The Map Thief

Was Columbus Late?

The Map Thief by Heather Terrell is an intellectual historical suspense novel involving a stolen map that is unearthed on a Chinese Archaeological dig. The story's lead character Mara Coyne, is a professional lawyer and sideline investigator. Her job is to return stolen art and antiquities to their rightful owners, the top art collectors of the world.

Ever since the Da Vinci Code phenomenon, novel after novel have been pumped out with an incredible amount of art and religious history mysteries. I find this theme enjoyable, but lately felt this topic was waning. But just as I was about to taper off myself on this genre, I found The Map Thief. The title stopped me short as I was browsing my favorite mystery bookstore. show more The art of cartography has always held my interest so I had to buy it on that subject alone.

The story begins with a 15th century Chinese map of the world being unearthed on a dig, and is suspiciously and im mediatel y stolen. Mara, operating out of her home-base office in New York, is contacted by a wealthy collector who wishes to hire her to locate the map and return it. Mara learns that the stolen map is quite an enigma; it is a world map, depicting the entire world long before a time when Europeans were thought to be aware of it. No previously known documentation had ever mentioned that a map of this ilk ever existed from this time period.

Three lives entwined, at different points in time, tell this fascinating story. Mara's part in present day New York and with her travels to China, investigate the crime to determine who could have stolen the map and why. The second aspect of the tale, and the section I found to be the most interesting, is told through the eyes of the man who created this map, a monastic eunuch going by the name of Zhi. Zhi's story of how his family sold him to the monastery only to soon lose his manhood, a sacrifice to benefit their wealth, is a sorrowful tale that is enlightened when he is chosen to accompany a large fleet of ships as the court mapmaker to chronicle the travels and exploration in cartographic form. Lastly, the third interjected segment is told through the eyes of Antonio Coelho, another talented navigator also on a major maritime journey of discovery who accompanies the renowned explorer Vasco da Gama of Lisbon. Da Gama is enlisted to map the foreign seas around Africa as the church invites him as a Knight of the Cross, on a mission to Christianize the heathens of the Dark Continent.

Alternating chapters of this book soon become intriguing and intellectually stimulating. The reader learns about the art and antiquities world, ancient China, the art of mapmaking, and of early explorers from China and Portugal that jockey for position to be the first to find new land beyond the west of their known world; what we know today to be the Americas.

The trio of oscillating stories sail smoothly across a sea of puzzling questions that navigate through uncharted waters to debate just who first found The New World. The author successfully creates a light mystery, while at the same time offering the reader an education and tutored lesson in history, archaeology, and cartography during the Age of Discovery. I truly enjoyed this second Terrell novel and would certainly pick up another. My only small gripe with the book is that I found at times the author's use of language a bit stilted, with a flow that could have been just a tiny bit smoother. A minor flaw that would not deter a reader from a wonderful entertaining read. show less

This is an extremely well written novel by Heather Terrell, a practicing attorney, which is suspenseful, mysterious, and historically accurate. Heather uses a ploy which is artfully arranged into sequences, the chapters, so that they traverse the centuries from 1420, 1498, and 2008. Constantly moving forward in the quest to find a stolen Chinese map Mara Coyne, the heroine, travels the globe as you sit beside her while she unravels the mystery of the world chart. While Mara does this, others many years in the past, journey a route designing the diagram she pursues.

She has been hired to retrieve this ancient priceless artifact recently discovered and then stolen. Her sponsor is a financier who she knew from her past. Mara Coyne owns a show more company which retrieves ancient documents and returns them to their rightful owners. With a demonstrated ability to be successful in this endeavor, she has staff members among who is an ex-FBI agent. He provides vital information by cell phone which enables her to be one step ahead of her adversaries.

Accurate in the smallest detail, the names of historical figures and their positions in history are woven into this astonishing account of Muslim and Christian history as they were in the Ming Dynasty and beyond. Terrell’s research into The Knights Templar and The Order of Christ was extensive. Even the descriptions of the buildings in Tomar, Portugal where these orders were housed and where Mara Coyne explored, were so real, you felt as though you were traipsing up and down the stairways with her.

As history unfolds from the ancient past, the tale weaves itself to the present. Each time you go back to the two separate periods of time of 1420 and 1498, the transition to the present is clearly woven into the fabric of today so the perils facing Mara and her companion Ben are understood.

One of the main things that I liked about this book was the clever use of descriptive language. Where Terrell could have said ‘they drove onto a new highway’ she chose to say, “They shifted onto a new highway …” conveying a shift vehicle was being driven by Mara. Other nuances abound throughout the book and are very entertaining.

Deception, intrigue, and treachery at every turn keep the main characters high stepping throughout this adventure. Even the historical references are fraught with these same elements tying together past and present. A surprise ending which catches everyone off guard, including our heroine, is the culmination in this fine book. This is a must read and one that will keep you thoroughly entertained, as you watch the Olympics and want to learn more about China. show less

Were the Chinese the first to circumnavigate the globe? Did the emperor send ships under the famous Admiral Zheng to explore, map and bring riches back to him? This is the fictional tale of a young mapmaker and his long journey... a tale worthy of Marco Polo. It's also a history of China in the 1420's, the Forbidden City, the world of palace intrigue, and a young man's gift to his family of his manhood and happiness so he may enter the gates of the Forbidden City, learn mapmaking and navigational skills. As a eunuch his status, salary, etc. elevate his family although he has lost the woman he loved.

While this story alone would make the book -- there is much more. In the present day a young woman owns a rather unique company that show more negotiates and retrieves stolen artifacts, art, etc. A request to find a Chinese map from the 1400's stolen from an archaeological dig is rather unusual since the person who is paying her has not told her the full truth about the very unique map. Seems everyone wants it too so now we have a little suspense and danger.

And that is why there is a third story taking place in the book that traces the story of the Portugese explorer most school age children can name with ease because he was the one who first circumnavigated the globe --- Vasco deGama. In the late 1400's he made this trip under Portugal's banner but this books speculates that he had a secret - the Chinese map that made his trip possible. Perhaps our teachers were wrong? show less

Historical evidence reveals that the earliest European world maps show lands and oceans which had not yet been discovered by the Europeans for decades. Many historians have conjectured that it was really the Chinese explorers who first circumnavigated the world, but maps of those voyages were destroyed during the mid-1400s when Emperor Hongxi closed China’s doors to the outside world. Could some maps have escaped the bonfires and made their way into European explorers’ hands? It is this question which fuels Heather Terrell’s fascinating second novel: The Map Thief.

The Map Thief is really three interconnected stories which revolve around world exploration, political intrigue, and the art of navigation and mapmaking.

In the early show more 1400s, a mapmaker and eunuch by the name of Ma Zhi is chosen to accompany the famous Admiral Zheng He from China across the Yellow Sea and Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa. Their journey is to continue on from there to discover new territory…and map it. Zhi is a sympathetic and courageous character who has given up his manhood to bring honor and wealth to his family. His mapmaking is nontraditional and beautiful, and his private life is revealed through his art.

In the late 1400s, Antonio Coehlo is a rough-around-the-edges mapmaker from Portugal who finds himself aboard a vessel with the explorer Vasco da Gama in a quest to locate the sea route to India. But there is a secret he must keep - da Gama already knows the way because of an ancient Chinese map in his possession.

Mara Coyne lives in present day New York - the head of a company which negotiates the return of stolen artwork. She is contacted by a powerful man who is funding an archaeological dig along the Silk Road in China. A map has been unearthed and is now missing. Mara must travel to China to investigate - and what she finds will uncover a mystery long kept secret.

Heather Terrell has done her homework for this richly historical suspense-thriller which weaves together Chinese and Portuguese culture, while exploring the fascinating world of stolen artifacts. The three separate stories come together seamlessly. The Map Thief is suspenseful, but even more so an historical lesson about the early explorers as well as art.

If there is a flaw in the book, it is Terrell’s development of Mara’s character and relationship with Ben, the archeologist in charge of the dig. Their interactions feel contrived at times, and the chemistry they supposedly were building lacked conviction. Despite this, the book exhibits fine pacing, engrossing detail, and tantalizing setting.

Heather Terrell’s debut novel - The Chrysalis - introduces Mara Coyne’s character and should probably be read first. But, The Map Thief can also stand on its own. I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented writer.

Recommended. show less

Beijing, China, 1421: It is a momentous time for the Ming Dynasty. Honoring the completion of the Forbidden City, a fleet of unprecedented size sets sail under Admiral Zheng He. Zheng’s mission is to chart the globe, trading for riches and bringing glory to China’s emperor. Among the crew is the talented cartographer and navigator Ma Zhi, whose work will lead to the first true map of the world–but whose accomplishment will vanish when the fleet returns to a very different China than the one it left.

Lisbon, Portugal, 1496: At the height of Portugal’s maritime domination during the Age of Discovery, the legendary explorer Vasco da Gama embarks on a quest to find a sea route to India. On board is navigator Antonio Coehlo, who show more guards Portugal’s most secret treasure: a map that already shows the way.

New York, present day: Mara Coyne’s new client has left her uneasy. Republican kingmaker Richard Tobias has hired her, he says, because of her skill in recovering stolen art and advocating for the rightful owners, but Mara senses that he is not telling her everything. Tobias reveals that a centuries-old map was stolen from an archaeological dig he is sponsoring in China, and he wants her to get it back. But as Mara begins her investigation, she uncovers the shocking truth: The map is more valuable than anyone has ever imagined, and her client’s motives are more sinister than she suspected.

I read The Chrysalis, Heather Terrell's debut, last year and really enjoyed it. I was thrilled to see another book featuring Mara Coyne, and wasn't disappointed with this globe trotting treasure hunt. The book shifts between China in 1421, Portugal in 1496, and the present. The historical parts of the story are a wonderful backdrop for the fast paced action taking place in the present.

Terrell does a wonderful job of changing her tone and wording with each of the historical sections and the present. This change in tone really gives you an immediate sense of which story line you are following at that moment. I didn't feel as much of a connection with the story set in Portugal, but that may have been just because I wasn't as familiar with that period in history. The story set in China was fascinating though. For me, a good historical novel should make you want to learn more about the time period it is set in, and The Map Thief didn't disappoint.

Mara Coyne is a smart heroine who is willing to take risks when necessary, but also maintains her integrity while dealing with some unscrupulous characters. I hope to be able to follow Mara Coyne on more of her treasure hunts, and will be on the lookout for Heather Terrell's next book. I would highly recommend this book to those readers who enjoyed Da Vinci Code. 4 stars show less

A very good tale of mystery and historic "how'd that happen" with a very good main character. I thoroughly enjoy Mara and liked Ben, although he could have played a more significant role. The interwoven history and fiction is a favorite of mine and mapping holds a special place in my interest - all making this a very enjoyable read.

A book in the style of The Da Vinci Code about a world map from China that predates all European maps from the fifteenth century. This map is found at a dig in Xi’an and promptly stolen.
The story alternates between China in the early fifteenth century, Portugal in the late fifteenth century and now. Te writer tries to write an exciting adventure but for me the story was too short, too hasty and not well developed. The writer also seemed very keen to have the characters recite dry facts to give the story some context, but it felt very out of place.
My conclusion is that the premise of the story was nice, but the writing let it down for me.