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Well-known Republican kingmaker Richard Tobias wants to hire Mara Coyne to help locate a missing stolen map. In certain circles, Mara is known for her recovery abilities, though this is a talent none her clients know about nor is it something she is normally hired to do. Tobias is financing an archeological dig in China and has encountered unexpected problems. Amazingly the archeologists discovered a scroll dating to the Ming Dynasty; however, it was stolen the night it is unveiled. If the map is authentic, it indicates that China was the first country to produce an accurate world map. Mara agrees to investigate and begins a journey that will take her from China to Italy to Lisbon to the United States. While she does not normally like having a minder, Ben Colemann, the lead archeologist, accompanies her on the quest. His reputation and years of research are at stake with this stolen artifact. With the secret police and other undefined individuals after her, Mara discovers Tobias has not been completely truthful in his claims. Her inquiries and her experiences indicate that the map is more valuable and more influential than originally believed. Mara and Ben must find a way to locate the map and restore it to its rightful owners before the map turns into a legend or they are permanently eliminated from the search. Interspersed with Mara's present day quest, are two historical stories – one dating from 1421 and one from 1496. The earlier is the story of Ma Zhi, a Chinese cartographer involved in the exploration of the known world. His story relates the map's creation and the changing political scene that occurred in China during this time. The 1496 story concerns Antonio Coehlo, a navigator who accompanies Vasco da Gama to find a sea route to India. Coehlo has a secret that should guarantee this trip to succeed – a secret map. THE MAP THIEF is the second book to feature Mara Coyne. THE CHRYSALIS, released in 2007, tells the story of how Mara went from a lawyer to her current career in her own business. THE MAP THIEF picks the story up and develops the characters and their relationships together. While reading THE CHRYSALIS first would set the stage, it is possible to read and appreciate THE MAP THIEF on its own. For me, this was a gym book. It did not require much thought to complete nor was it necessary to read every word to discover its hidden meaning. I did find the narrative jumping between the three stories distracting, which caused THE MAP THIEF to feel disjointed. With three different protagonists, I had difficulties connecting to any one of the characters. Feeling a connection to a character or at least being interested in what happens to a character is a key element to my reading enjoyment. For readers interested in historical research and theories, this book would be more enjoyable than I found it. In addition, readers who are comfortable with multiple protagonists and points of view will enjoy THE MAP THIEF.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, August 2008
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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