Publisher, Harper Audio (June 2009)

At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a U.S. senator's son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. The three murders on three continents bear a horrifying connection: all the victims are marked by a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh.

The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force into a race against time to solve a riddle going back centuries, to a ghastly crime against humanity hidden within a cryptic medieval codex.

Aided by two women from his past,—one his ex-lover, the other his new partner—Gray must piece together the horrifying truth. But the revelations come at a high cost, and to save the future, Gray will have to sacrifice one of the women at his side.

That alone might not be enough, as the true path to salvation is revealed in a dark prophecy of doom. The ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint—an ancient artifact known as the Doomsday Key.

About the Author: James Rollins is the bestselling author of five Sigma Force thrillers (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, The Judas Strain, and The Last Oracle), the novelization of Lucasfilm's blockbuster movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and five individual adventure-thrillers. He’s now working on The Doomsday Key, his twelfth thriller. His first adventure for kids and adults, Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow, will be available May 2009.

Known for building high-octane adventures on a solid science foundation, Rollins juxtaposes the familiar with the exotic and then turbo charges his tales with suspense. Always mindful of history’s legacy, Rollins reveals how secrets, some hidden for centuries, can change the course of human events. His novels explore how advancing technology can affect society—not just the physical threats of unchecked advancements, but also the spiritual and moral challenges. “The true terror of technology is not the cogs and the wheels, but how it will change us,” he says.

Explosive, Page-Turning Adventures

Rollins has brought readers at least one book a year since this first thriller was published in 1999. His novels have been deemed perfect summer reads by reviewers in publications as diverse as People magazine, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly. His books have been translated for readers in 32 countries outside the United States.

The Bestselling Sigma Force Series

A division of DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), Sigma Force is a covert organization of highly skilled Special Forces operatives with expertise in two or more scientific fields. Each novel stands alone, yet all share a cast of recurring characters—and some unexpected appearances by characters from Rollins’s previous thrillers. With Sandstorm, the prequel to the main Sigma Force series, Rollins broke into The New York Times bestseller list. Each consecutive Sigma novel has climbed higher on that list, breaking into the Top Five.

Independent Adventure-Thrillers

When Lucasfilm sought an author to convert the fourth Indiana Jones blockbuster into novel form, Rollins was the logical choice to create the book-length tale of everyone’s favorite globe-trotting, treasure-hunting, wisecracking archaeologist: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Rollins's earlier thrillers include Subterranean, Excavation, Deep Fathom, Amazonia, and Ice Hunt.

Adventures for Kids and Adults

Rollins's first adventure for kids and adults, Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow, is slated to be published in May 2009. Jake and his sister embark on a search that takes them across time and mysterious lands to discover the true fate of their parents, who disappeared three years earlier while on an archaeological dig in Mexico.

Short Fiction

On request from editors, Rollins has developed works of short fiction for anthologies such as Warriors, a cross-genre collection of short fiction selected by Gardiner Dozier, George R.R. Martin, and Daniel Abraham. Rollins's story, “The Pit,” will appear alongside pieces from top-name authors such as Joe Haldeman, Tony Hillerman, and Neil Gaiman.

Also upcoming is a James Rollins chapter in the 7 Days serialized novel in Glen Beck’s Fusion magazine. Each issue features a different bestselling author writing a new chapter of the serial thriller. An earlier piece, “Kowalski’s in Love,” for James Patterson’s anthology Thriller (2006), featured a hard-boiled, indomitable seaman, who reappears years later in the most unexpected place: The Last Oracle.

The Storyteller’s Story

James Rollins decided to become a writer as a boy, immersed in the scientific adventures of Doc Savage, the wonders of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and pulps featuring The Shadow, The Spider, and The Avenger. He honed his storytelling skills early, spinning elaborate tales that often were at heart of pranks played on his brothers and sisters.

Yet although his talent emerged and grew, writing was not Rollins's original profession. Before he would set heroes and villains on harrowing adventures, he embarked on a career in veterinary medicine, graduating from the University of Missouri and establishing a successful veterinary clinic in Sacramento, California. This hands-on knowledge of medicine and science helps shape the research and scientific speculation that set Rollins's books apart.

Rollins's mentoring temperament and coaching skills have made him a sought-after writing instructor and guest lecturer across the country, including the Hawaii Writer’s Conference and Retreat, where he is among the core faculty. In 2005 he helped form International Thriller Writers, Inc., and is the group’s co-president, serving alongside Steve Berry.

When Rollins is not writing, touring, teaching seminars, or making presentations, he can be found spelunking, scuba diving, hiking, and/or traveling. Rollins and his two- and four-legged family members live amid chew toys and paleontological treasures in Northern California.