Rollins explores power of mind in new thriller

   James Rolllins explores the power of the mind in his latest thriller about SIGMA Force’s efforts to save the world.
    Rollins’ fans will also be happy to find out the fate of Monk Kokkalis, probably the most interesting member of SIGMA’s team of special ops scientists. Kokkalis disappeared in “Judas Strain,” but  turns up minus his memory in “The Last Oracle.”
    The plot of the new thriller centers on a conspiracy by rogue scientists to augment the mental powers autistic savant children to produce a world savior. SIGMA director Painter Crowe tries to hold things together in Washington, D.C., while group leader Gray Pierce heads for India to chase a clue in the form of an ancient coin, given to him by a dying scientist, involving the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle was famed in Greece for  having the power of prophecy. Meanwhile, Kokkalis is rescued by autistic savant children who are trying to stop Russian fanatics from unleashing a radioactive disaster that could kill hundreds of millions. Crowe has his own problems battling traitors in the U.S. intelligence community.
     Rollins’ prose, as usual, is melodramatic as the good guys survive one hair-raising crisis after another. With the action switching quickly among three different locales, it’s easy to get confused. On the positive side, Rollins presents fascinating concepts and gives readers a few history lessons. Readers learn that the Chelyabinsk region in the Ural Mountains of Russia, where the Soviet Union processed plutonium and tritium, is one of the most contaminated areas on the planet. Gypsies, whose ancestors came from the Punjab region of India, also figure into the plot of this fast-paced book.