Product Description
From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a novel of boundless imagination and meticulous research, a
book that dares to answer a frightening question at the heart of America: Could the founding of the United States be
based on a fundamental lie? The shocking truth lies hidden within the ruins of an impossibility, a lost colony of the
Americas vanished in time and cursed into oblivion. A place known only as The Devil Colony.
Deep in the Rocky ains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies—stirs international attention and
fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays cl
to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an
unhomable script.
During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of
television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage
firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help—her uncle, Painter
Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.
To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence
agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky ains have set in motion a frightening chain
reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.
From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort
Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the
shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen
colonies.
But can Painter discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?
A Q&A with Author James Rollins
Q: There are some pretty fantastic settings in The Devil Colony, all pretty much right here in the good ol’ US of A.
Was it nice to be able to set a book mainly in America? Were you able to visit the stunning locations in the book, such
as the Arizona desert and the Rocky ains?
Rollins: I had great fun researching this novel set in my own backyard (so to speak). For the past decade, I’ve been
fielding questions from readers about setting a Sigma novel within the United States. But I knew it had to be the
perfect story, a novel thrilling enough to justify coming home. I’ve been searching for that story for about five years,
and when I finally discovered it, the book still took me a full two years to write. It’s one of the biggest and most
shocking of my novels. It took me trekking across the country and back, from Washington, D.C. and Fort Knox out east, to
Salt Lake City and Yellowstone National Park out west. I interviewed Mormon scholars, read scientific and historical
abstract, and studied ancient petroglyphs. It is a story never told—but one that needs to be finally revealed after two
hundred years of secrets.
Q: Thomas Jefferson—while he never appears in this story—plays a significant role. Why Thomas Jefferson? What intrigues
you about him?
Rollins: Everyone knows Thomas Jefferson as the architect of the Declaration of Independence. Volumes have been
written about the man over the past two centuries, but of all the founding hers of America, he remains to this day
wrapped in mystery and contradictions. He was both politician and scientist.
For instance, it was only in 2007 that a coded letter, buried in his papers, was finally cracked and deciphered. It was
sent to Jefferson in 1801 by a colleague who shared a passion for secret codes. Jefferson was fascinated to the point of
fixation on Native American culture and history. At his home in Monticello, he put together a collection of tribal
artifacts that was said to rival museums of the day (a collection that mysteriously disappeared after his death). Many
of these Indian relics were sent to him by Lewis and Clark during their famed expedition across America. But what many
don’t know is that Jefferson sent a secret message to Congress in 1803 concerning Lewis and Clark’s expedition. It
revealed the true hidden purpose behind the journey across the West. In The Devil Colony, you’ll learn that
purpose—and so much more about the founding of America. And it has nothing to do with freemasons, Knights Templar, or
crackpot theories. The truth is as illuminating as it is disturbing.
Q: Your books often include high-concept scientific theory. While not wanting to spill any secrets about the plot of
The Devil Colony, what are some of the breaking-news scientific concepts laced through the pages of this book?
Rollins: The science in this novel addresses the next big leap in scientific research and industry. It can be
summarized in one word: Nanotechnology. In a nutshell, it means manufacturing at the atomic level, at a level of one
billionth of a meter. The nanotech industry is exploding. It is estimated that this year alone $70 billion worth of
nanotech products will be sold in the U.S. alone: toothpaste, sunscreen, cake icing, teething rings, running socks,
cosmetics, and medicines.
What’s the downside of such a growth industry? These nanoparticles can cause illness, even death. It’s a new and wild
frontier. There is presently no requirement for the labeling of nano-goods, no required safety studies of products
containing nanoparticles. But there’s an even darker side to this industry. This technology has a history that goes back
further than the twentieth century—much further. The Devil Colony explores those dark roots of this “new” science.
Q: As a reader, it’s a huge treat to re-connect with the Sigma Force team, all of whom are such beloved characters. As
an author, is it a similar experience for you to write about them? Do you feel like you’re visiting with dear friends?
Rollins: Definitely. I’ve been living and breathing these characters for going on a decade. We’ve seen them grow, have
children, face the challenge of balancing work with family, and deal with losses. While the Sigma team is chocked full
of talented and dedicated people, they are still people with real-life challenges alongside the world-spanning
adventures. In this book especially, those two worlds collide in a harrowing manner for one of my characters. To me,
that’s what makes these characters feel so alive in my heart. They are not a static team who run into adventure after
adventure. Instead, they change, they mature, they get life-altering injuries—and yes, they also die. It’s that
fragility, that mortality, that breathes life into a character.
