'The Cocom Codex': A Rare Document Sparks Intrigue in the Yucatan

ST. LOUIS, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- What would you do if one day you received
something in the mail that would forever change the course of your life? "The
Cocom Codex" (published by iUniverse) by Nelson Reed details the adventures of
one such archeologist as he and a cast of others in Yucatan struggle to claim
a valuable and rare Maya document as their own.

Out of the blue, Stuart Walker opens his mail to find a photo and letter from
a childhood friend, inviting him to bid on the Cocom Codex. Though Stuart's
tenure as a professor at Washington University is a bit shaky, in part because
of his drinking problem, he drops everything and leaves for Yucatan
immediately, hoping the document will revive his once promising career. Also
vying for the prized artifact are Catherine Pilkington, a fellow archeology
professor who believes her mediocre career has been curtailed by the old-boy
network, and Peter Van Raemdonck, an unscrupulous dealer who specializes in
pre-Colombian Mexican art.

As all three characters arrive in the city in Merida, two things become
immediately obvious: The document is authentic, and there are many who will
stop at nothing to get it. Reeds' characters are fascinating and unerringly
authentic. Along the way, we meet a museum director who wants to steal the
Codex, a revolutionary who wants to use it to buy guns, the document's Maya
owner and a detective who wants to arrest them all. Alliances are made and
broken in violent, often fatal, struggles. In the end almost everyone gets his
or her part of the prize, or else what they thoroughly deserve.

This is Reed's first published work without footnotes, written for the sheer
joy of it, and his knowledge of and passion for the subject matter is obvious.
Readers will become engrossed in the world of the illegal artifact trade as
related by this truly gifted writer.

About the Author

Nelson Reed is an archeologist and historian who has spent years living with
and studying the people of Yucatan. Reed is also the author of "The Caste War
of Yucatan," which is considered a classic, and "Family Papers," which traces
his family line back to Adam and Eve in the 75th generation. He lives in St.
Louis with his wife and books.

iUniverse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors.
For more information, please visit http://www.iuniverse.com.

EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Promotional Services Department
Tel: 1-800-AUTHORS
Fax: 812-355-4078
Email: promotions@iuniverse.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit
http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE iUniverse

Promotional Services Department of iUniverse, +1-800-AUTHORS, Fax:
+1-812-355-4078, promotions@iuniverse.com