The Himalayan Codex by Bill Schutt

The Himalayan Codex by Bill Schutt

In the wake of World War I, military hero, zoologist, and adventurer Captain R. J. MacCready is sent to the frozen mountain valleys of Tibet to find a creature of legend that may hold the secret of humankind's evolutionary future--or the key to its extinction--in this explosive follow-up to Hell's Gate

It is 1946, and the world is beginning to rebuild itself from the ashes of the devastating war. Marked by the perilous discoveries he encountered in the wilds of Brazil, R. J. MacCready has a new assignment on the other side of the globe. He is headed for the Himalayas to examine some recently discovered mammoth bones--a mission that may help him put the jungle's horrors and the loss of his friend and colleague Bob Thorne behind him.

Arriving in Asia with the bright and fearless Yanni Thorne, his friend's widow and now his invaluable assistant, Mac learns the bones are only a cover story. He's actually been sent there to investigate an ancient codex allegedly written by Pliny the Elder, a fascinating text filled with revelatory secrets. The Roman naturalist claimed to have discovered a new race of humans, a divergent species that inspired the myth of the Yeti and is rumored to have the ability to accelerate the process of evolution. If Pliny's assertions are true, this seemingly supernatural ability holds unlimited potential for human progress--and unlimited potential for destruction.

Charged with uncovering more about this miracle species, Mac sets off into the remote mountain valleys of Tibet, known to the locals as the Labyrinth, using the codex as his guide. As he plunges deeper into the unknown, he realizes that the freezing climate and treacherous terrain are only the beginning of the dangers ahead. Working against the clock--American intelligence believes a communist take-over of the region is imminent--Mac must contend with the brutality of the encroaching Chinese army and a mysterious and threatening species of native creatures. The farther ahead he forges on this mission, the more certain it appears that Mac and the associates who join his odyssey may not make it out alive.

Combining plausible science, riveting history, and action-packed twists, The Himalayan Codex is a page-turning thrill ride from two of the top adventure writers working today.

Bill Schutt is a professor of biology at LIU Post and a research associate in residence at the American Museum of Natural History. His first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was selected as a Best Book of 2008 by Library Journal and Amazon and was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island by parents who encouraged his love for turning over stones and peering under logs, Schutt quickly grew a passion for the natural world, with its enormous wonders and its increasing vulnerability. He received his PhD in zoology from Cornell and has published over two dozen peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from terrestrial locomotion in vampire bats to the precarious, arboreal copulatory behavior of a marsupial mouse. His research has been featured in Natural History magazine as well as the New York Times, Newsday, the Economist, and Discover magazine. He is an active member of the North American Society for Bat Research and served on the Board of Directors for eight years. Schutt lives on the East End of Long Island with his wife and son.