Six months ago, museum curator Deborah Miller had never heard of Ek Balam, an obscure Mayan archaeological site known for its carved figures. Now here she is, having traded Atlanta’s urban jungle for a remote village in Mexico’s Yucatan, tasked with overseeing Ek Balam’s excavation. But when a sudden rainstorm causes a partial collapse at the site, an unexpected treasure is unearthed: a collection of rough-cut rubies hidden from the world for hundreds of years—and very out-of-place in the Yucatan. It is a find of immeasurable value, one that Deborah vows to protect—and yet is powerless to prevent from being stolen soon after its discovery. Determined to retrieve the stones, she sets out to trace their complex history across four centuries and two continents, from Mexico to northern England where the jewels once played a harrowing role in the Lancashire witch trials of 1612. But Deborah is not the only one searching for the stones; close on her heels are archaeologists, occultists, and one very determined arms dealer, all of whom will stop at nothing, not even murder, to claim the prize for themselves.
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"I got this one for my Kindle based solely on who the author was. I don't read a lot of this type of suspense, though I have read the others by this author. I liked this one a lot! It moved along really quickly and the background information was all really interesting. I'd definitely recommend it."
— Jenn (5 out of 5 stars)
" Very good. Very, very good! More on this later. "
— Maggie, 11/11/2013" A darn good yarn incorporating murder mystery and history 2 of my favorite things. :) "
— Christy, 10/11/2013" The settings were excellent and the plot very good although somewhat contrived the odd time. I couldn't warm up to the main character though. Not a very prepossessing personality. The ending was alright but not what I had hoped for. "
— Betty, 9/7/2013" This is the kind of book that jumps thru plots and plots within plots, I like that, allow me to think, this was also history based and was a joy to read... "
— Don, 8/29/2013" Fiction based on facts - entertaining book about archaeology with international twists and murder thrown in for good measure. "
— Marvel, 3/14/2013" Started out slow, but picked up mid-way through the book. Its an interesting historical mystery. "
— Lynne, 12/10/2012" Finished this in a breath. Fantastic writing, and fabulous historical details combine for a blockbuster thriller that left me wanting more. "
— Kat, 11/14/2012A. J. Hartley is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of books in a variety of genres. He has an MA and PhD in English literature from Boston University, and is the Russell Robinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Tanya Eby is a novelist and an audiobook narrator who has earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards and been nominated for the Audie Award. She has a BA degree in English language and literature and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine.