Search - The Last Oracle (Sigma Force, Bk 5)

And it's another page-turner, nail-biting book from James Rollins. This one is based on the Oracles. During ancient times, some of the greatest rulers and philosophers regularly consulted the Oracles, who helped shape the course of history. They were prominent in ancient Greece and later captured by the Romans. Their lineage is kept secretly alive, living among gypsies, until they are discovered by the Germans (Josef Mengele). In the 1950's the oracles are stolen and rounded up by the Russians as part of a secret mission. They are then genetically engineered until they possess individual talents that collectively can make their owners the rulers of the entire world.

In the beginning of this book, we find that Gray Pierce is still struggling with Monk's disappearance. Everyone is convinced that he had drowned at the end of Rollins' previous book, THE JUDAS STRAIN. We find that's not true; however, Monk was captured by the Russians, develops amnesia and becomes an unwilling participant in one of the Russian "mind-controlling" experiments.

In this book, we also see a two-fold plot by two Russians, involved in the genetic engineering operation. Their mission is to release the radiation at Chernobyl, and kill the world leaders who were invited to Russia for a nuclear summit, and also at Lake Karachay, and wipe-out 3/4ths of the earth's population.

The pace in this book never lets up. The suspense leaves you on the edge of your seat. In short, it's a great book!

"The Last Oracle" is the first of Rollins' books that I have read. I definitely would recommend this book, but caution you that the story, and my interest had "ebbs and flows." I would read 50 pages, then there would be 10-12 pages that were a little harder to keep my interest. I think the problem (for me) was the transitions between places and story lines. The story starts in 300 AD Greece, then 1959 Romania, the present day Washington DC, India, Greece, Russia, and maybe another location that I've forgotten about.

Definitely a great summer beach read or for a cold, winter night cuddled up with a cup of tea.

This barely held my interest. It plagerized Da Vinci code quite a bit (hero and the daughter of the murdered expert run around a famous museum at night...), it also had some characters from previous books that were left in situations from the old book, so you sort of needed to have read the old book. The writing is ho-hum.

GOOD READ. THOUGHTPROVOKING.

Excellent suspense with multiple story lines intertwined.

Great book. Enjoyed it front front to finish.