Map of Bones with Free Excerpt from Altar of Eden by James Rollins, from Harper Collins, is a free pre-order in the B&N store, to be released September 1st, 2010.
Looks like it's another one of those Da Vinci Code-esque religious/archaeological conspiracy-theory thrillers. It's #2 in the Sigma Force series; Altar of Eden seems to be a standalone.
Synopsis
During a crowded service at a cathedral in Germany, armed intruders in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and destruction. But the killers have not come for gold; they seek a more valuable prize: the bones of the Magi who once paid homage to a newborn savior . . . a treasure that could reshape the world.
With the Vatican in turmoil, SIGMA Force leaps into action. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri, they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.