Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for
the U.S. Justice Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book
dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an
anonymous e-mail: "You have something I want. You're the only person on
earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I
don't hear from you, you will be childless." His horrified ex-wife
confirms that the threat is real: Their teenage son has been kidnapped.
When Malone's Copenhagen bookshop is burned to the ground, it becomes
brutally clear that those responsible will stop at nothing to get what
they want. And what they want is nothing less than the lost Library of
Alexandria.
A cradle of ideas-historical, philosophical, literary, scientific, and
religious-the Library of Alexandria was unparalleled in the world. But
fifteen hundred years ago, it vanished into the mists of myth and
legend-its vast bounty of wisdom coveted ever since by scholars, fortune
hunters, and those who believe its untold secrets hold the key to
ultimate power.
Now a cartel of wealthy international moguls, bent on altering the
course of history, is desperate to breach the library's hallowed
halls-and only Malone possesses the information they need to succeed. At
stake is an explosive ancient document with the potential not only to
change the destiny of the Middle East but to shake the world's three
major religions to their very foundations.
Pursued by a lethal mercenary, Malone crosses the globe in search of
answers. His quest will lead him to England and Portugal, even to the
highest levels of American government-and the shattering outcome, deep
in the Sinai desert, will have worldwide repercussions.
