andldquo;One of the best novels I have read in a very long time. A thrilling journey of self discovery. . . . Splendidly rewarding.andrdquo;andmdash;Shots Magazine(London)

When Robert is sent what seems to be a simple copper puzzle box, he has no idea his life is about to undergo a violent transformation. That night, an acquaintance kills himself in curious circumstances; the following day, an old friend reveals the existence of an arcane weapon that could endanger the fate of the Western world.

The responsibility for hunting down and destroying this weapon, this Malice Box, lies with Robert. The weapon is primed to explode in seven days, and Robert must undergo a spiritual and physical questandmdash;a series of trials around Manhattanandmdash;in order to track down the keys that will prevent detonation. In a desperate race against the clock, Robert scours the streets of Manhattan under the constant gaze of a sinister figure known as the Watchman. He has only Teri, a beautiful and mysterious psychic, to guide him.

The Malice Boxis a thriller unlike any other. Crack the clues with Robert and join in the quest to close the Malice Box once and for all at www.maliceboxquest.com.

"Owing an obvious debt to Dan Brown's megablockbuster The Da Vinci Code, Langfield's ambitious debut incorporates elements of supernatural mystery, Dante-esque journey and apocalyptic thriller, but the pieces fail to come together into a satisfying whole. With a powerful alchemical weapon primed to detonate in a week's time, Robert Reckliss must unlock seven puzzles and find seven keys hidden around Manhattan before the 'Malice Box' unleashes some unspecified evil on the inhabitants of New York City. Standing in his way is the Brotherhood of Iwnw (pronounced yoonu), otherworldly 'scavengers of the soul' bent on remaking civilization with themselves as overlords. Two-dimensional characters, contrived situations and a mishmash of plot-threads — a potentially world-altering discovery involving a recovered document written by Isaac Newton, secret societies, gateways between worlds, America's war against terrorism, Christian and Islamic mysticism, ley lines — make this one of the weaker contenders in the crowded religious thriller field." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Martin is the global head of training for journalists at Reuters. He headed the New York bureau for seven years, latterly as East Coast Bureau Chief. He has been a foreign correspondant and bureau chief for Reuters in Miami, Mexico and El Salvador, and has reported from Peru, Chile, London, Nicaragua, and Cuba.