A Bonus!

Katherine Neville's The Eight has been on my TBR list for quite some time now. For those of you who aren't familiar with the title here's the synopsis from Neville's website:

New York City, 1972—A dabbler in mathematics and chess, Catherine Velis is also a computer expert for a Big Eight accounting firm. Before heading off to a new assignment in Algeria, Cat has her palm read by a fortune-teller. The woman warns Cat of danger. Then an antiques dealer approaches Cat with a mysterious offer: He has an anonymous client who is trying to collect the pieces of an ancient chess service, purported to be in Algeria. If Cat can bring the pieces back, there will be a generous reward.

The South of France, 1790—Mireille de Remy and her cousin Valentine are young novices at the fortresslike Montglane Abbey. With France aflame in revolution, the two girls burn to rebel against constricted convent life—and their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are pieces of the Montglane Chess Service, once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever reassembles the pieces can play a game of unlimited power. But to keep the Game a secret from those who would abuse it, the two young women must scatter the pieces throughout the world. . . .

The Eight was originally published in 1988. In October, Random House will be releasing Neville's long awaited sequel, The Fire, and to get readers ready they have made The Eight available for download online (for free) until 8/18.

The crazy popularity of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code proves that readers really love thrillers that involve history and puzzles and The Eight is one of the first. This is a great opportunity for anyone who hasn't read The Eight to finally do so. I've bumped my copy up to the top of my list and will keep you guys posted. I hope you all take advantage of the freebie, even if it's just to read enough to decide if you want to run out and buy the physical one! Remember the download is only available until 8/18 so hit the link above and visit Katherine Neville's page for your chance to read The Eight for free.