THE RULE OF FOUR by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

Read the first chapter, author bio, and links to buy online

Play an all-new THE RULE OF FOUR webquest 2.0!

Now you can jump right into the world of this suspense-filled novel by playing a new THE RULE OF FOUR webquest. Click here to play.

"One part THE DA VINCI CODE, one part THE NAME OF THE ROSE and one part A SEPARATE PEACE...as much a blazingly good yarn as it is an exceptional piece of scholarship...a smart, swift, multi-textured tale that both entertains and informs." —San Francisco Chronicle

"An extremely erudite thriller...ingenious...the real treat here is the process of discovery." —New York Times

Finally in paperback—"The ultimate puzzle book"! (The New York Times Book Review)

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 beginning 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.

Win a free copy of this summer's must-have paperback thriller, THE RULE OF FOUR!

» Enter your e-mail address below for a chance to win a free paperback copy of THE RULE OF FOUR.

» Twenty winners will be randomly chosen from all entries.

» Open to U.S. and Canada residents only (excluding Puerto Rico and Quebec). Must be 18 or older.

» Entries must be received by July 25, 2005.

Please note: This will be used to notify drawing winners only. We will not send you unsolicited email. Click here for drawing rules.

Mystery Net: The Online Mystery Network.



» About THE RULE OF FOUR » About Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason » First Chapter » Buy THE RULE OF FOUR » Discuss THE RULE OF FOUR More Bantam Dell Mysteries	THE RULE OF FOUR by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason Read the first chapter, author bio, and links to buy online Fiction \| Dell \| Paperback \| June 2005 \| $7.99 \| 0-440-24135-9 Play an all-new THE RULE OF FOUR webquest 2.0! Now you can jump right into the world of this suspense-filled novel by playing a new THE RULE OF FOUR webquest. Click here to play. "One part THE DA VINCI CODE, one part THE NAME OF THE ROSE and one part A SEPARATE PEACE...as much a blazingly good yarn as it is an exceptional piece of scholarship...a smart, swift, multi-textured tale that both entertains and informs." —San Francisco Chronicle "An extremely erudite thriller...ingenious...the real treat here is the process of discovery." —New York Times Finally in paperback—"The ultimate puzzle book"! (The New York Times Book Review) 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 beginning 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. Win a free copy of this summer's must-have paperback thriller, THE RULE OF FOUR! » Enter your e-mail address below for a chance to win a free paperback copy of THE RULE OF FOUR. » Twenty winners will be randomly chosen from all entries. » Open to U.S. and Canada residents only (excluding Puerto Rico and Quebec). Must be 18 or older. » Entries must be received by July 25, 2005. Please note: This will be used to notify drawing winners only. We will not send you unsolicited email. Click here for drawing rules. Email address: I'd like to receive the first chapter of THE RULE OF FOUR by email. Mystery Net: The Online Mystery Network. Copyright © 2005 Newfront Productions, Inc. and Bantam Dell All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.