The tomb of China’s First Emperor, guarded by an underground army of terra-cotta warriors, has remained sealed for more than 2,000 years. Though it’s regarded as one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world, the Chinese government won’t allow anyone to open it. Why?
That question is at the heart of a dilemma faced by former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, whose life is shattered when he receives an anonymous note carrying an unfamiliar Web address. Logging on, he sees Cassiopeia Vitt, a woman who’s saved his life more than once, being tortured at the hands of a mysterious man who has a single demand: Bring me the artifact she’s asked you to keep safe. The only problem is, Malone doesn’t have a clue what the man is talking about, since Cassiopeia has left nothing with him. So begins Malone’s most harrowing adventure to date—one that offers up astounding historical revelations, pits him against a ruthless ancient brotherhood, and sends him from Denmark to Belgium to Vietnam then on to China, a vast and mysterious land where danger lurks at every turn.
From the Hardcover edition.
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"Cotton Malone, a bookseller, finds himself embroiled in yet another international intrigue. When he receives a cryptic note and goes to the website it encloses, he sees Cassiopoeia Vitt being waterboarded. To save her, the captors want a lamp that she stole and left with him for safe-keeping. If he wants to save her, he has to exchange the lamp. The only problem is he doesn't have it. He knows that he has to save her (and figure out his feelings for her), but doesn't even know what he is looking for. Enter Stephanie Nelle, a former nemesis (or friend?) and some high-ranking figures fighting for control of China and a potentially world-changing discovery about oil, and you have another thrilling international adventure full of twists and turns. Who knew booksellers would have such interesting lives!"
— Brandy (5 out of 5 stars)
" Love those Cotton Malone/ Cassiopeia Vitt political mysteries! This one takes us to China. "
— Momm, 2/5/2014" In terms of plot and level of caring about the characters, eh. I gave it two stars instead of one because there is some fascinating science and Chinese history that I enjoyed reading about. "
— Mary, 1/30/2014" Berry has another great book with this one. The story moves quickly and the extent of the research the author does to craft is story is always evident. I look forward to reading more Steve Berry books. Although I like the Cotton Malone character, the early books Berry did where he changed his main characters around were good as well. I wouldn't mind seeing more variety in that regard. "
— Tony, 1/30/2014" Too long, 464 pages. I started this book and wanted prove I could finish it. The story would have been better if this story was trimmed to about 300 pages. Too much flipping back and forth from China and Denmark for the story line. I did learn some history about China. "
— Paula, 1/27/2014" Listening to this story seemed to take forever. It is 14 hrs. and with the winter we had I wasn't in my car that much. should have brought it in and listened to it. The story is interesting, but was too disjointed. May try to take time to listen to it inside sometime or when working in my garden. "
— Anne, 1/24/2014" Great book with a lot of history of China. "
— Kathy, 1/22/2014" Besides been filled with action and travel, this book asks deep questions of morality, politics and life decisions. Loved that at the end the author reviewed was was fact based and what was his take off from reality. Surprisingly one of the elements that drove the story was real. Worth reading. "
— Deanna, 1/16/2014" This book had a slow start. Several of the main characters are familiar characters from other books. To understand some of the interactions it helps to have read some of the previous books. Once the story sped up, it kept my attention with lots of twists and turns. Overall, a good read. "
— Kristin, 1/12/2014" Another great thriller by Steve Berry. I love this series. Even though I'm not a big fan of China and have no desire to go there I did enjoy this book. It was fast paced and kept you constantly wondering who was on which side. "
— Amy, 12/26/2013" Steve Berry writes smart mysteries. This one lost me for a while - but stay with it and you will be entertained. "
— Mary, 12/25/2013" Least favorite of all his books I've read. "
— Mare, 12/23/2013" My first Google book, read on the iPad. I didn't like this as much as the previous Cotton Malone books, I guess partially because I had a hard time keeping all the Chinese characters and their allegiances straight. Still, some cool archeological content and lots of action. "
— Brian, 12/13/2013" I like these characters every time I read one of Steve Berry's books and I learned lots about China and its history - an added bonus. "
— Lorie, 12/10/2013" Love the Cotton Malone stories! "
— Lori, 11/15/2013" This is my first Steve Berry book. Although I appreciated the historical tidbits and did learn some interesting facts about China, this was not a book for me. I found myself losing focus and having to re-read parts. That's always a bad sign for me. "
— Lynn, 7/12/2013" Sixth in the series starring Cotton Malone. He travels to Belgium and then China in this one. It is the first one after his friend dies and the relationship with Casseopia develops.Not as thrilling as previous ones. "
— Carmen, 1/27/2013" I enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed most of Steve Berry's books. This book being set in China really made the book more interesting to me. Most thrillers do not usually incorporate this area or the tradition of this area. Steve Berry did a great job. "
— Michele, 11/22/2012" Berry is masterful at mixing fact with fiction. Great plot with plenty of twist. "
— Pat, 11/15/2012" Can't wait for the next part! Love the exicitment of the series. "
— Smaranda, 9/23/2012" Another great book from Berry. Can't wait to start the next one. "
— Suzanne, 8/28/2012" Berry is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. With The Emperors Tomb, not only are you getting a great adventure story, you get a meticulously researched look at the fascinating history and culture of China and a thoughtful discourse on politics, government and morality. "
— Barbara, 1/17/2012" A lot better than his last book. I also am intrigued by the abiotic oil theory. "
— Sarah, 12/1/2011" Boring. Audio version, narration by Scott Brick, was terrible. Couldn't pretend to care. Don't waste your time or your $9.95 if you get it on the Audible sale. "
— terpkristin, 11/25/2011" Not my favorite Cotton book but interesting information about China made it worth reading. "
— Sara, 10/28/2011" I learned some interesting things about Chinese culture and ideology. "
— Amanda, 8/6/2011" Decent start, the lost interest quickly. not a good read for me. "
— Dirk, 5/23/2011" Steve berry goes to China with his sometimes bookseller, sometimes agent Cotton Malone to discover why the tomb of the Emperor is involver in espionage and mystery. "
— Anne, 5/16/2011" Longer read than I like but decent story "
— Jim, 5/4/2011" Not sure yet what to think <br/> "
— Kathleele, 5/1/2011" Not that great. Gotta be into Chinese history. "
— Michael, 4/24/2011" Cracking! Twists and no idea where the plot is going! Another glimpse of history and legend great! "
— Jenny, 4/23/2011" Well, this was a fun read but very like Indiana Jones. This is the only one of the Cotton Malone series I have read. If you like adventure fiction it is ok. "
— Janice, 4/22/2011" An adventurous book about a find in China's first emperor's tomb, and what the politicians are about to do, or could do in today's world. Should be interesting for you Rik. I had never heard about this kind of oil. <br/>So , an interesting and fun read for a lazy weekend "
— Corry, 4/21/2011" Another great book from Berry. Can't wait to start the next one. "
— Suzanne, 4/16/2011" I really enjoyed reading about the history of China and about how prolific they were as well as being so far advance with there technology. Though I like the Cotton Malone character, I wasn't that impressed with the story itself... "
— Kevin, 4/14/2011Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen Cotton Malone and four stand-alone novels, among other books and works of short fiction. He has twenty-five million books in print, translated into forty languages. He is an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and a founding member of International Thriller Writers. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation.
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.