The Midas Code

Tyler Locke #2

by Boyd Morrison

Tyler Locke's routine commute on a Washington State ferry is interrupted by a chilling anonymous call claiming that his father has been kidnapped and that a truck bomb is set to detonate on board in twenty minutes. When Tyler reaches the bomb on the boat's car deck, he's stunned to find classical languages expert Stacy Benedict waiting for him. She's received the same threat and her sister has also been taken. In order to disarm the bomb, they must work together to solve an engineering puzzle--a puzzle written in ancient Greek. Preventing the explosion is only the first step. They soon learn the entire setup is a test created by a ruthless criminal who forces them to go on a seemingly impossible mission: uncover the legendary lost riches of King Midas.

Tyler and Stacy have just five days to track down the gold. Armed with an ancient manuscript penned by brilliant Greek inventor Archimedes, they begin a quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery whose answer is hidden within the workings of a cryptic artifact: the Antikythera mechanism, a device designed by Archimedes himself.

To save their loved ones and prevent their captors from recovering a treasure that will finance unspeakable devastation, Tyler and Stacy head to Italy, Germany, Greece, and finally the streets of New York City in a race against the clock to find the truth behind the story of King Midas.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Action, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

Unknown Binding

First published July 5, 2011

About the author

Boyd Morrison is an author, actor, engineer, and Jeopardy! champion. He started his career working on NASA's space station project at Johnson Space Center, where he got the opportunity to fly on the Vomit Comet, the same plane used to train astronauts for zero gravity. After earning a PhD in engineering from Virginia Tech, he used his training to develop eleven US patents at Thomson/RCA. Boyd then managed a video game testing group in Microsoft's Xbox division before becoming a full-time writer. For non-fiction thrills, he enjoys white water rafting, skiing, scuba diving, and bungee jumping. Boyd is also a professional actor, appearing in films, commercials, and stage plays. In 2003 he fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a Jeopardy! champion. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tyler Locke is an engineer, and really good at solving puzzles. He gets a phone call that his father has been kidnapped, and there's a truck bomb set to detonate in 20 minutes. When he gets to the site, he finds a beautiful linguist who received a similar phone call. They manage to defuse the bomb, only to find it's the first step in a scavenger hunt, headed up by a master criminal.

Fairly exciting.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tyler Locke and TV personality Stacy Benedict are thrown together as bad guy Jordan Orr kidnaps Tyler's father and Stacy's sister. Together, they have to use Tyler's engineering expertise and Stacy's classics/language skills to decipher some tools of Archimedes to find the burial tomb of King Midas. Gold galore. Jordan is racing against a childhood friend, now a Neapolitan crime boss to find the gold. Orr has a second agenda, to take vengeance for his father's termination by a Wall Street firm, by detonating a dirty bomb, further increasing the value of his gold. A bit far fetched, but never a dull moment.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Vault” is a heart-thumping ride that is not to be missed. National bestselling author Boyd Morrison brings back Tyler Locke, who must race to stop a terrorist cell that has stolen an ancient text related to the tale of King Midas.

The story begins with Tyler Locke’s routine commute on a Washington State ferry being interrupted by an anonymous call claiming that his father has been kidnapped and that a truck bomb is set to detonate on board in twenty minutes. When Tyler, a former army combat engineer, reaches the bomb on the boat’s car deck, he’s stunned to find classical languages expert Stacy Benedict waiting for him. She’s received the same threat and her sister has also been taken. In order to disarm the bomb, they must work together to solve an engineering puzzle - a puzzle written in Ancient Greek.

Preventing the explosion is only the first step. They soon learn the entire setup is a test created by a ruthless criminal who forces them to go on a seemingly impossible mission: uncover the legendary lost riches of King Midas. Tyler and Stacy have just five days to track down the gold. Armed with an ancient manuscript penned by brilliant Greek inventor Archimedes, they begin a quest to unravel a 2,000-year-old mystery whose answer is hidden within the workings of a cryptic artifact: the Antikythera mechanism, a device designed by Archimedes himself.

To save their loved ones and prevent their captors from recovering a treasure that will finance unspeakable devastation, Tyler and Stacy head to Italy, Germany, Greece, and finally the streets of New York City in a race against the clock to find the truth behind the story of King Midas.

Overall, “The Vault” is an action-packed thriller that takes listeners on an exciting journey through history and across continents. The audiobook narration by Boyd Gaines adds an extra layer of suspense and excitement to this already thrilling story.

I hope you enjoy listening to “The Vault” as much as I did!

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Morrison weaves a splendid tale mixing Archimedes and King Midas with terrorism to create a fantastic read. This is probably the fifth time I've read this book, but I'm not sure. Goodreads didn't have the counter on the review section when I started so I'm starting over again. Look, if you liked Matthew Reilly's 5 Greatest Warriors series, you'll love Tyler Locke.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boyd Morrison is now on that very short list of historical, intelligent thriller writers --- that include Steve Berry and James Rollins --- who are must reads for fans of this genre. Dan Brown may have opened the door --- but writers like Morrison have kicked the door in!

THE VAULT literally features three different ‘vault’ moments that are sprinkled throughout the story-line. In the prologue, the large storage vault at an auction house is robbed by an evil, criminal with a dark agenda. The items stolen include a solid gold hand and a document that may have been written by Archimedes centuries earlier. The villain of the novel, Jordan Orr, needs some help deciphering the document --- that is written in ancient Greek that existed two hundred years before the birth of Christ --- and also needs a person with the right skill-set to follow what is revealed on this document to the ultimate goal --- the whereabouts of King Midas’s famous treasure.

Tyler Locke, the hero of Morrison’s novel THE ARK, is the right person for Orr’s mission. He is the CEO of a major technology company called Gordian and also an expert at uncovering the greatest archeological finds in history. Additionally, Stacy Benedict is needed by Orr as she is a classical language expert. To incent Tyler and Stacy to comply with his mission, Orr and his henchman kidnap both Tyler’s father and Stacy’s sister. Orr gives them a small window of time in which to interpret the alleged documents of Archimedes and then find the map that will lead them to the vault of King Midas. The only problem is that Tyler Locke --- like many others --- believe the legend of the “Midas Touch” to be pure fiction --- isn’t it?

By now, it is apparent that the second vault in question is the very same one that does indeed house the treasures of King Midas and the ancient secret to his touch of gold. This treasure could make Orr a Billionaire, many times over --- if he can harness its’ power safely. Simply finding this hidden treasure is not the most difficult part of the quest. Added to the mix is a rival for the Midas Treasure. A woman named Gia Cavano who is the ruthless head of one of Naples Camorra crime families. She will also stop at nothing to beat Orr to this treasure and kidnaps Tyler’s friend Grant and uses him as bait while following her own path to King Midas’s treasure vault.



Tyler and Stacy are successful in keeping their heads about them to outthink both Orr and Cavano --- but they are in no way ready for the ultimate plan that Orr has in mind. This brings us to the final vault in the tale --- a bank vault in lower Manhattan where Orr plans to release a deadly explosion that will bring NYC’s financial center to its’ knees as an act of vendetta for the way his father was treated by the U.S. Government years earlier. Tyler Locke will need all of his resources and skills to thwart Orr and his deadly game before thousands of people lose their lives.

THE VAULT is a high-octane thrill-ride of a novel that succeeds equally as an intelligent work of historical fiction. Boyd Morrison continues to spread his wings as an author who consistently outdoes his previous effort while creating memorable characters and highly inventive situations that make for an outstanding read!
.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Curled Up With a Good Book

[Freda Malone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncover the legendary lost riches of King Midas. Armed with an ancient manuscript, and with just five days to thwart a plot for unspeakable devastation, Tyler Locke and Stacy Benedict sweep from Italy, Germany, and Greece to the streets of New York City in a blistering race to unravel a 2,000-year-old puzzle that has eluded mankind. The blurb says it all.

This story in the series was hard for me to get into. It had some engineering mechanics and terms that had me lost in several places. That along with the ancient Greek Codex from Archimedes, and a Midas Touch had my mind reeling with frustration; my eyes glazed over in several chapters too - it's all Greek to me. I'm accustomed to an easier X marks the spot in a treasure map, puzzle solving, and a better sense of ancient history. Digs, snakes, booby traps, (laughing); maybe I'm even a bit more interested on the biological aspect of ancient history too. Morrison is no James Rollins but I will settle for half of what it brings me in his novels; thrills. Maybe this one was just not for me but the next one might be!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic story in the Da vinci code vein but, unfortunately, that's where the comparison ends. If I was guessing I would think that it was written specifically to be made into a film as the is little content and it just goes from scene to scene.
No real depth or character development, no interplay between the characters and just generally unbelievable (even for a book!). For instance, one character just carries on with a broken rib - I know it's a story and that characters in films seem to be able to climb mountains with missing limbs, but I've had a broken rib and just coughing causes intense pain, so running round and fighting is ridiculous. This is just an aside though - overall it's just not that engaging.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a thrill ride from start to finish. Reminded me a whole lot of The Davinci Code or National Treasure. Two people are forced by an obsessed man to hunt for the Tomb of King Midas so he can acquire the Midas touch. Our MC's are forced because their loved ones are being held hostage. Lots of puzzles to solve and bombs to defuse. World Wide places to visit.

Really fast paced and very interesting history lesson.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does it ever happen to you where, after finishing a lightning-paced mystery thriller, you sit there for a few minutes thinking oh wow, while waiting for the last of the adrenaline rush to dissipate? Yes? Then you’ll understand exactly what an awesome read this is. If your answer happens to be “no”, you should definitely pick up a copy of The Midas Code to experience this thrill.

“But the Midas Touch? It was ridiculous. Everyone knew it was a myth about the corrupting power of greed. King Midas was given the wondrous ability to turn anything he touched into gold, which he initially thought was a blessing. But when his feast of celebration became inedible at his touch, Midas realized that this talent was a curse. He begged the gods to rid him of it, and they did, but not before he accidentally turned his own daughter into gold.”

Usually it takes me a day or two to finish a book. It took me a few days to get through this absolutely magnificent book. The writing is impeccable and engaging and the characters absolutely realistic. But really, the beauty of this story lies in the flawless, clever plot and the way the author brings the Midas Touch legend to life. Everyone knows the King Midas touch is only a myth, but Morrison made me believe that it could really exist and that having possession of the Midas Touch could give you the power to own the world. Using a colorful blend of science, myth, history, technology and archaeology, the author drew me into the story and got me thinking what I would do if I had the means to turn seawater into gold.

That’s not all there is to this story, though. I’m a girl who loves action movies and this is what this book is: one pulse-pounding action scene after another. Think kidnappings, dirty bombs, explosions (quite a few of those), the Italian mafia, secret codex designed by Archimedes, treasure maps that needs deciphering, underground tunnels and hidden chambers, car chases (one of them on the autobahn in high-priced vehicles), gun fights and gadgets that would get any techno-geek’s pulse racing. Now you have a tiny idea of what to expect, but trust me when I tell you this book is loaded with surprises. Plus, one of the bad guys listens to Metallica’s Enter Sandman on his iPod while inserting a detonator into a container of binary explosives. Metallica: making the bad guys’ minions look a tad more…evil.

I recommend this book for fans of Dan Brown and anyone who loves to read about hidden treasures, historical and archaeological legends, mysteries and puzzles. The Midas Code is a riveting novel that left me on a book high which lasted for hours. I already have three more books by this author on my kindle which I’m excitedly looking forward to reading. This is the second book in the Tyler Locke series, and as I haven’t read the first book, I can safely say that The Midas Code can be read as a stand-alone without having to read its predecessor, titled The Noah’s Ark Quest. Make sure to also read the “afterword” when you’re done reading this book. Lots of interesting tidbits from the author on how he created this novel.

My favorite quote:

“The brave do what they can. The desperate do what they must. The crazy do what you least expect.”

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE VAULT walks that fine line between plausibility and drama – barely. At one point in the story, the hero, Tyler Locke, declares: “I'm highly skilled at being lucky.” It's a spectacular understatement.

Author Boyd Morrison is able to carry this thriller off in part because he throws so much at the reader in the very first chapter. Jordan Orr and confederates evade the sophisticated security system of a major auction house and make off with a mysterious ancient medieval codex replicating a lost manuscript by Archimedes, and a miraculously wrought human hand made of gold. Quick scene changes, the introduction of parallel but connected events, the relentless threat of danger on all fronts, and a ticking clock serve to sweep up the reader and prevent too close an examination into the multiple coincidences, and unlikely combination of skills and daring in the major characters. From this point on, the action uncoils with escalating intensity.

Fortunately, Tyler is a hero capable of holding our interest. He is an alumnae of MIT (lately, the literary “go to” place for combining brains and clandestine operations). He's a mechanical engineer equally comfortable with a schematic and the finely calibrated tools of a workshop. A stint in the military made him a bomb expert. As an engineer he is well versed in the mathematical inquiries and accomplishments of Archimedes.

It was the reference to Archimedes that drew me to the book. This is a non-stop action thriller which still leaves some space for a consideration of Archimedes' genius. The “geolabe” device is fictional, but the reader does gain a new sense of the scope of this ancient inventor's imagination. Archimedes did far more than jump out of a bathtub exclaiming “Eureka.” If you are willing to ignore the inevitable coincidences and fortuitous interventions, this is a far more satisfying summer thriller than the 3 stars I've given the book would indicate.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from www.FreshFiction.com

Many believe that the myths and stories we grow up hearing are based on fact in some form or fashion. Some of those stories seem so outlandish that a level minded person could not possibly believe they are based on actual events. Tyler Locke is an educated, level minded person but he find himself in a life or death situation that depends on him finding King Midas’ tome and the source of Midas’ touch. Locke and TV personality Stacy Benedict have been blackmailed into finding a treasure that they believe could not exist. The lives of Locke’s father and Benedict’s sister is the price for failure.

The Vault offers gut turning suspense, page turning action, and mind bending riddles. Armed with ancient clues from the famed Greek inventor Archimedes, the reader is taken on a whirlwind adventure that stretches from North America to Europe. Armed with a combination of whit and braun, the characters revisit historical artifacts and discover the lost history behind them.

I love books that make you think. The is exactly what The Vault makes you do. Through out the
story, you will be driven to decipher the clues and recount what you remember from your history lessons. The book also reminds you that just because a fact is written in history books does not mean it is a true account of what happened. Myths and legends were passed from one generation to another by people who may have had ulterior motives to change a small detail or a major fact to further a certain cause. Legends that have been exaggerated to seem impossible may have been created from a simpler story that can be confirmed through science. The Vault makes you think about other stories you may have grown up hearing and wonder if they too could be based on actual events.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Morrison's work for its historical intrigue and his looking at ancient issues from a modern perspective. That said, his far-fetched nature can make reading such a tale more sci fi than thriller. If it's not Noah's Ark, it's Midas' secret golden stash.

In this, we start with a bomb on a Seattle ferry and the race to diffuse it... enter the hero, stage right. A few kidnappings that become key to the plot leave two main characters forced into helping one another to find the secrets that King Midas hid with his 'gold finger' abilities. While racing around the world to find answers to truths buried for millenia, the scientific explanation behind the golden touch, and some far off high speed chases (on horse and in cars alike) lead to the pinnacle; a bombing on US soil.

Morrison is a pretty good author, whose ideas can sometimes be far-fetched. That said, it is a nice escape from reality.

Cheers and bring on the next one!

[Taarna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick and easy read, but the characters have no depth whatsoever. They're all perfect looking and best in their field and everything they do/touch turns into gold. I couldn't connect with them at all and didn't care if they would survive or die by the end of the book. Very much like Dan Brown novels, good if you'd like an easy read that won't take up too much of your time or too much of thinking.

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and superbly researched thriller. Reading an exciting novel is great...learning about ancient history at the same time is even better!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good, fast pace story

[Sébastien Domergue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bon, on ne va pas se mentir on est dans la lignée directe des Dan Brown mais cette fois le personnage principal n'est plus un historien mais un ingénieur. J'ai d'ailleurs été surpris qu'on suive Tyler plutôt que Dilara Kenner qui était le point de départ de l'Arche mais c'est cohérent. En effet, à la fin de l'Arche, sa découverte est rendue publique et elle est donc très occupée par la direction des fouilles. C'est d'ailleurs une différence fondamentale avec des auteurs comme Dan Brown ou d'autres. Ici, les découvertes potentielles ne sont pas limitées à l'initié qui les aurait découvertes, se sentant investi d'un devoir de les passer sous silence pour quelques obscure risque d'effondrement de la civilisation (rien que ça), mais elles sont rendues publiques. Stacy n'en est pas pour autant un personnage secondaire et il s'agit vraiment d'un duo principal mais la ficelle est un peu trop grosse pour le remplacement de Dilara (surtout que celle-ci n'apparait à aucun moment, tout juste un petit flashback).
Le rythme reste rapide, on ne s'ennuie pas même si on se demande si une personne normalement constituée pourrait endurer la moitié de ce qui leur arrive en si peu de temps (en fait non, on sait que c'est impossible mais bon). Avoir un personnage comme Tyler apporte également une dose de scepticisme et de pragmatisme bienvenue dans ce genre d'aventure. Attention, je ne dis aucunement que les découvertes romancées sont exactes ou même plausibles mais notre imagination se laisse porter par les explications proposées qui ont le mérite d'être originales, tout comme dans l'Arche d'ailleurs.
Comme l'ensemble de l'action se déroule sur quelques jours, on ne s'attend pas à ce que les personnages évoluent réellement et changent radicalement de personnalité et heureusement ils ne le font pas ! Bon, certains sont tout de même des caricatures mais c'est en général les "bad guys" qui ont des motivations basiques telles que l'argent et la vengeance. Rien de bien original et rien qui pourrait faire aimer le méchant au lecteur à aucun moment. On a du coup une coupure très, très nette entre le camps du bien, des gentils et du mal, des méchants sans aucune nuance au milieu (je ne parle pas d'en avoir 50 non plus hein ;)).
Sans doute est-ce mon esprit cartésien et pragmatique mais je préfère suivre l'ingénieur Tyler Locke que Robert Langdon. Ce n'est pas tant l'écriture que le personnage auquel je m'identifie plus.

[Cliff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recently mentioned that American thrillers about past mysteries being investigated in modern timed, such as this book, are written to a pattern. The template appears to be two buddies who have served in some elite force (here The Rangers), one tends to be the brains the other (although not stupid), the brawn. Inevitably there is a female love interest, but she mustn't be a bimbo. There must be a baddie or baddies. They must have a lot of muscle, most of whom meet a stiicky end at the hands of our heroes - but they never have to face any judicial enquiry as to whether the deaths were justified on the grounds of self defence. At the end our intrepid pair save civilisation or part thereof. Exactly the scenario used by the author of this book. Our pair, together with a female TV presenter of archeology etc possessed of a PhD in ancient history, are sent to find the tomb of King Midas, using a device based on the Antikythera, and ancient maps and manuscripts apparently prepared by Archimedes. Fortunately our female interest is able to read Greek, both ancient and modern. Often, it should be said, there has to be a twist in the end if history is not to be totally changed or belief unwillingly suspended. In this case the author is to be congratulated in finding an answer to how Midas was able to change items to gold which, at least to this unscientific reader, seemed to bear some possiblities in reality. An average book of the genre otherwise. Incidentally, the publishing history says 'first published as an electronic book'. Is that the literary equivalent of a film going direct to DVD?

[Jason Ravara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, that was one hell of an adventure!
This is the story of an ex-military guy named Tyler Locke and Classics scholar and TV Host Stacy Benedict who were both tasked to find The Midas Touch(I know, it sounds totally impossible). This is a race against time, though, as someone else is also looking for the same treasure and is determined enough to find it first even if it means they have to kill Tyler and friends in the process.
What's more, their loved ones are in mortal danger if they won't be able to decipher Archimedes' puzzle and find the Midas Touch in 1 friggin' week.

It's a great chase from US till Naples and the way the characters( the protagonists and the villains both) outwit each other or escape death all the way to the end. However, I don't know if it's intentional or just a side-effect of a high-paced story, but I think the characters weren't fleshed out enough(aside from the villains) so that I'd feel more for them all throughout. Although you won't really notice much of that because the book will carry you from start to finish; what with all the action and the puzzle-solving and their personal stories in between.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boyd Morrison's second Tyler Locke novel is broader than it is deep. I enjoyed the action and mystery but this book was like a Chinese Buffet, good but only to a point and it didn't stick with you. "The Vault" reminded me that these were the type of novels I was reading in the late 1980s and the 1990s. Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul come quickly to my remembrance as the same type of mind candy. I guess I've been spoiled or perhaps moved to different (if not better) territory with Philip Kerr, Matthew Reilly, John Connolly or David Freed. I don't mind legend solving novels with the handsome-quick-thinking hero and his brawny, loyal side kick, but the characters are superficial and the century old mysteries seem easily solved in days. I can suspend belief for enjoyment, just not revel in it too long. So I can recommend this book, just not too strongly. Kind of like a decent store bought cookie vs Grandmas chocolate chips.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this novel. It was entertaining, but it was also a bit far-fetched and simple for the genre. The story was solely focused on the action, and not at all on character development. We were given a short history of each character, but that was all.

The attempts to inject twists into the story were not well crafted, and it just seemed that the characters were too well-informed and clever to be believed. At one point a twist could have been used to greater impact. The author missed the opportunity and instead solved the twist in the next page.

Still, the story was entertaining, which I guess is the purpose. The whole story around Midas intrigued me, which is why I picked this book up to read. I'd give the author another go, just to see what spin could be placed on another myth/legend.

[Holly Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this back to back with the first book in the series, The Ark, I was a little disappointed. The first book spent a nice amount of time building the background of Tyler, and his company- since that had already been done, this book relied more on action versus substance. There also was very little depth into his female romantic interest in this book beyond being blonde. I know that generally in these types of books, there is a new romantic interest with each novel, but I had really liked the character development of the woman in the first book, so I was sad to see her replaced with someone of less substance, but all of the players overall lacked character in this book versus the first.

[Tony Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of late I've been in the mood for globetrotting, treasure seeking adventure stories, and Mr. Morrison's Tyler Locke series certainly fits that description. Unfortunately another description that fits his work is mediocre.

Like the first novel in the series, this one entertains in fits and starts (about on the level of middle of the road Clive Cussler yarn), but those grooves are short-lived, leaving the bulk of the novel an inoffensive but ultimately shrug-worthy time waster. You don't expect to get any nutrition from junk food, but you do expect it to taste good, but The Vault just doesn't.

There are two more titles in the series, but I won't be signing up for any more "adventures" w/the bland Tyler Locke and his forgettable friends any time soon.

[Eléni Xourafis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons you will absolutely love The Midas Code. Boyd Morrison is simply a genius. His knowledge of engineering and science and his extensive research into Greek history are evident from the beginning of the book and throughout. Being Greek myself, it's so satisfying to read a book which contains accurate information about the history of my country without any distortion whatsoever. The author managed so beautifully to bind Greek mythology, science and terrorism into a realistic, coherent and suspenseful book. I highly recommend The Midas Code to anyone and everyone.

[asianartist · Rating 3 out of 5]

So...I'm haven't actually finished this book, but I will in the future. Just not now. I don't know what happened, but something about this book just didn't click with me, maybe I'm not in the right mood or something, but I'm just not very excited by this book anymore.
In no way am I saying this is a bad book, it sounds very interesting, and from what I have read, it's not terrible. But just not now. If I had to say one thing, the beginning was a tad mediocre for me.

I'll probably finish this in the future, and when I do, I'll write a proper review, but for now, this book is going to the "on hold" shelf.

[Maggie Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of Archimedes and Midas...and human greed which is eternal...

From Wall Street to tunnels below ancient streets in Italy....from the golden touch of ancient King Midas.... the genius of the ancient Archimedes... the modern horror of a nuclear bomb....and through it all, throughout the span of centuries greed runs eternal. A captivating, fast moving tale of archeology, history, and the ever ongoing battle between good and evil....A very enjoyable read and a solid 4.5+ stars....

[Beverley Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 is closer to what I would give this book. The take on the King Midas myth is quite interesting. The characters were typical for this type of book. I would have liked a bit more originality in that department.

It started a bit slow with everything coming along too easily, but then it picked up and I quite enjoyed the way it played out.

I have never read Mr. Morrison before, but I may back up and acquire his first book, The Ark. He does spin an intriguing tale.

[Debbie Vetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling

Tyler gets sucked into helping a thief because his father was kidnapped. Stacy was also thrown into the plot by kidnapping her sister. The kidnapper, Orr, wants the Midas touch which he claims he saw in action as a child. Lots of clues to follow, lots of travel in the UK. Fights, deceit, murder, make this an interesting story. Also some humor, a maybe romance, good friends and a great story line. Great job. Thank you. Looking forward to Tyler's next adventure.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book - the premise sounded intriguing . Halfway through I realized I was only reading in order to finish. What's the point in that? You know, a lighter touch, maybe along the lines of the Janet Evanovich-Lee Goldberg series of Fox & O'Hare, would have made an enormous difference. But alas, a plodding storyline sunk the ship. I stopped read it. Time to move on.

[GingerOrange · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay.

Reminded me a lot of those treasure hunting Harrison Ford movies. The name of which have completely slipped my mind. But in any case, it was eventful. But also felt like it was written as a movie not so much a novel. So it lacked depth for me.

Overall, it’s an easy read. But nothing too nail biting.

[Dawn Braddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book by Boyd Morrison that I've read. The first was Rogue Wave, it was so good that I went with his book series Tyler Locke.
All I can say is, I'm a fan.
I've got Catalyst on my TBR list on Scribd... I'm sure I'll be starting it tonight.
Putting the rest of his titles on my Christmas list!
If you want a good heart pounding read, this is the guy to read.