The Rule of Four - Softcover
mystery novel
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Inside Flap:
An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in THE RULE OF FOUR -- a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery.
It's Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili--a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. For Tom, their research has been a link to his family's past -- and an obstacle to the woman he loves. For Paul, it has become an obsession, the very reason for living. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled -- until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia 's secrets.
Suddenly the stakes are raised, and as the two friends sift through the codes and riddles at the heart of the text, they are beginnning to see the manuscript in a new light--not simply as a story of faith, eroticism and pedantry, but as a bizarre, coded mathematical maze. And as they come closer and closer to deciphering the final puzzle of a book that has shattered careers, friendships and families, they know that their own lives are in mortal danger. Because at least one person has been killed for knowing too much. And they know even more.
From the streets of fifteenth-century Rome to the rarified realm of the Ivy League, from a shocking 500 year-old murder scene to the drama of a young man's coming of age, THE RULE OF FOUR takes us on an entertaining, illuminating tour of history--as it builds to a pinnacle of nearly unbearable suspense.
From the Back Cover:
It's Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili--a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. For Tom, their research has been a link to his family's past -- and an obstacle to the woman he loves. For Paul, it has become an obsession, the very reason for living. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled -- until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia 's secrets.
Suddenly the stakes are raised, and as the two friends sift through the codes and riddles at the heart of the text, they are beginnning to see the manuscript in a new light--not simply as a story of faith, eroticism and pedantry, but as a bizarre, coded mathematical maze. And as they come closer and closer to deciphering the final puzzle of a book that has shattered careers, friendships and families, they know that their own lives are in mortal danger. Because at least one person has been killed for knowing too much. And they know even more.
From the streets of fifteenth-century Rome to the rarified realm of the Ivy League, from a shocking 500 year-old murder scene to the drama of a young man's coming of age, THE RULE OF FOUR takes us on an entertaining, illuminating tour of history--as it builds to a pinnacle of nearly unbearable suspense.
"Caldwell and Thomason have created a stunning first novel; a perfect blend of suspense and a sensitive coming of age story. If Scott Fitzgerald, Umberto Eco, and Dan Brown teamed up to write a novel, the result would be THE RULE OF FOUR. An extraordinary and brilliant accomplishment - a must read."
--Nelson DeMille
--Nelson DeMille
"This debut packs all the esoteric information of The Da Vinci Code ... with lovely writing reminiscent of Donna Tartt's The Secret History.... A compulsively readable novel." --People, Critic's Choice/4 stars
"As much a blazingly good yarn as it is an exceptional piece of scholarship ... a smart, swift, multitextured tale that both entertains and informs."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Profoundly erudite ... the ultimate puzzle book."
--The New York Times Book Review
"[An] intriguing intellectual suspense novel."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"If you have a taste for puzzle-solving ... you'll be rewarded."
--San Jose Mercury News
"An impressive debut, a coming-of-age novel in the guise of a thriller, packed with history (real and invented) and intellectual excitement."
--Booklist
"Astonishingly good ... intricate, erudite, and intensely pleasurable." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Riveting, poignant, and intensely intimate, THE RULE OF FOUR is a thinking person's thriller of the highest order." --Bookpage
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRANDOM HOUSE TRADE @
- Publication date2004
- ISBN 10 1844130061
- ISBN 13 9781844130061
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages537
- Rating
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
The Rule of Four
Published by
RANDOM HOUSE TRADE @
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00054089502
Buy Used
US$ 7.07
Convert currency
Stock Image
THE RULE OF FOUR
Published by
Century / Souvenir Press
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. Light wear.; 9.06 X 5.98 X 1.18 inches. Seller Inventory # 133287
Buy Used
US$ 2.14
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule Of Four
Published by
Century 06/05/2004
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 3
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9781844130061
Buy Used
US$ 4.43
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule of Four
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Used; Very Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Seller Inventory # CHL1523803
Buy Used
US$ 2.68
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule Of Four
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Softcover. Condition: Bon. Légères traces d'usure sur la couverture. Salissures sur la tranche. Ammareal reverse jusqu'à 15% du prix net de cet article à des organisations caritatives. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Book Condition: Used, Good. Slight signs of wear on the cover. Stains on the edge. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Seller Inventory # F-011-113
Buy Used
US$ 4.32
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule Of Four
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Softcover. Condition: Très bon. Ammareal reverse jusqu'à 15% du prix net de cet article à des organisations caritatives. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Book Condition: Used, Very good. Ammareal gives back up to 15% of this item's net price to charity organizations. Seller Inventory # F-001-463
Buy Used
US$ 4.32
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule Of Four
Published by
Century 06/05/2004
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 3
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781844130061
Buy Used
US$ 4.43
Convert currency
Stock Image
THE RULE OF FOUR
Published by
Century paperback
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Softcover. 372 pages. Very Good. Seller Inventory # 13173
Buy Used
US$ 1.29
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule of Four
Published by
RANDOM HOUSE TRADE @
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 3
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. Bumped edges Sun damage to edge of pages Next day dispatch. International delivery available. 1000's of satisfied customers! Please contact us with any enquiries. Seller Inventory # mon0000329154
Buy Used
US$ 3.03
Convert currency
Stock Image
The Rule of Four
Published by
RANDOM HOUSE TRADE @
(2004)
ISBN 10: 1844130061
ISBN 13: 9781844130061
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Bueno. EAN: 9781844130061 Tipo: Libros Título: The Rule of Four Autor: Caldwell, Ian & Thomason, Dustin Editorial: Century paperback Formato: Libro de bolsillo. Seller Inventory # Happ-2024-04-12-843cae48
Buy Used
US$ 10.03
Convert currency