it really predictable, and, in my view, a really weak narrative. It was just lazy writing. Also, once the supposed highly skilled assassin started speaking pig latin, the book really turned into a giant joke.
Not by any means an interesting entry in the thriller genre.
May 12, 2013
This is not a book I would have picked up and read just on the basis of the back cover blurb. I don’t go for books with an ‘otherworldly’ component. But my wife read it and said I might like it, so I gave it a shot. I was glad she did and I did.
Zoe Dmitroff is heiress to a deadly legacy. Ry O’Malley is seeking the truth about his recently deceased father after learning he wasn’t the man Ry thought. Both are on the run for their lives from people who would kill to possess the ancient knowledge now in Zoe’s hands. And the pile of dead bodies around them is growing.
Carter works two of America’s most enduring urban legends – Marilyn Monroe’s death and JFK’s assassination – into the novel, giving both an interesting twist.
This was a good, if rather long novel but didn’t feel ‘padded’ the way some novels do. Carter kept the twists coming one after the other right through the climax. Both Ry and Zoe were strong characters. Ry always had a way out of whatever jam they were in and Zoe was no helpless female. She rose to the occasion when needed.
There were in my opinion, only three weak spots in the novel:
1/This book had one of my least favorite ‘stock’ characters in fiction – a man with so much wealth, he can control events to his liking, even bring the world’s economy to a halt. I have never believed (and never will believe) such people can exist.
2/ The epilog was a bit too saccharine for my taste. It was a bit like eating a spicy stew only to find the last spoonfuls were loaded with sugar.
This edition included a teaser of Carter’s next novel but didn’t include a title, so I am unable to track it down. That’s too bad because I would like to read it.
Zoe Dmitroff is heiress to a deadly legacy. Ry O’Malley is seeking the truth about his recently deceased father after learning he wasn’t the man Ry thought. Both are on the run for their lives from people who would kill to possess the ancient knowledge now in Zoe’s hands. And the pile of dead bodies around them is growing.
Carter works two of America’s most enduring urban legends – Marilyn Monroe’s death and JFK’s assassination – into the novel, giving both an interesting twist.
This was a good, if rather long novel but didn’t feel ‘padded’ the way some novels do. Carter kept the twists coming one after the other right through the climax. Both Ry and Zoe were strong characters. Ry always had a way out of whatever jam they were in and Zoe was no helpless female. She rose to the occasion when needed.
There were in my opinion, only three weak spots in the novel:
1/This book had one of my least favorite ‘stock’ characters in fiction – a man with so much wealth, he can control events to his liking, even bring the world’s economy to a halt. I have never believed (and never will believe) such people can exist.
2/ The epilog was a bit too saccharine for my taste. It was a bit like eating a spicy stew only to find the last spoonfuls were loaded with sugar.
This edition included a teaser of Carter’s next novel but didn’t include a title, so I am unable to track it down. That’s too bad because I would like to read it.
August 23, 2012
This was on roller-coaster of a book. The term page-turner hardly does it justice. I was hooked from the first page and just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Some if it I had guessed, which disappointed me a bit, I would have preferred it if the 'big kill' referred to in the book had been a not so famous kill already.
Nevertheless, the writing flows so well you just want to keep reading. It's a different sort of conspiracy, in that the reader knows quite early on what the altar of bones is and what it can dd. Maybe more mystery as to what it was would have been better because I, as a reader, prefer to discover things at the same time as the characters, rather than earlier than them.
Parts of it read like an action movie, but there is more depth in these 600 odd pages than a lot of films.
The characters were spot on, I adored Zoe and Ry, although I did feel the romance between them felt a bit forced. Just because we have a man and a woman forced together by circumstances as they evade the bad guys and find out the secrets of the altar of bones, doesn't mean they have to become romantically involved. It's not a rule or anything. Women will still read books even if there is no romance in it. Really.
Nevertheless, the writing flows so well you just want to keep reading. It's a different sort of conspiracy, in that the reader knows quite early on what the altar of bones is and what it can dd. Maybe more mystery as to what it was would have been better because I, as a reader, prefer to discover things at the same time as the characters, rather than earlier than them.
Parts of it read like an action movie, but there is more depth in these 600 odd pages than a lot of films.
The characters were spot on, I adored Zoe and Ry, although I did feel the romance between them felt a bit forced. Just because we have a man and a woman forced together by circumstances as they evade the bad guys and find out the secrets of the altar of bones, doesn't mean they have to become romantically involved. It's not a rule or anything. Women will still read books even if there is no romance in it. Really.
June 29, 2011
This book grabs you immediately by the throat and doesn't let you go until the end. Carter was descriptive, creating scene and character well, without being too wordy. Told in third person, past tense, this story pulls you in and makes you feel like you are there.
I won't rehash the plot here, as that has been covered well already.
All of the above with regard to the high suspense, high stakes nature of the story, there was a plot point that made me groan due to its implausibility. Another issue, where the cliche comes in, is during a car chase scene a couple guys decide to cross the street with a wedding cake - this has been done over and over in the movies and seeing it in this book stopped me cold, knocking me completely out of the story (another groan).
Still, this book merits a 4 or 4.5 because it is well written, descriptive without being overly wordy, and pulls the reader into the story to the point of forgetting your surroundings... that is until the cliches hit, then you're on your own.
I won't rehash the plot here, as that has been covered well already.
All of the above with regard to the high suspense, high stakes nature of the story, there was a plot point that made me groan due to its implausibility. Another issue, where the cliche comes in, is during a car chase scene a couple guys decide to cross the street with a wedding cake - this has been done over and over in the movies and seeing it in this book stopped me cold, knocking me completely out of the story (another groan).
Still, this book merits a 4 or 4.5 because it is well written, descriptive without being overly wordy, and pulls the reader into the story to the point of forgetting your surroundings... that is until the cliches hit, then you're on your own.
Read
October 15, 2012As excited as I was to read this book based on the reviews, I'm astonished to say that I have no desire to finish it after about 200 pages. This is more of a "pulp thriller" if there is such a classification. I've constantly been wondering why the "famous author" chose to use a Pseudonym, and my firm belief is because of embarrasment. I don't think this author has ever written a thriller, and tried to use every literary trick in the book to create one. The scenarios were so ridiculous, that it discredits a well thought out story line and ruins the book. I'm so iritated with the writing, that I'm considering removing the authors who praised it from my reading list, as obviously they don't know a good thriller when they see it, unless they only wrote undeserved praise because they are friends with the author. Either way, I felt duped into reading it, and I'm a little ticked off for wasting my time. I'm stopping at this point and will find something else to read.
December 17, 2013
The females of Zoe's family line have always been Keepers of the Altar of Bones which is believed to bring immortality if drank. Rys' father was part of the JFK assassination. Now both are loose ends to be disposed of as a Russian mobster and a rich billionaire hunt for the Altar of Bones and a film showing the actual Kennedy assassins. Fleeing across the world, the two connect in search of the secrets themselves. This one was hard to put down.
October 3, 2012
A 4 star!
This book is a fantastic easy, "inbetween books" book.
With the fountain of life, JFK's assasination and the wealthy exploits of the rich, this is great read.
Philip Carter's easy writing style ensures a fast read. A real page turner.
Best enjoyed with a glass or two of red wine.
This book is a fantastic easy, "inbetween books" book.
With the fountain of life, JFK's assasination and the wealthy exploits of the rich, this is great read.
Philip Carter's easy writing style ensures a fast read. A real page turner.
Best enjoyed with a glass or two of red wine.
Read
April 11, 2015great book
March 8, 2023
4.25..........I’m a library girl and when I go, I usually have an agenda. I have a list, I find the books and I check out. But this time that I went, only 1 out of the 4 books I wanted was in. Siiiigggh. So I perused. Obviously, only seeing the spines of the books I gravitate towards titles that intrigue me. Then yes, I can be a bit shallow when seeing the cover. If I don’t like it, I might not read the synopsis. With this book, I liked the title and the cover, so I read the cover flap and it sounded very interesting. As soon as I read “decades-buried secret that changed history”, I was sold.
This was a thriller of a ride that starts in a Soviet prison camp and affects a US historical event. I thought it was a fun take on the how’s and why’s of that event. Of course, this being an action/adventure thriller, things at times seem a bit far-fetched, but for me, that’s the whole point. It kept me hooked and wanting to read. That’s all I need.
This was a thriller of a ride that starts in a Soviet prison camp and affects a US historical event. I thought it was a fun take on the how’s and why’s of that event. Of course, this being an action/adventure thriller, things at times seem a bit far-fetched, but for me, that’s the whole point. It kept me hooked and wanting to read. That’s all I need.
May 3, 2024
Wat een bloedstollend thriller. Het is een dikke pil, maar je leest hem zo weg. Het verhaal is ingewikkeld, maar je begrijpt hem heel snel. Het hele verhaal zit vol spanning. Op het einde vond ik hem toch te wetenschappelijk worden als het gaat om de uitleg van "het elixer". Echt wel een thriller die ik aanraad als je opzoek met naar spanning en romantiek. Ik vond het heel fijn om in de proloog te lezen hoe het afgelopen was met Ry.
April 2, 2020
Read for: OWLs 2020 - Muggle Studies
This was OK and it was fast-paced but not a stand out book for me.
This was OK and it was fast-paced but not a stand out book for me.
March 29, 2011
Welcome to Monday! I for one was looking for another day in the weekend, but alas it was not to be. Wham, Monday is here and it is time to get my act into gear. Early in the day I put up my interview with Best-Selling Author John Locke, if you missed it, go back and check it out; there is some good stuff there. Today on the blogtalk show ,The G-ZONE we have Bri Clark as a guest,the conversation should be lively and fun. Tomorrow my guest will be Betty Otter Thompson. Okay the novel that was in my hands, the one that had all that action and suspense, what was it? Oh yeah, The Altar of Bones, here is what lies between the covers:
““They didn’t have to kill him…He never drank from the altar of bones.”
Cryptic dying words from a murdered homeless woman in present day San Francisco unlock a decades-buried secret that changed history. Now a pair of ruthless assassins are sent to cut the few living "loose ends." And a young, resourceful woman on the run encounters a determined man with his own connected past and vengeful agenda. Forced to partner for survival and answers, a fast-paced and deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, taking them across the globe from the winding streets of Paris to the faded palaces of Budapest to the frozen lakes of Mongolia...where destiny, passion, and further betrayal await them.
The Altar of Bones has it all: The Russian mob. KGB spies. Presidential assassination. A doomed Hollywood legend. Deathbed confessions. Corrosive power. Shattered families. Guardians of an ancient religious icon housing a secret others will kill to possess. The dark promise of immortality. And it delivers on its ambitious premise to leave you stunned and breathless at the end.”
Good characters, both good and bad, helped carry this novel for me. I am a big fan of character driven fiction and this is just that. The good guys were very good, and the bad guys were very bad: dark, ominous, ruthless, blood thirsty killers, heartless, and campy. Carter seems adept at pushing the right buttons at the time as far as the action and suspense go. It is very difficult to sense that this is the first go around for this author. I liked the whole thing: mysterious conspiracies, love, betrayal, good subplots, fascinating history elements, your basic by the numbers thriller. I liked it, and don’t hesitate to recommend the read.
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March 22, 2011
First Line: Rosie knew the stranger had come to kill her as soon as he walked into the circle of light cast by their fire.
Starting with an escape from a Siberian prison camp in 1937, Altar of Bones travels to the present day in a non-stop deadly quest for two items that several groups will stop at nothing to possess. San Francisco lawyer Zoë Dmitroff receives a letter from the grandmother she never knew telling her that she's the "keeper" of an ancient secret concerning a Siberian cave known as the Altar of Bones. At his father's death, government agent Ry O'Malley learns that the old man knew the location of a film that would rock the entire country. The two team up to stay alive and to get their hands on the secrets that others are killing to find.
This is the type of book that is difficult to review without giving things away, so I'm heading straight for my reactions. The first two thirds of the book was an endless chase scene involving our two intrepid heroes, and the fact that stealth was not in the bad guys' vocabularies bothered me a bit. These people were conducting high speed chases at all times of the day and night firing endless rounds of ammunition from an assortment of guns. They did not care how many witnesses were around or how high the body count was. (Perhaps they counted on local police departments' budgets being cut so drastically that there would be no investigations.)
I tired of the chase, primarily because of the psychotic conducting most of the chasing. At this stage of my life, my tolerance for fictional characters who love inflicting pain and death is practically nil. They turn my stomach, and they make me extremely angry. (I may seem to be a mild-mannered book blogger, but I do have a very nasty temper.)
I was also amazed at how lucky Zoë was. She headed to Europe, using her credit cards all along the way, and wondered how the bad guys always knew where she was. She may not watch much television or read much crime fiction, but she specializes in defending battered and abused women and getting them away from their boyfriends and husbands. She knows something about flying beneath the radar. The relationship between Zoë and Ry was inevitable and made parts of the book sound like an erotic romance. However, even though characterization is not the prime directive in a thriller, Zoë and Ry were well-drawn enough for me to care about what happened to them.
Even though I tired of the bad guys and the drawn-out chase scenes, I found that Zoë, Ry, and the dual prizes of the Altar of Bones and the film kept a grip on my imagination through to the end of the book. Hopefully the author's next thriller will contain a little less formula.
Starting with an escape from a Siberian prison camp in 1937, Altar of Bones travels to the present day in a non-stop deadly quest for two items that several groups will stop at nothing to possess. San Francisco lawyer Zoë Dmitroff receives a letter from the grandmother she never knew telling her that she's the "keeper" of an ancient secret concerning a Siberian cave known as the Altar of Bones. At his father's death, government agent Ry O'Malley learns that the old man knew the location of a film that would rock the entire country. The two team up to stay alive and to get their hands on the secrets that others are killing to find.
This is the type of book that is difficult to review without giving things away, so I'm heading straight for my reactions. The first two thirds of the book was an endless chase scene involving our two intrepid heroes, and the fact that stealth was not in the bad guys' vocabularies bothered me a bit. These people were conducting high speed chases at all times of the day and night firing endless rounds of ammunition from an assortment of guns. They did not care how many witnesses were around or how high the body count was. (Perhaps they counted on local police departments' budgets being cut so drastically that there would be no investigations.)
I tired of the chase, primarily because of the psychotic conducting most of the chasing. At this stage of my life, my tolerance for fictional characters who love inflicting pain and death is practically nil. They turn my stomach, and they make me extremely angry. (I may seem to be a mild-mannered book blogger, but I do have a very nasty temper.)
I was also amazed at how lucky Zoë was. She headed to Europe, using her credit cards all along the way, and wondered how the bad guys always knew where she was. She may not watch much television or read much crime fiction, but she specializes in defending battered and abused women and getting them away from their boyfriends and husbands. She knows something about flying beneath the radar. The relationship between Zoë and Ry was inevitable and made parts of the book sound like an erotic romance. However, even though characterization is not the prime directive in a thriller, Zoë and Ry were well-drawn enough for me to care about what happened to them.
Even though I tired of the bad guys and the drawn-out chase scenes, I found that Zoë, Ry, and the dual prizes of the Altar of Bones and the film kept a grip on my imagination through to the end of the book. Hopefully the author's next thriller will contain a little less formula.
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