The Doomsday Key: A Sigma Force Novel

In this electrifying adventure from James Rollins, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sigma Force series, Commander Gray Pierce returns to solve a centuries-old secret, one coded in prophecies of doom.

At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peters Basilica. In Africa, a US Senator’s son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. 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. The first piece of the puzzle is discovered inside a mummified corpse buried in an English peat bog-a gruesome secret that threatens America and the world.

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, Pierce 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.

Sigma Force confronts humankind’s greatest threat in an adventure that races from the Roman Coliseum to the icy peaks of Norway, from the ruins of medieval abbeys to the lost tombs of Celtic kings. The ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint–an ancient artifact known as the Doomsday Key.

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.

Three murder victims on three continents, linked by a pagan Druidic cross burned into their flesh.

Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force have only days to solve an apocalyptic puzzle dating back centuries. Aided by two women from his past—one his ex-lover, the other his new partner—Gray must uncover a horrifying secret that threatens America and the world, even if it means sacrificing the life of one of the women at his side. The race is on—from the Roman Coliseum to the icy peaks of Norway to the lost tombs of Celtic kings—and the future hangs in the balance. For humankind's ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint—an ancient artifact known as . . . The Doomsday Key

“Rollins combines real-world science with high-octane action to create rousing stories of adventure that are as exciting as any movie.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“This guy doesn’t write novels—he builds roller coasters....Rollins excels at combining action and history with larger-than-life characters....A must for pure action fans.” - Booklist

“Rollins’s prose explodes off the page in a twisty and compelling thriller....Swashbuckling adventure, elite team effort, and religious symbology all add up to another gripping and terrifying read....An amazing and brilliant technothriller that might be his best to date. - Library Journal (starred review)

“There’s no time to catch your breath. . . . Relentless action in spectacular places.” - Kirkus Reviews on The Judas Strain