Before his death in 1609, the brilliant Elizabethan spy and astrologer John Dee hid his most astonishing secrets, trusting his descendants would one day bring them to light. That time has come. In 2003, Will Stafford inherits a strange legacy from his mother: a key and an ancient script with an enigmatic note. Intrigued, he travels Europe seeking answers to Dee's riddles, unaware that someone is following every move.

Back in London, Lucy King becomes entangled in Will's cryptic labyrinth. As its mysterious twists take her from France to New York, and from literature to myth, in search of its hidden treasure, she has never been closer to the truth, nor in graver danger.

reserved for Nu-knees when read

Hmmm...not sure where to start about this book but I have to say I feel a bit let down by it -it sounded so full of promise but somehow failed to deliver. The storyline was entertaining enough & the characters were all likeable but it was the riddle aspect that, for me, didn't live up to expectations. As far as I can recall they never really appeared in the body of the story (apart from on page 331 where those tiny teasers gave nothing away to me!).

Maybe I misread, or even missed, some crucial parts of the text as it just didn't come together for me & as for the ending, well, we'll have to a discussion about that Nu-knees, as I think I might have completely misunderstood it!

There's a section at the end of the book devoted to the riddles - I hoped that reading it might clarify things but NO! It may as well be written in Chinese as I'm not taking anything in! Luckily, I've been given an ex-library copy as well, so maybe I'll try again in a few weeks, when I perhaps I can look at it with fresh eyes....in the meantime this copy will go onto Nu-knees - hope your brain is better able to cope with these riddles than mine was & you can explain them to me :o)

Read as part of the 2009 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On it's way to Nu-knees.....

Released as part of the 2009 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
& the 2009 RABCK Release Challenge (#43)

Thank you very much, plum-crazy, for this fascinating-looking novel which I've been looking forward to reading since a non-BookCrossing friend was raving about it earlier in the year - but she'd read a library copy and couldn't pass it on to me. I note that you weren't madly impressed, especially with the puzzles/riddles, which makes me even more determined to read it and make up my own mind! LOL! Thank you again for the opportunity to do so! I'll certainly let you know how I get on, although I'm sure you appreciate that there might be a bit of a delay before that happens....

Oh, having read your JE with a bit more concentration, I think perhaps I'd best not leave it too long as I wouldn't want you to have forgotten what you've read when we come to have our discussion on the ending :-)

And thank you also for the lovely cards which accompanied the book!

That wasn't what I was expecting! For one thing I was disappointed not to spend more time in the 17th century rather than breathlessly rushing around in the 21st. The opening chapters were rather messy with separate storylines having no apparent connection with each other and it took me a while to get interested. Then I got bogged down with all sorts of religious dogma in the middle. I finished it because I wanted to know what was happening and why - but I can't say I particularly enjoyed it and the why didn't make much sense!

It comes into the category of Da Vinci Code clones and I think I've read too many to appreciate another one. On the other hand, I might not have followed this plot as well as I did without the 'knowledge' gained from similar books and my studies of myths and religion over the years, not to mention having met people who really are eagerly awaiting the Rapture.

".... many men have learned enough religion to hate, not yet enough religion to love. And will it be ever so?"

Unfortunately the puzzles and riddles didn't capture my imagination so I haven't spent much time in the back of the book and didn't log on the website at all!

Thank you again, plum-crazy. I wanted to read this and now I have.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

With the other books on the bookshelves in the porch - you're asked to leave a donation of 20 pence towards patient 'extras', please!

This can no longer be found on the surgery bookshelves. My non-BookCrossing friend (JR), the one who recommended the story to me in the first place, and who unfortunately never writes journal entries despite my frequent encouragement, told me that she paid her 20 pence to take it home - and was most surprised to find signs of my previous ownership :-)