The Codex, penned by one Douglas Preston, is a story centered around a book containing all the secrets of the rainforest - invaluable medical information to the world at large. That book, the Codex, is owned by Max Broadbent, a famous graverobber and collector. When Max learns that he is dying, he makes preparations to bury himself and all his treasures deep in the Honduran jungle. He leaves instructions to his three sons - the only way to earn their inheritance is to find the buried treasure. Each son seeks the treasure on his own, with the help of others who seek the Codex for their own purposes, but it is Max's insistence that the only way they'll find the treasure is by working together.

Fans of fast-paced mysteries will love this novel, as will fans of Preston's work. The novel is suspenseful and contains a number of unexpected twists and turns as the ensemble cast faces the cruel jungle. Their are human villains, as well as fantastic creatures, working against them through every step of their journey.

What I tend to love most about Preston novels is the background information and the almost constant suspense. I always learn something when reading one of his novels, and at the same time, I'm turning page after page, in anticipation of seeing where the story goes next.

Douglas Preston is perhaps best known for his work with Lincoln Child, mostly for the Pendergast series of books. As many of their fans may note, the two writers are best when working together. When they write separately, however, their attempts at clever suspense fall a little short of the success of their combined efforts.

When I finish a Preston novel, I tend to dream about being an archaeologist. Many of his novels focus on archaeology, art, and a mystery. As I'm intensely interested in those fields, I keep picking up more and more of his novels.

Douglas Preston has written a number of works alone (as well as collaborative efforts with Lincoln Child). As I mentioned, I do feel that his work with Child is a bit more successful, though I do still enjoy his solo novels. I'll pick up both types upon sight, but I enjoy the pair's writings a tad more.

The Codex presents an exciting thrill-ride and an intense mystery. It took me to a place I had never been in any previous reading, and I enjoyed the ensemble-cast feel (rather than focusing on one protagonist).

The Codex is a fun read - a good book for a rainy day at home or a sunny day at the beach.

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Created May 27, 2008 at 8:41am • Submit your own review...