Despite being expressively forbidden by Charlie Reed's grandfather to enter a secret cave, in typical fashion, two young men looking for a bit of adventure decide to explore the cave that they knew was sacred to Charlie's tribe. Dismissing his tales of a curse as a childhood means of scaring them and from him having too much to drink, the longtime childhood friends enter the secret cave in the High Uintas Wilderness. Totally shocked by what happens, only one boy survives to tell the tale, not realizing the extent of the danger they caused.

As anthropologists and military begin to work the site, Kai, a young willowy Native American activist, is assigned to wreak havoc there. As circumstances unexpectedly change rapidly, she attempts to escape from one pressing danger only to be caught in a more deadly challenge. Finally gaining a bit of shelter, Kai calls the only person who she thinks can help her, her uncle Painter Crowe. While only distantly related, she knows their blood and communities ties are strong. What Kai didn't know is that her uncle is part of Sigma Force, an elite team of handpicked Special Forces soldiers who were part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and whose off the charts IQ scores were matched by their in-depth knowledge of scientific disciplines with special assignments to handle global threats.

For his part, Painter had already been collecting data on what had happened at the cave deep in the Ute Indian Reservation in southeastern Utah. Dashing from Washington, D.C., Painter hoped to get to his niece and get her to safety, yet gets blocked by a ruthless enemy who always seem too many steps ahead of them. Will he be able to keep his promise to save her? Who is this malevolent and merciless enemy fighting them on every front?

New York Times bestselling author James Rollins is well known to his legions of fans for his amazing ability to combine factual, historical, and scientific knowledge and imaginatively blend it into an intriguing elixir of suspense and action packed gripping adventure and THE DEVIL COLONY is no exception. Who else would dream of taking Native American lore, Mormon texts, caves filled with mummified bodies, and gold-plated maps, then swirl in an awe inspiring mix of American notables, such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence and the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and cap it off a final explosive twist? While my personal taste might lean to a little less body count and a bit more character depth at times, Rollins totally delivers on taking these improbable elements and smoothly orchestrating them into an amazing tale with a spellbinding plot and totally frightening situations to thwart the Sigma Force team! A great read for both new and existing fans! If you are in the mood for gripping action -- read on!!

Book Summary

Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies—stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.

During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help—her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.

To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.

From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.

But can Painter discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?