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Effigy #1
Effigy
A serial killer is on the loose, depositing his victims' hearts amid the Toltec ruins of central Mexico. Meanwhile, a priceless Mesoamerican artifact is stolen from the University of Utah, sweeping archaeologists Anthony Peet and Lori Dewson on a desperate recovery mission south of the border. Accompanied by a reluctant colleague, an enthusiastic young journalist and a Yaqui woman in mourning, the team must decipher clues hidden within the Aztec sunstone, mystical Toltec Pyramids and astronomical calendar rounds to find the priceless effigy of Quetzalcoatl. They suddenly find themselves in a race against the coming solar eclipse, all the while dodging a corrupt Mexican police force still on the hunt for the sadistic murderer-a killer who's chosen one of them for his next human sacrifice.
462 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Danley
3 books7 followersTheresa Danley’s interest in history, science and adventure all come together in her action-packed archaeological thrillers. Her explosive adventures explore the impacts ancient mythologies can have on modern ideologies, extracting answers to the unknown and mysterious through heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat suspense.
Theresa began linking the realms of the ancient world with the present with the publication of her first thriller, Effigy. The journey continues with the release of Deity and Relic.
Theresa lives along the hi-line of Montana where she keeps busy raising her family, riding her horses and entertaining her imagination with writing and research.
Theresa began linking the realms of the ancient world with the present with the publication of her first thriller, Effigy. The journey continues with the release of Deity and Relic.
Theresa lives along the hi-line of Montana where she keeps busy raising her family, riding her horses and entertaining her imagination with writing and research.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2010
When I was approached by the author to do an interview or book review, I accepted a free ebook copy in exchange and was especially looking forward to reading it because the excerpt on her website www.theresadanley.com hooked me right away.
If you like books that engage your mind with details, historical, archaeological, scientific or anthropological facts, then Effigy by Theresa Danley is just the novel for you. In the format of a mystery thriller, the story is as much an exposition of Mayan lore and anthropology as it is a source of entertainment.
A murderer is on the loose amid the Toltec ruins in Mexico, but these are not your ordinary murders. Echoing the gory tradition of the Mayan human sacrifices, this murderer literally tears the victims heart out ...while they're still alive! What could be the Equinox killer 's motive? Enter Dr. Anthony Peet and Lori Dewson, the professor and student duo who have recently discovered a rare artifact, an effigy of Quetzlcoatl, clearly Mayan, yet it was found in Utah. As the two work to uncover the mystery of its origin, they realize that the rare effigy is highly sought after by two opposing factions: the New Agers, followers of a shaman who purports to reveal the purpose and meaning of the prophetic dates leading up to the popular 2012 Mayan predictions; and the Equinox killer himself. The effigy is stolen from the labs at the University where Lori and Dr. Peet work and thus begins a maze-like journey to follow the trails of these two dueling factions to not only recover the effigy, but to race against the coming solar eclipse. Will they find it, evade the Equinox killer and uncover the effigy's true source and meaning?
Danley's writing moves along at a fairly good clip, creating tension when needed, but at times borders on an overload of details. With crystal clarity she delivers characters and action that are both real and compelling, though at times a bit too complex, a forgivable flaw given that regardless, she always returns the reader back to the central thread of tension. The intensity of the story grows and the reader is urged on to turn the page and find out what, where and why...all the questions that a good mystery/thriller should pose for the reader.
Theresa Danley's archaeological thriller, Effigy, is sure to engage readers who are intrigued with the 2012 prophecy or Mayan culture in general. She has clearly done her research. Throughout the book one finds a wealth of facts and theories that are indeed based in reality. Her characters communicate these facts and theories to us through dialogue, deftly presented, as we the reader eavesdrop and join them on their adventurous expedition to solve the crimes, and in the end, an anthopological mystery.
If you like books that engage your mind with details, historical, archaeological, scientific or anthropological facts, then Effigy by Theresa Danley is just the novel for you. In the format of a mystery thriller, the story is as much an exposition of Mayan lore and anthropology as it is a source of entertainment.
A murderer is on the loose amid the Toltec ruins in Mexico, but these are not your ordinary murders. Echoing the gory tradition of the Mayan human sacrifices, this murderer literally tears the victims heart out ...while they're still alive! What could be the Equinox killer 's motive? Enter Dr. Anthony Peet and Lori Dewson, the professor and student duo who have recently discovered a rare artifact, an effigy of Quetzlcoatl, clearly Mayan, yet it was found in Utah. As the two work to uncover the mystery of its origin, they realize that the rare effigy is highly sought after by two opposing factions: the New Agers, followers of a shaman who purports to reveal the purpose and meaning of the prophetic dates leading up to the popular 2012 Mayan predictions; and the Equinox killer himself. The effigy is stolen from the labs at the University where Lori and Dr. Peet work and thus begins a maze-like journey to follow the trails of these two dueling factions to not only recover the effigy, but to race against the coming solar eclipse. Will they find it, evade the Equinox killer and uncover the effigy's true source and meaning?
Danley's writing moves along at a fairly good clip, creating tension when needed, but at times borders on an overload of details. With crystal clarity she delivers characters and action that are both real and compelling, though at times a bit too complex, a forgivable flaw given that regardless, she always returns the reader back to the central thread of tension. The intensity of the story grows and the reader is urged on to turn the page and find out what, where and why...all the questions that a good mystery/thriller should pose for the reader.
Theresa Danley's archaeological thriller, Effigy, is sure to engage readers who are intrigued with the 2012 prophecy or Mayan culture in general. She has clearly done her research. Throughout the book one finds a wealth of facts and theories that are indeed based in reality. Her characters communicate these facts and theories to us through dialogue, deftly presented, as we the reader eavesdrop and join them on their adventurous expedition to solve the crimes, and in the end, an anthopological mystery.
October 1, 2012
A former student of mine wrote this....Of course, she can't go wrong! I am so impressed with this book! Looking forward to reading her second one DEITY. Theresa obviously did a TON of research for this book in order to share so much about archeology! I was impressed, and I learned a lot. It was a suspenseful story...a few predictable moments, but she's a novice writer. There were a few times I'd rather have just had the mystery and not the archeological background, but it was necessary to the story. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it. Good job, Theresa! :-)
August 20, 2014
Fantastic plat and so well written. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews