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Sydney Fitzpatrick #2
The Bone Chamber
Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, forensic artist to the FBI, returns to Quantico to help identify a brutally murdered young woman. But when Sydney’s friend and colleague, the forensic anthropologist who assisted her, is killed in a hit-and-run, a covert government team takes over the investigation, and Sydney is suddenly removed from the case. Certain her friend’s murder is connected to the first case, Sydney investigates. She discovers that the first victim was not only an archeological student, but also the daughter of the ambassador to the Holy See. Just before she was killed, the ambassador’s daughter claimed to have found one of three keys that just might lead to a map of the long lost Templar treasure. Sydney’s search for answers takes her to the streets of Rome, and into the underground crypts and caverns in Naples, one step ahead of a ruthless killer. Time is running out for Sydney as a fellow government agent is kidnapped. And the ransom demanded? The Templar map.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
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607 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 22, 2024
A very good series.
December 26, 2019
Damn, the author killer has struck again with this gem. With that I'm referring to how one authors writing makes you stop reading another ones work.
That's just what author Robin Burcell does with 'The Bone Chamber' the 2nd book in the Sidney Fitzpatrick series, she puts you in the pages and your right their in Italy with Sidney and Griffin.
With 'The Bone Chamber' strap yourself into your favorite reading spot, your in for a hellacious read, a intertwining storyline, full of twist and turns, perfectly paced and best of all Burcell puts you into the pages with Sidney and Griffin.
Burcell wrote an amazing international thriller with this one. She threw everything and the kitchen sink in with it, mix in an FBI agent who puts her career in jeopardy, with Black Ops and CIA agents, with the Vatican, Templars, Freemasons, history, add in tunnels and catacombs under the Rome streets, a treasure map that leads to bio-weapons, corrupt politicians and you end up with the gem 'The Bone Chamber'.
So many readers compare her writing to Dan Brown and Steve Berry, two authors I have read. I just don't see it, she challenges her readers, she doesn't push the easy button like Brown, her writing is well crafted, fun, always adds new ingredients to her writing, it's just not the same old thing, it's believable, plausible even unlike Berry whose style is just an overload unrealistic themes and writes like it's a script for actor Tom Cruise.
This is the four different series that I've read from the author Robin Burcell, definitely one of my favorites and a must read author for any reader to try.
That's just what author Robin Burcell does with 'The Bone Chamber' the 2nd book in the Sidney Fitzpatrick series, she puts you in the pages and your right their in Italy with Sidney and Griffin.
With 'The Bone Chamber' strap yourself into your favorite reading spot, your in for a hellacious read, a intertwining storyline, full of twist and turns, perfectly paced and best of all Burcell puts you into the pages with Sidney and Griffin.
Burcell wrote an amazing international thriller with this one. She threw everything and the kitchen sink in with it, mix in an FBI agent who puts her career in jeopardy, with Black Ops and CIA agents, with the Vatican, Templars, Freemasons, history, add in tunnels and catacombs under the Rome streets, a treasure map that leads to bio-weapons, corrupt politicians and you end up with the gem 'The Bone Chamber'.
So many readers compare her writing to Dan Brown and Steve Berry, two authors I have read. I just don't see it, she challenges her readers, she doesn't push the easy button like Brown, her writing is well crafted, fun, always adds new ingredients to her writing, it's just not the same old thing, it's believable, plausible even unlike Berry whose style is just an overload unrealistic themes and writes like it's a script for actor Tom Cruise.
This is the four different series that I've read from the author Robin Burcell, definitely one of my favorites and a must read author for any reader to try.
January 21, 2010
Summoned to do a routine sketch of a mutilated murder victim, forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick soon finds herself embroiled in an international conspiracy involving several mysterious government agencies. When the colleague who recommended her for the job is also killed, Sydney puts her career with the FBI in jeopardy, flying off to Europe in search of answers.
Incorporating the Templars and their alleged treasure, Freemasonry, biblical history and the Vatican—elements previously put to good use by the likes of Dan Brown, Raymond Khoury and others—Burcell provides a well-crafted, fun and fast-moving thriller. One difference separating this from others of the genre is the fact Robin Burcell is an FBI-trained forensic artist and has worked in law enforcement for several decades, credentials which led her account an authenticity lacking in the others.
Incorporating the Templars and their alleged treasure, Freemasonry, biblical history and the Vatican—elements previously put to good use by the likes of Dan Brown, Raymond Khoury and others—Burcell provides a well-crafted, fun and fast-moving thriller. One difference separating this from others of the genre is the fact Robin Burcell is an FBI-trained forensic artist and has worked in law enforcement for several decades, credentials which led her account an authenticity lacking in the others.
April 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It had everything! There were corrupt politicians, FBI agents, CIA, Black Ops, archaeologist, bio weapons, tunnels and catacombs under the Roman streets, ancient hidden maps, Knights Templar, Freemasons, car chases, a little romance and bombs. What more could you ask for? Well, I guess you could insist that it was well put together and this book was put together as well. You might have to suspend disbelief a time or two, but, it's a book, not a biography! It was a great book to take you away from a not too exciting life and into a world you could leave behind if it got too bad.
March 7, 2010
When the body of a woman is found, forensic expert, Sydney sets to work on finding out who this woman is. What she soon realizes is that the body she is working on is a U.S. Ambassador's daughter. She teams up with Zach, a government agent and together they take a trip to Rome in search of clues. They end up finding a lot more than their searching for.
This is one of those books that leaves you feeling like you've run a marathon. The suspense doesn't let up, there are no breaks. The Bone Chamber was such a fun read and if you like adventure this is one of the best ones I have ever read.
July 24, 2018
I really liked how this book started with an intriguing case. There are plenty of elements to make this a great read, starting with strong female characters, fast-paced action, conspiracy theories, historical mysteries and a hint of romance.
Yet, yet... Halfway through the novel, I found that the book lost its momentum. It all seemed exaggerated. I think this appreciation has more to do with me (wrong mood, exhausted by the biting cold of winter?) than with the book itself. Because if I didn't like this book that much, I wouldn't want to find out what happens next, and I do want to find out!
Also, the author's afterward notes giving a glimpse of how this book came to fruition is plenty fascinating.
My rating is more 3.5 stars than 3 stars.
Yet, yet... Halfway through the novel, I found that the book lost its momentum. It all seemed exaggerated. I think this appreciation has more to do with me (wrong mood, exhausted by the biting cold of winter?) than with the book itself. Because if I didn't like this book that much, I wouldn't want to find out what happens next, and I do want to find out!
Also, the author's afterward notes giving a glimpse of how this book came to fruition is plenty fascinating.
My rating is more 3.5 stars than 3 stars.
August 5, 2019
Oh what a fun thriller.
First off mom and I are always happy to see “old faces” again in a book. Sydney is very much the same heroine as we remember. It also ramps up the excitement with throwing in a couple of spy’s; along with a trip to Italy. Mom and I liked how this started very quietly with a skull that had needed a drawing made of it, but what gets Sydney interested is the circumstances in which she had to draw the skull. From the the tension slowly builds. Also the art descriptions well in Italy just adds some special spark to the book, and to top it off the humor is great. There is this one scene where Sydney try’s to cause a distraction and it is beyond hilarious.
A good read and we look forward to continuing this series.
First off mom and I are always happy to see “old faces” again in a book. Sydney is very much the same heroine as we remember. It also ramps up the excitement with throwing in a couple of spy’s; along with a trip to Italy. Mom and I liked how this started very quietly with a skull that had needed a drawing made of it, but what gets Sydney interested is the circumstances in which she had to draw the skull. From the the tension slowly builds. Also the art descriptions well in Italy just adds some special spark to the book, and to top it off the humor is great. There is this one scene where Sydney try’s to cause a distraction and it is beyond hilarious.
A good read and we look forward to continuing this series.
March 16, 2010
Robin Burcell, The Bone Chamber (Harper, 2010)
Fans of The Da Vinci Code will probably like this book. I don't mean that to be anywhere near the slight it sounds (while my Da Vinci Code review on Amazon sports three stars, I have revised it to half that in my notes); The Bone Chamber is a far more intelligent treading of that particular path, and a great deal better. Robin Burcell credits her audience with a great deal more brainpower than does Dan Brown, and that makes all the difference.
Sydney Fitzpatrick, whom most readers will probably have encountered before in The Face of a Killer (I didn't have the pleasure, but will be picking it up as soon as is feasible), is headed off for Thanksgiving with her family when she gets a visit from a government official named Griffin. Griffin asks her to recommend a good forensic anthropologist for a case he's working; Fitzpatrick recommends her friend Tasha, the best in the business. Griffin then attempts to rope Fitzpatrick in on the same case (Fitzpatrick is a forensic artist), but given that she's on the next plane to California, she declines. A quick dinner with Tasha doesn't sway her to the cause, and off she goes—but when the plane touches down in California, there's an official-looking chap putting her back on a plane to Washington DC. Guess who's waiting for her? Griffin swears she'll only be inconvenienced for one night, until the sketch of their murder victim is done, but things don't always go as planned, and Fitzpatrick is not the type of woman to just let something go once her teeth are sunk into it. Things get more personal when a friend of hers is killed in a hit-and-run accident that seems to be no accident at all; Fitzpatrick starts fearing for her life, and knows the best way to get herself safe again is to figure out who their murder victim is and why she was killed. All this over Griffin's protests, of course, but his partner and best friend Tex, a ladies' man, is all too willing to have Fitzpatrick along for the ride.
Once the mystery is afoot, you'll start seeing why I compare the book to Brown's mega-hit; there's a lot of traipsing around looking for clues in ancient places, but where Brown's level of complexity goes as far as finding revelations any half-blind six-year-old could uncover, Burcell has actually thought to couch her puzzles in much more intriguing (and out-of-the-way) locations. Solving a puzzle with Dan Brown is like going to a museum you've been to dozens of times before; solving one with Burcell is all about going on a trek to places you've never been, and to which the public has little, if any, access. You actually feel like you might be learning something, though the book does go through a “things blow up” phase towards the end. Forgivable, though, and relatively believable (think about Venice crumbling at the end of the recent Casino Royale remake). You'll wonder why you didn't see a lot of this coming, and Burcell has mastered that regrettable knack of series authors that involves tying many things up a bit too neatly while leaving a couple of strategic holes for later volumes. I do have to give her points for not taking the easy way out with the romantic-triangle subplot (and this may be the only time I will ever praise an author for deliberately curtailing such a thing, but it was the right decision). Ultimately it's empty calories, but you'll have good time with it. ** ½
Fans of The Da Vinci Code will probably like this book. I don't mean that to be anywhere near the slight it sounds (while my Da Vinci Code review on Amazon sports three stars, I have revised it to half that in my notes); The Bone Chamber is a far more intelligent treading of that particular path, and a great deal better. Robin Burcell credits her audience with a great deal more brainpower than does Dan Brown, and that makes all the difference.
Sydney Fitzpatrick, whom most readers will probably have encountered before in The Face of a Killer (I didn't have the pleasure, but will be picking it up as soon as is feasible), is headed off for Thanksgiving with her family when she gets a visit from a government official named Griffin. Griffin asks her to recommend a good forensic anthropologist for a case he's working; Fitzpatrick recommends her friend Tasha, the best in the business. Griffin then attempts to rope Fitzpatrick in on the same case (Fitzpatrick is a forensic artist), but given that she's on the next plane to California, she declines. A quick dinner with Tasha doesn't sway her to the cause, and off she goes—but when the plane touches down in California, there's an official-looking chap putting her back on a plane to Washington DC. Guess who's waiting for her? Griffin swears she'll only be inconvenienced for one night, until the sketch of their murder victim is done, but things don't always go as planned, and Fitzpatrick is not the type of woman to just let something go once her teeth are sunk into it. Things get more personal when a friend of hers is killed in a hit-and-run accident that seems to be no accident at all; Fitzpatrick starts fearing for her life, and knows the best way to get herself safe again is to figure out who their murder victim is and why she was killed. All this over Griffin's protests, of course, but his partner and best friend Tex, a ladies' man, is all too willing to have Fitzpatrick along for the ride.
Once the mystery is afoot, you'll start seeing why I compare the book to Brown's mega-hit; there's a lot of traipsing around looking for clues in ancient places, but where Brown's level of complexity goes as far as finding revelations any half-blind six-year-old could uncover, Burcell has actually thought to couch her puzzles in much more intriguing (and out-of-the-way) locations. Solving a puzzle with Dan Brown is like going to a museum you've been to dozens of times before; solving one with Burcell is all about going on a trek to places you've never been, and to which the public has little, if any, access. You actually feel like you might be learning something, though the book does go through a “things blow up” phase towards the end. Forgivable, though, and relatively believable (think about Venice crumbling at the end of the recent Casino Royale remake). You'll wonder why you didn't see a lot of this coming, and Burcell has mastered that regrettable knack of series authors that involves tying many things up a bit too neatly while leaving a couple of strategic holes for later volumes. I do have to give her points for not taking the easy way out with the romantic-triangle subplot (and this may be the only time I will ever praise an author for deliberately curtailing such a thing, but it was the right decision). Ultimately it's empty calories, but you'll have good time with it. ** ½
December 28, 2009
Robin Burcell's "The Bone Chamber" is a little slow to get started, but good once it finds its legs.
Like many novels released in the wake of Dan Brown's highly successful "The DaVinci Code," Burcell's story involves following clues to find a treasure secreted by a secret group. In this case, she centers her story on legends (urban or otherwise) about the Freemasons and tales about the treasure of Solomon's temple. The premise here is that an international cabal is trying to find the Ark of the Covenant in order to use its alleged power to create plagues that might be weaponized.
Burcell draws on her background as a forensic artist (no pun intended) as well in this book, as her protagonist has the same career field.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
Like many novels released in the wake of Dan Brown's highly successful "The DaVinci Code," Burcell's story involves following clues to find a treasure secreted by a secret group. In this case, she centers her story on legends (urban or otherwise) about the Freemasons and tales about the treasure of Solomon's temple. The premise here is that an international cabal is trying to find the Ark of the Covenant in order to use its alleged power to create plagues that might be weaponized.
Burcell draws on her background as a forensic artist (no pun intended) as well in this book, as her protagonist has the same career field.
(Review based on uncorrected advance proof.)
January 22, 2014
Templars, Illuminati, Freemasons, the Smithsonian for the first murder scene, high speed car chases down windy roads, stuff that gets blown up - and the main setting is in Rome, Italy - near the Vatican no less then off to Naples!
Can you think conspiracy theories! Who do you trust? A very good read filled with puzzles and adventures underground and above ground. Robin Burcell has really done her homework and has provided her personal experiences to her book once again.
Can you think conspiracy theories! Who do you trust? A very good read filled with puzzles and adventures underground and above ground. Robin Burcell has really done her homework and has provided her personal experiences to her book once again.
January 20, 2010
I was a little disappointed and perhaps it was because it was a 'Dan Brown' knock off dealing with the Masons, Templar Knights and the Catholics. Otherwise it was an interesting book.
June 2, 2017
A mixed review here. An interesting premise, but here came the Freemasons, again. They seem to be in so many books, always as some secret society with untold treasure hidden in an even more secret and impenetrable and dangerous location that is, none-the-less, discovered and then lost because of yet another cave-in. The characters were also a bit of a mix, possibly due to the somewhat unlikely front-line involvement of the central character, a forensic artist. These folk do wonderful and indispensable work, but becoming an undercover field agent was a bit of a stretch, and evidently, this is something she does on a regular basis as a series character. Perhaps because I didn't start at the beginning of the series, I missed getting a much better picture of her qualifications. It took me a while to get through this book, which was a little too easy to put down and leave for later.
November 25, 2020
I found this book delightful. It is fast paced, a lot of twists, good plot, well developed characters. It is the 2nd book in the Sydney Fitzpatrick series which could cause problems with the back story but not in this book. The author does an outstanding job of bringing readers up to speed on what happened in the first book without taking away from this book. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.
June 30, 2017
Action-packed and Templar treasure....I do love reading anthropological or archeological thrillers. I've added Robin Burcell to my list of authors to look for after reading this one. The story moves along at a nice clip and the characters are well-developed. I want Sydney to win and find out who killed her friend. I am looking forward to reading more about this character.
Definitely recommend.
Definitely recommend.
April 4, 2018
Wow again, awesome strong psychological thriller. Love Sydney Fritzpatrick & Zack Griffin. Gosh: Rome, Naples, tunnels, curses, plagues, hidden chambers, & a treasure map wanted by everyone, so much tense action. This author certainly is getting stronger and better. I love her imagination!!!
January 27, 2019
An unidentified body missing her face. The tragic death of a friend. A secret organization. A criminal organization. Corruption in the government. A hidden map that leads to destruction, not treasure.
May 11, 2020
Average Thriller
Protagonist almost too good. I prefer some character flaws and Sidney has some but they are all minor and are seemingly thrown in as an afterthought.
Had some twists to it, but that may be the nature of a recurring series.
Protagonist almost too good. I prefer some character flaws and Sidney has some but they are all minor and are seemingly thrown in as an afterthought.
Had some twists to it, but that may be the nature of a recurring series.
December 13, 2020
Good reading
Enjoyed the story very much. Interesting to learn about the Freemason's. Will definitely try another of this author's books. Really makes you stop & think about how plagues like Cocos get started.
Enjoyed the story very much. Interesting to learn about the Freemason's. Will definitely try another of this author's books. Really makes you stop & think about how plagues like Cocos get started.
April 18, 2021
Good story. Good description of Rome and Naples, where most of the story goes on. Non Italians will appreciate the usage of Italian words often inserted, but some of them she could do without.
all in all I will keep reading her books.
all in all I will keep reading her books.
March 5, 2018
A great book but I would have liked a ended that was a little less abrupt.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
March 30, 2021
With shades of the DaVinci Code, and a smattering of National Treasure, and oh yeah, biochemical weapons, this was a pretty fun read.
February 2, 2023
Good story with Great characters...but it was hard to keep my interest.
January 17, 2011
Plot Summary: Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, forensic artist to the FBI, returns to Quantico to help identify a brutally murdered young woman. But when Sydney's friend and colleague, the forensic anthropologist who assisted her, is killed in a hit-and-run, a covert government team takes over the investigation, and Sydney is suddenly removed from the case. Certain her friend's murder is connected to the first case, Sydney investigates. She discovers that the first victim was not only an archeological student, but also the daughter of the ambassador to the Holy See. Just before she was killed, the ambassador's daughter claimed to have found one of three keys that just might lead to a map of the long lost Templar treasure. Sydney's search for answers takes her to the streets of Rome, and into the underground crypts and caverns in Naples, one step ahead of a ruthless killer. Time is running out for Sydney as a fellow government agent is kidnapped. And the ransom demanded? The Templar map.
Review: Slated to leave on a two-week vacation for a Thanksgiving vacation in San Francisco with her family, FBI forensic artist Sydney (“Sid”) Fitzpatrick once again becomes involved in an operation in which she doesn’t belong. Asked by her friend Tasha to undertake a portrait to identify a murder victim, instead of leaving, she finds herself in the midst of a black op by a secret government agency after learning of her friend’s death in a “hit-and-run” accident.
The book mixes black-ops, political, industrial and Vatican intrigue with Free Masons, Templar Knights and the legendary Templar Treasure, arms dealers, bio-weapons, deadly curses, and a search for the deadly ancient Biblical plagues of Moses.
Robin Burcell is an FBI-trained forensic artist and has worked in law enforcement for over two decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator.
This book should be a must read if you enjoy the Dan Brown type books. Sydney's character this time around let's herself get trapped into distrusting herself and her training. What makes this book different is, you don't have to read her first book in order to get a feel for her character. As with all Fantasy novels of this caliber, you must somehow, someway distance yourself from reality and just enjoy the overall ride.
Rating; 3.5 starts
Review: Slated to leave on a two-week vacation for a Thanksgiving vacation in San Francisco with her family, FBI forensic artist Sydney (“Sid”) Fitzpatrick once again becomes involved in an operation in which she doesn’t belong. Asked by her friend Tasha to undertake a portrait to identify a murder victim, instead of leaving, she finds herself in the midst of a black op by a secret government agency after learning of her friend’s death in a “hit-and-run” accident.
The book mixes black-ops, political, industrial and Vatican intrigue with Free Masons, Templar Knights and the legendary Templar Treasure, arms dealers, bio-weapons, deadly curses, and a search for the deadly ancient Biblical plagues of Moses.
Robin Burcell is an FBI-trained forensic artist and has worked in law enforcement for over two decades as a police officer, detective and hostage negotiator.
This book should be a must read if you enjoy the Dan Brown type books. Sydney's character this time around let's herself get trapped into distrusting herself and her training. What makes this book different is, you don't have to read her first book in order to get a feel for her character. As with all Fantasy novels of this caliber, you must somehow, someway distance yourself from reality and just enjoy the overall ride.
Rating; 3.5 starts
November 26, 2010
This book was marketed as a mystery & a historical thriller ala James Rollins. Since I love Rollins & I discovered that the book had a blurb with him recommending it, I eagerly picked this up. Unfortunately the book wasn't a mystery at all & the historical parts don't really come into play until later in the book. It's a thriller, but I wouldn't really classify it as a mystery.
The plotline follows forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick as she gets caught up in a murder that's taken the life of not only the victim she's asked to sketch, but also of that of a close friend & colleague. Soon Sydney is on her way to Rome trying to follow a mysterious agent as she tries to discover who exactly murdered her friend & why it appears to be involved with the legendary Templars of years past.
Like I said, the book wasn't really what it was marketed as. As such, I really was sort of disappointed with the first part of the book. The first half of the book is almost all spy drama & intrigue. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I also really wasn't that impressed with the characters of Griffin & Sydney. I just never really got that good a feel for either of them. The characters who were the most interesting were the background characters such as Francesca (she shows up about halfway into the book), Tex & Dumas.
That isn't to say that this book was a bad read. Just a clunky one. When Burcell writes about the crime scenes or about the forensic arts, the scenes really come alive. It's just that the first part of the book is filled with slow plot building that could either intrigue or deter some readers. (I have to admit, I struggled with the first half of the book.) The second half of the book is really the better part, when the promised historical action comes into play & the Templar reference on the back of the book really gains center stage.
The author is decent at what she does, but it really needs a bit of finessing. The book's ending leave no question that there's going to be a third book in the series (this book was #2), so I may look for it when it comes out. I just won't be pacing the floor for it like I would a new Rollins book.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
The plotline follows forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick as she gets caught up in a murder that's taken the life of not only the victim she's asked to sketch, but also of that of a close friend & colleague. Soon Sydney is on her way to Rome trying to follow a mysterious agent as she tries to discover who exactly murdered her friend & why it appears to be involved with the legendary Templars of years past.
Like I said, the book wasn't really what it was marketed as. As such, I really was sort of disappointed with the first part of the book. The first half of the book is almost all spy drama & intrigue. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I also really wasn't that impressed with the characters of Griffin & Sydney. I just never really got that good a feel for either of them. The characters who were the most interesting were the background characters such as Francesca (she shows up about halfway into the book), Tex & Dumas.
That isn't to say that this book was a bad read. Just a clunky one. When Burcell writes about the crime scenes or about the forensic arts, the scenes really come alive. It's just that the first part of the book is filled with slow plot building that could either intrigue or deter some readers. (I have to admit, I struggled with the first half of the book.) The second half of the book is really the better part, when the promised historical action comes into play & the Templar reference on the back of the book really gains center stage.
The author is decent at what she does, but it really needs a bit of finessing. The book's ending leave no question that there's going to be a third book in the series (this book was #2), so I may look for it when it comes out. I just won't be pacing the floor for it like I would a new Rollins book.
(ARC provided by amazon vine)
May 25, 2013
“The Bone Chamber” by Robin Purcell is a thriller set in Washington, DC and in the catacombs of Rome. Sydney Fitzpatrick, an FBI agent with a specialty in forensic drawing, is lured into a murder investigation by a friend and frequent working partner. The friend is soon killed by a hit and run driver, and Sydney begins to investigate and discovers that anyone remotely touching this case has been killed under mysterious circumstances.
She finds herself involved in a black operation with a man named Zach Griffin and an organization called ATLAS. It’s probably CIA, but we’re never clearly told. ATLAS is working under the direction of someone at the highest level of the US Government. This book is a lot of fun. It has corrupt congressmen, an US Ambassador gone bad, and two rival crime organizations vying to find a secret from the past that will give them great power over the major governments of the world. The major experts on bio-weaponry are either being kidnapped or killed, regardless of where they reside. The Vatican is involved on the periphery, because this involves an investigation into the shadowy world of the Knights Templar and Freemasonry, their secrets and their treasures.
If it all sounds a bit fantastic, well, it is. Some of their adventures seem a smidge beyond what could be realistically done, and the writing occasionally falls down. One example of the latter was when Sydney meets James “Tex” Dalton, another agent, for the first time and describes him as approaching her with his usually gregarious style. How does she know what Tex does “usually?” They just met. But, all in all, this is a minor complaint about the book that is well plotted and thickly populated with interesting characters and which moves very quickly from conflict to conflict. It’s a very fun read. I haven’t ready Ms. Burcell before but intend to read her other book featuring Sydney Fitzpatrick.
I rate this book a “3” and enjoyed it as much as many “4s.”
She finds herself involved in a black operation with a man named Zach Griffin and an organization called ATLAS. It’s probably CIA, but we’re never clearly told. ATLAS is working under the direction of someone at the highest level of the US Government. This book is a lot of fun. It has corrupt congressmen, an US Ambassador gone bad, and two rival crime organizations vying to find a secret from the past that will give them great power over the major governments of the world. The major experts on bio-weaponry are either being kidnapped or killed, regardless of where they reside. The Vatican is involved on the periphery, because this involves an investigation into the shadowy world of the Knights Templar and Freemasonry, their secrets and their treasures.
If it all sounds a bit fantastic, well, it is. Some of their adventures seem a smidge beyond what could be realistically done, and the writing occasionally falls down. One example of the latter was when Sydney meets James “Tex” Dalton, another agent, for the first time and describes him as approaching her with his usually gregarious style. How does she know what Tex does “usually?” They just met. But, all in all, this is a minor complaint about the book that is well plotted and thickly populated with interesting characters and which moves very quickly from conflict to conflict. It’s a very fun read. I haven’t ready Ms. Burcell before but intend to read her other book featuring Sydney Fitzpatrick.
I rate this book a “3” and enjoyed it as much as many “4s.”
June 9, 2010
3 1/2 stars for those who like conspiracy stories about the Freemasons, Templar Knights and other secret societies..., January 9, 2010
The Bone Chamber is yet another title that is reminiscent of the conspiracy and Templar Knights novels by Dan Brown, Steve Berry, Raymond Khoury et al. This action-packed thriller features FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick in her second outing (after Face of a Killer) and is a romp through the city and the underground burial chambers of Rome as she and her cohorts try to foil a dastardly plot involving money and murder. Despite being advertised as such, this is not a book about the Catholic church keeping a secret from the world and the Vatican is only vaguely mentioned. It's more about a super secret agency, ATLAS, that is charged with protecting the world from a competing group of megalomaniacs who want to possess the treasure of the Templars, including a map that just might contain directions to the location of all the Biblical plagues of Moses -- the better to make a bio-weapon.
It is a bit long and drags in places; Sydney is annoying at intervals as she displays a lot of angst over trusting herself but repeatedly sticks her nose into the case long after being dismissed from her forensic duties. There are the typical mad car chases, escapes from certain death at the hands of the evil henchmen, and a harrowing scene in the underground burial chambers. A little romance with one of the ATLAS operatives is developing and the book ends with hints that there will be a sequel involving Griffin.
I might be tempted to check out the next book in the series. You don't have to read the first one to understand the characters or the plot of this novel as it can stand alone.
The Bone Chamber is yet another title that is reminiscent of the conspiracy and Templar Knights novels by Dan Brown, Steve Berry, Raymond Khoury et al. This action-packed thriller features FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick in her second outing (after Face of a Killer) and is a romp through the city and the underground burial chambers of Rome as she and her cohorts try to foil a dastardly plot involving money and murder. Despite being advertised as such, this is not a book about the Catholic church keeping a secret from the world and the Vatican is only vaguely mentioned. It's more about a super secret agency, ATLAS, that is charged with protecting the world from a competing group of megalomaniacs who want to possess the treasure of the Templars, including a map that just might contain directions to the location of all the Biblical plagues of Moses -- the better to make a bio-weapon.
It is a bit long and drags in places; Sydney is annoying at intervals as she displays a lot of angst over trusting herself but repeatedly sticks her nose into the case long after being dismissed from her forensic duties. There are the typical mad car chases, escapes from certain death at the hands of the evil henchmen, and a harrowing scene in the underground burial chambers. A little romance with one of the ATLAS operatives is developing and the book ends with hints that there will be a sequel involving Griffin.
I might be tempted to check out the next book in the series. You don't have to read the first one to understand the characters or the plot of this novel as it can stand alone.
August 21, 2010
I didn't like this 2nd effort in the Sydney Fitzpatrick series as much as the first one for a few reasons.
One, Fitzpatrick is an FBI agent. Running all over the world hunting for the Knights Templar treasure seems out of character.
Two, I just read a fantastic fiction based on the Knights Templar and this book doesn't measure up to that one. (Steve Berry The Templar Legacy - Cotton Malone #1).
Three, describing this book as being about the Knights Templar is bait-and-switch marketing. The Knights Templar really have little to do with this story. It's more Ark of the Covenant, ancient plagues, modern Goldfinger wants to control/destroy the world, etc. But obviously the marketing dept decided the Knights would sell more books than a female Indiana Jones.
The story itself seemed a little jerky in places, some sentences were clunky like they had been partially edited but not completed. Also some things in the story get started but then aren't heard from again. Xavier is a descendant of the historical guy they are searching for, this point is made a couple of times but then when Xavier finally meets up with Sydney etal it's never mentioned again. It felt like it was emphasized in one section, ignored in another.
Still I liked the characters and watching Sydney loosen up from the "by the rules" only type of girl to a "rules are guidelines?" is fun to watch. And I like the characters, Scotty does make my skin crawl a little. Cirillo is fun, more like a traditional cop than FBI agent and of course, the new love interest, Griffin, the black ops specialist.
I do look forward to the next installment and hope I won't have to wait a year for it. Fairly quick read. I would actually give The Bone Chamber 2.5 stars if I could.
One, Fitzpatrick is an FBI agent. Running all over the world hunting for the Knights Templar treasure seems out of character.
Two, I just read a fantastic fiction based on the Knights Templar and this book doesn't measure up to that one. (Steve Berry The Templar Legacy - Cotton Malone #1).
Three, describing this book as being about the Knights Templar is bait-and-switch marketing. The Knights Templar really have little to do with this story. It's more Ark of the Covenant, ancient plagues, modern Goldfinger wants to control/destroy the world, etc. But obviously the marketing dept decided the Knights would sell more books than a female Indiana Jones.
The story itself seemed a little jerky in places, some sentences were clunky like they had been partially edited but not completed. Also some things in the story get started but then aren't heard from again. Xavier is a descendant of the historical guy they are searching for, this point is made a couple of times but then when Xavier finally meets up with Sydney etal it's never mentioned again. It felt like it was emphasized in one section, ignored in another.
Still I liked the characters and watching Sydney loosen up from the "by the rules" only type of girl to a "rules are guidelines?" is fun to watch. And I like the characters, Scotty does make my skin crawl a little. Cirillo is fun, more like a traditional cop than FBI agent and of course, the new love interest, Griffin, the black ops specialist.
I do look forward to the next installment and hope I won't have to wait a year for it. Fairly quick read. I would actually give The Bone Chamber 2.5 stars if I could.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2011
FBI forensic artist Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick is on her way to visit family for the holidays when she is called back to reconstruct the face of a murdered girl, a case she has already turned down. The whole thing seems a bit off from the beginning, but when the agent requesting her help, Zachary Griffin, keeps a friend’s murder from her because ‘the case comes first’ Sydney feels guilty and is determined to find out why her friend was murdered.
Zachary Griffin needs Agent Fitzpatrick’s cooperation to get the sketch done and nothing else. She is said to be by the book and won’t cause any problems, only follow orders. Whoever told him that was sorely mistaken. As he boards a plane to Rome, who is in the seat behind him but Sydney Fitzpatrick! She has unearthed more in her short investigation than he thought possible, and put her life in very real danger. He and his team know all the risks, it is what they signed up for, but Sydney has walked blindly into more danger than she could imagine.
Sydney uses all the resources at her disposal including old partners, ex-fiancés and friends to figure this case out. The problem is, she has attracted too much attention and now the people who killed her friend want her dead! Sydney has more questions than answers and the deeper she digs the more questions she has. She agrees to join a dangerous mission, but the stakes may be higher than she expected.
Award-winning author, Robin Burcell, weaves a suspenseful tale of intrigue, deception and historical facts that will keep you engrossed until the last page. This is a book you will not want to put down!
Reviewed by Ashley Wintters for Suspense Magazine
Zachary Griffin needs Agent Fitzpatrick’s cooperation to get the sketch done and nothing else. She is said to be by the book and won’t cause any problems, only follow orders. Whoever told him that was sorely mistaken. As he boards a plane to Rome, who is in the seat behind him but Sydney Fitzpatrick! She has unearthed more in her short investigation than he thought possible, and put her life in very real danger. He and his team know all the risks, it is what they signed up for, but Sydney has walked blindly into more danger than she could imagine.
Sydney uses all the resources at her disposal including old partners, ex-fiancés and friends to figure this case out. The problem is, she has attracted too much attention and now the people who killed her friend want her dead! Sydney has more questions than answers and the deeper she digs the more questions she has. She agrees to join a dangerous mission, but the stakes may be higher than she expected.
Award-winning author, Robin Burcell, weaves a suspenseful tale of intrigue, deception and historical facts that will keep you engrossed until the last page. This is a book you will not want to put down!
Reviewed by Ashley Wintters for Suspense Magazine
November 26, 2016
"You know this is hell on my manicure.”
“Didn’t think you were the manicure type.”
“You know me. All about fashion and accessories. A real girly girl."
Sydney Fitzpatrick should be relaxing at home for the Thanksgiving holidays and not all caked in dust, after nearly falling to her death in a tunnel at Naples.
She had just stepped off the plane at San Francisco when she was summoned back to do a drawing for Special Agent Zachary Griffin (an ATLAS agent - Alliance for Threat Level Assessment and Security, a covert agency).
The drawing was completed under strictest supervision and secrecy when news of Dr Natasha "Tasha" Gilbert had been killed in a hit-and-run was relayed to Sydney. Sydney decided to investigate into her death which is connected to the drawing she had done.
The murder victim was Alessandra Harden, the adopted daughter of Alex Harden, ambassador to the Holy See. Her death was due to her investigating into Carlo Adami's intention of releasing a virus which could wipe out the population and the treasures of Raimondo di Sangro, Prince of Sansevero (the first grandmaster of the Freemasons who have links to the Templars). The investigations takes to Italy, Rome and Naples (being introduced to Father Dumas, Vatican agent), deciphering the mysteries of the crypt, working with Giustino and Marc (of the carabinieri), Tunisia (where we are introduced to ATLAS agents Lisette and Rafiq) to solve the cases.
Better than the first book and the awesome addition of a new agent Zachary Griffin and the ATLAS team. Thrillingly wonderful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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