Pandora's Ark

Vatican Knights #4

by Rick Jones

Thirty years ago the world was in the exploratory stages of creating a technology capable of artificial intelligence. Thirty years later that technology has been perfected. In a lab somewhere in a remote mountain region in Iran, nanoparticles, or micro-bots, have been created to be self-sustaining and self-reproducing, each day evolving and learning from experience. They have been programmed to be the ultimate predator, devouring everything in their path and leaving nothing behind. Now in the hands of a terrorist group, the Vatican has come within the crosshairs. Using the Ark of the Covenant as a Trojan Horse, Kimball Hayden and his team of Vatican Knights must stop the promise of complete destruction of Rome by combating something unseen, and something that can kill within seconds.


"From cage-fighting in Las Vegas to papal intrigue in Vatican City, to deadly nanotech research in the mountains of Iran, Rick Jones pulls the strands of global conspiracy into a tightening web and a clock-ticking finish that snares the reader and doesn't let go. Get up to speed with the Vatican Knights series now, so you can be the one to tell your friends how good these books are, rather than having to hear it from them." --K.W. Jeter, author of the Kim Oh Thrillers


"Rick Jones spins a web of action and thrills that's sure to ensnare even the most discerning reader. Echoes of Michael Crichton and James Rollins make Pandora's Ark a story you won't want to miss!" --David Wood, author of the Dane Maddock Adventures

Genres: Fiction, Ebooks, Adventure

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2012

About the author

Rick Jones was born and raised in the Boston area and moved to Las Vegas in the early eighties where he graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in English. Currently, he is employed with the state of Nevada in law enforcement, and enjoys traveling, especially to Rome and Vatican City where many of the settings for his novels take place.

Rick Jones is also an avid writer and the creator of the Vatican Knight series (VATICAN KNIGHTS, SHEPHERD ONE and The ISCARIOT AGENDA), and the psychological thriller, THE MAN WHO CAST TWO SHADOWS.

He lives in Las Vegas with his two mini schnauzers, Wrangler and Hobo.

Reviews

[Randall · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author was apparently rendered mentally incontinent shortly after beginning this travesty of English. It's almost as if he had "know choice" but to give a "faux-pas salute" to the destruction of language itself as he "tendered to" blind typing. Perhaps I'm just not "fully imbibed to believe" in the power of random words. The general substance of the book is well presented in the first sentence of chapter twenty-two: "Friday night in Las Vegas is a night of anarchy in most cities, a place with no discipline and no sense of order." The stories can be amusing if you're able to get past the "indigent plants."

[John Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pandora’s Ark...not a surprise

I am a fan of the Vatican Knights and have thoroughly enjoyed the character development over the first few novels. The storyline as it regards nanotechnology and the geopolitical turmoil surrounding it was excellent. The ending however was anti-climactic and felt truncated. Still, I will look forward to reading about Kimball and the Knights in the next read.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

These novels are like tasty popcorn, easy, quick, and enjoyable. The story: ahhh, ark of the covenant, rediscovered, bad guys, nanotech, kill people, Vatican Knights save the day, the good guys win. Fun time.

[David Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

The plot of Pandoras Ark is intriguing, and it kept me in suspense right up until the end. I couldn’t wait to read the next page, and that certainly is one of the hallmarks of a great book.

[Vivek Agarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book
The suspense picks up from page 1
I couldn’t put it down
And very unique way to end the world
But great book

[Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book started off kind of clunky for me with the Hayden plot becoming almost a bad Hollywood script. But after a while it kind of smoothed out and was entertaining enough.

[David Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was just okay, but full of editorial/writing mistakes. Just a few to highlight: "It is not our attention to cause you harm". H'mmm, maybe the author meant "it is not our INTENTION to cause you harm". Other examples include using "your" instead of "you're". Not just a few writing mistakes, but a lot. Certainly too many mistakes to justify giving this book a 5-star review. Did no one bother going over this book? How many people have read it and not caught some of these mistakes (I only highlighted a few)? These mistakes JUMPED out at me and forced me to stop and re-read the lines until I figured out what he actually meant.

Action packed? No, not really. It might be a Vatican Knights books, but the Knights themselves do not have much of a role until the very end. And action? Yes some, but not action packed. You want action packed? Reference: by Matt Reilly.

I am giving this story 3-stars and I feel that is being generous. Reading it was like watching one of those low budget sci-fi TV movies (with the real cheesy special effects). I picked up this $2.99 book for only $0.99. For under a buck I gave it a shot, but for $3 I would want a better quality production/book.

[Paula Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pandora's Ark takes us to a lab in a remote mountain in Iran. Here nanoparticles have been perfected. Those scientist behind these "microbots" have programed them to be the ultimate destroyer. They have been developed to destroy everything they come into contact with. This knowledge that has been developed came from a very unlikely source... the Ark of the Covenant.

In the hands of terrorists, these nanoparticles are going to be used against the Vatican. The Vatican Knights may be up against their greatest enemy...one that can kill in just seconds.

[Kevin A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was not impressed. The book was meant to be about the Vatican Knights it took far to long to bring them into the storyline. The ark itself was not used to good affect and I found passages of the story to long winded that you were bored. I thought the author spent to long on parts of the story that you had already lost interest in. Won't be rushing to buy the next one.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. I do wish that the Ark had played more than a backdrop/plot element part. I realize these books are not relic hunt books, but sometimes I feel like there are missed opportunities to have some real fun. Either way, Jones delves into Vatican politics and it is interesting. He sometimes reminds me of the great Malachi Martin.

[Randy Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vatican is attacked by terrorist using "The Ark of The Covenant" as a Trojan Horse filled deadly nano-particles. It's up to Kimball and the Vatican Knights to save the day. Fourth in the Vatican Knights series. Very good.

[Jennifer Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was as good as his others in this series. Was disappointed to find that his current one is available only on Kindle.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It was a great story would have liked to have had more to the ending than a rush through. The book did well in detail until the end it was rushed through