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Beautiful Sacrifice

by Elizabeth Lowell (Goodreads Author)

3.15 of 5 stars 3.15 · rating details · 774 ratings · 169 reviews

According to Maya legend, December 21, 2012, will mark the end of the world as we know it. Is it myth . . . or will their prediction become reality?

Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Maya artifacts, splitting her time between digs in South America and the classroom teaching college students. But the professor's structured, academic life is a...more

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published May 22nd 2012 by William Morrow

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Aztec, Maya -- (mostly) Romances/Erotica

27th out of 38 books — 4 voters

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Jan 30, 2013 Darlene rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Was not sure if I would really care for this book or not. But as I began to read it - I really got into the book- the history-the setting- and the characters.
The setting takes you Mexico- at the time of December 21st, 2012 yes that's right the end of the Maya calendar folks. So, now we know the history should be about the Mayan's. And well as for the character there are many. Mainly a complete family- Lina's family it seems has two different dig sites .
They are into archaeology and she has d...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Grace rated it 1 of 5 stars

Picked this one up over the weekend when I forgot the book I originally planned on reading. I've read a few books by Lowell before and while they are not the pinacle of literature, they aren't half bad. In addition to my previous experiences with the author, I also have a degree in archaeology and have taken a few classes on South American history, including the Maya. Due to all of this, I was fairly excited to read Beautiful Sacrifice. How little I knew...

BS is awful. Just plain awful. I though...more Picked this one up over the weekend when I forgot the book I originally planned on reading. I've read a few books by Lowell before and while they are not the pinacle of literature, they aren't half bad. In addition to my previous experiences with the author, I also have a degree in archaeology and have taken a few classes on South American history, including the Maya. Due to all of this, I was fairly excited to read Beautiful Sacrifice. How little I knew...

BS is awful. Just plain awful. I thought that if at least the romance part was disappointing, I could rely on the archaeology/historical information part to keep me interested. Turns out both parts were equally disappointing. The mystery is very thinly veiled and, as several other reviewers have mentioned, easily solved. The romance is down right rediculous. The back story on how the two main characters met is poorly explained. Other than 'she is pretty, smart and smells good/he is handsome, has eyes and makes sexual innuendos constantly' there is no attempt to explain why these two characters are attracted to each other. The sexual innuendos are terribly, repeative and make you roll your eyes by the third one. The same holds true for the inner monolog conducted by the main characters. Also, totally a nitpicky point, but I HATE the stupid, generic names authors choose for their characters. Taylor? Really? For a woman who grew up in South America and is suppose to be Maya. And I am so tired of every male cop/CIA/FBI/spy/former ICE agent being named Hunter.

Well the romance side of things was a bust and the archaeological/historical side of things was just as bad, if not worse. It is hard to write believeable interactions between fictional characters. It is easy to Google the basic information needed for your story. However it seems Lowell is incapable of this. Most of her information is fictional, made up by Lowell herself. The rest of her information about the Maya, South America and Houston is patently false. She misatributes Maya cultural characteristics, mixes up geographical information and presents a Houston, Texas that I'm sure even residents of the city wouldn't recognize. Overall Lowell turns what would have been an interesting story into something boring, overwhelming and just generally disappointing.

Hopefully her next effort isn't as bad because I'm not sure she can do any worse.
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Jun 28, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Beautiful Sacrifice was listed and described on an email from one of my libraries promoting it as a new book. Obviously something about the description prompted me to reserve it. That being said, may I add that I suffer from chronic must - finish - all books - itis.

The two main characters are Lina (Rosalina) and Hunter. The story line is she is an archaeologist who has somehow been disgraced and so has a teaching job and Hunter is former ICE and now works in private cross - border security. The...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Lina Taylor is an archaeologist at Houston's Museum of the Maya. She is a descendant of the Maya and of their Spanish conquerors. Her father is an eccentric archaeologist. Her mother sells antiquities. They hate each other and Lina is pulled between them but has come to accept each of them for themselves and build her life away from them both.

When some very rare Maya artifacts go missing, Hunter Johnston goes on the hunt for them to help out a friend who might lose his career because of the...more

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May 30, 2012 Bukcrz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Lowell is one of those authors that, to me, can capture my interest right at the first page of her books. Her books would grab me in and won't let go so they are usually my `all-nighter' books. The fact that it took me more than a week to finish this book since its release says a lot at how hard I had to force myself to finish reading, to make sure my guess at who the bad guy was is right at the first chapters of the book. THAT'S how predictable the story was.
Don't get me wrong, the ch...more Elizabeth Lowell is one of those authors that, to me, can capture my interest right at the first page of her books. Her books would grab me in and won't let go so they are usually my `all-nighter' books. The fact that it took me more than a week to finish this book since its release says a lot at how hard I had to force myself to finish reading, to make sure my guess at who the bad guy was is right at the first chapters of the book. THAT'S how predictable the story was.
Don't get me wrong, the characters were not bad as individuals especially the main characters. The heroine is a true modern woman with her own job that she both enjoyed and love. She does not take crap from anyone but also has first class manners to boot. That goes without saying that she is beautiful and rich as well.
The hero is your modern day warrior who can survive both in the concrete jungle of cities and of the wild. He has high connections in the government and private and even in the not so legal side of the law. A typical alpha male who is both a gentleman to his lady and a formidable warrior to his enemies.
They sound great, right? And honestly they main characters I would pay to read. Unfortunately, the whole story is 95% dedicated to Mayan facts, legends, history, and cults that the romance between the main characters did not have a chance to be explored. They get to know each other by how much they know about Mayan facts, their conversation is 98% Mayan tidbits, and hunt more Mayan artifacts and artifacts on their `dates' and talks to dealers both shadowy and not. It's not that I did not want to be educated about Mayans but if I want that I will pick up text book, not a romance book. I do not even mind having histories integrated on a story I am reading as long as it does not overshadow the romance factor (like the intricacies of banking and gun-running in Innocent As Sin, or the cutthroat world of art collectors in Blue Smoke and Murder and a lot of her other books). In this book though the Mayan info did cast a dark and long shadow over the magic between the main characters.
It does not help that the story or plot is a predictable one, which I wouldn't mind as long as I can read some new twists but no, it's just more and more Mayan facts. The main character's inner musing/monologue about how much they are attracted to the other started to get me into the romance part, unfortunately they became old as they are repeated again and again throughout the book.
In the end the book tells about a brilliant Mayan archeologist who is blackmail by her handsome student for her knowledge. Her life gets in danger and the handsome warrior will save her from her evil family. Along the way they talk and breathe Mayans, artifacts, cults, and more Mayans.
I don't know why this book did not do it for me because I would have thought with an academically strong heroine and a strong hero who is not intimidated with her knowledge I would enjoy this book but somehow it really lacked the magic of romance for me.
Sigh, I just wish for more of Ms. Lowell's St. Kilda series. At least they never disappointed me.
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May 28, 2012 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

I cannot believe this was written by an established author. Certainly, I have never considered Elizabeth Lowell to be a great novelist, but have enjoyed her books to the point that I thought this would be a good purchase. Truly, only my own stubbornness made me finish rather than simply trash the thing and consider my purchase price a donation.
The involvement of the two main characters made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Hunter shows up with some sort of past personal demon to help his friend...more

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May 24, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-literature, contemporary-fiction, romance-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

Well here it is, 2012 and once more there is talk of the Mayans and the prophetic December 21, 2012 date looming in the very near future. This is the under lying theme for the latest book by Elizabeth Lowell, Beautiful Sacrifice.

This one is an action-packed version of Romancing the Stone meets Indiana Jones with a whole lot more sexuality going on between the two main characters Dr. Lina Taylor and Hunter Johnston. There on and off again steamy relationship became when Hunter was called in to au...more Well here it is, 2012 and once more there is talk of the Mayans and the prophetic December 21, 2012 date looming in the very near future. This is the under lying theme for the latest book by Elizabeth Lowell, Beautiful Sacrifice.

This one is an action-packed version of Romancing the Stone meets Indiana Jones with a whole lot more sexuality going on between the two main characters Dr. Lina Taylor and Hunter Johnston. There on and off again steamy relationship became when Hunter was called in to audit some of the classes Lina teaches at the museum her family owns. Now with the light being drawn on the Mayan prophecy, Hunter calls in a favor with Lina. Apparently during a recent arrest some Mayan artifacts have gone missing. Very rare artifacts that border on priceless and would guarantee the owner of such items to be not only wealthy but to gain such importance in all social aspects, they could write their own ticket to anywhere.

Hunter's friend, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer or ICE for short, has been accused of the stealing the artifacts. If he can't locate and return the items, he will be fired. This isn't something he can do since he's married to his wife Ali, who is pregnant and between them already have five kids. So he enlists Hunter's help.

This is where the storyline truly escalates in fast forward as the body count begins to climb. These artifacts are objects used in a blood sacrifice ritual that is culminating around the Mayan calendar prophecy. As arrests are made, the trio discover human sacrifices are already being conducted, lives are being exchanged and the hunt is on. Only now Lina is the object of the hunt and a man by the name of El Maya and he will stop at nothing to ensure that she is found and brought to him. Could her lineage have anything to do with the artifacts, the upcoming ceremony and the need for a blood sacrifice? You'll just have to pick this one up to find out!

I received Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. This book does contain some graphic violence and sexuality, so the reader should be warned before picking this one up as some subjects matters may not be suitable for all audience types. However if you love a great romance story with a bit of mystery, suspense and action thrown in, then you will love this one. It definitely keeps the reader engaged til the very end. I would rate this one a 3 out of 5 stars just based on my personal rating system, but overall the story is amazing. (less)

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May 22, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Archeologist Dr. Lina Taylor knows a thing or two about Maya artifacts her family can trace their Maya roots back to before the Spanish set foot in Mexico and her family compound in the Yucatan has produced many Maya artifacts so it’s no wonder when Maya artifacts are stolen from a government ICE warehouse security expert and former ICE agent Hunter Johnston seeks Lina’s advice, it also gives him a chance to get to know her a little better. Lina Taylor has enjoyed the maybe dates that she and Hu...more Archeologist Dr. Lina Taylor knows a thing or two about Maya artifacts her family can trace their Maya roots back to before the Spanish set foot in Mexico and her family compound in the Yucatan has produced many Maya artifacts so it’s no wonder when Maya artifacts are stolen from a government ICE warehouse security expert and former ICE agent Hunter Johnston seeks Lina’s advice, it also gives him a chance to get to know her a little better. Lina Taylor has enjoyed the maybe dates that she and Hunter have shared over coffee so she’s more than willing to help him figure out the provenance of certain Maya items that went missing while in government custody, it also lets her spend more time with the sexy and a bit mysterious man. Lina and Hunter begin their investigation while also exploring the intense attraction they have for one another, but before the case even gets off the ground bullets start flying, bodies start showing up looking like human sacrifices of long ago Maya rituals. Does it have to do with drug trafficking like they first thought or does it have some more ominous meaning, is it just circumstance the end of the current Maya millennium is a few days away on 12-21-12, that it marks the Fourteenth Baktun or as the Maya call it the end of a Long Count and the beginning of another. Lina and Hunter will soon find themselves knee deep in danger, they’ll find out what real sacrifice means when survival is only a slim possibility and the newfound feelings they’ve discovered may never get a chance to grow.
Ms. Lowell has delivered another page turner, can’t put it down romantic suspense novel and this time she’s given this fan yet another twist to her multi-level storyline, the Maya connection, and yes I said Maya and you’ll see why I refer to it that way if you read the novel, which I’m sure you won’t be able to put down either. Her hero Hunter and Heroine Lina are the real rock stars of the piece but don’t count out the minor players in Ms. Lowell’s imaginative novel either because whether evil or good they all rock the pages. Her narrative is a bilingual mix of Spanish, English with a little Mayan thrown in for good measure and her words transported me from the dry heat of Texas to the humid sea air of the Yucatan while her descriptions of the many ruins and artifacts let me see in my mind what she described on the page. Her romance was absolutely amazing and I felt every emotion through her characters as they went from friends to lovers to much, much more.
If you’re a lover of romantic suspense, mystery, drama, the Maya end of days novels or just a great story to take you on a journey, this is your next Must Read.
Thank you Ms Lowell for an amazing trip and I can’t wait to see where you take me to next.
See an exclusive Q&A with the author right here http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...
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Dec 18, 2012 The_Book_Queen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, avon, avon-addicts, romance, contemporary, suspense, read-in-2012

Beautiful Sacrifice was my first Elizabeth Lowell book, but I assure you it will not be my last!

I love this book---the rich details, the intense story line, the smokin' hot chemistry between Lina and Hunter, as well as the witty parts sprinkled through out! I was sucked right into the story from page one, and even when I wasn't reading it, I was still thinking about it, wondering what would happen next, daydreaming about it, etc.

I loved all the information and stories of the Maya. Even though...more

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May 28, 2012 Lisarenee rated it 5 of 5 stars

"There are rumors. Many rumors."
Lina waited.
"The rumors whisper of an obsidian mask carved from a single piece of stone, a god bundle never opened, a sacred scepter with obsidian teeth, a foot-long jade Chacmool, and exquisitely made obsidian knife created solely to let the blood of kings. Even an unknown codes. All and more, of the very highest quality, appearing and then disappearing again, like ghost smoke."

Dr. Lina Taylor is an expert on both Maya artifacts and culture. She splits her time...more

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May 15, 2012 Manda Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Manda by: Criminal Element

Shelves: romantic-suspense

A new take on the upcoming Maya 2012 prophecy, Beautiful Sacrifice features archeologist, and Mayan descendent Dr. Lina Taylor. Lina's family is, in a word, complicated. Her father is a noted archeologist who made his career studying the Maya. Her mother is a member of the Reyes Balam family, which is descended from the alliance between the Mayan royalty and the Spanish conquistadors. She also happens to deal in antiquities--a serious no-no for archeologists. So built into the family dynamic is...more A new take on the upcoming Maya 2012 prophecy, Beautiful Sacrifice features archeologist, and Mayan descendent Dr. Lina Taylor. Lina's family is, in a word, complicated. Her father is a noted archeologist who made his career studying the Maya. Her mother is a member of the Reyes Balam family, which is descended from the alliance between the Mayan royalty and the Spanish conquistadors. She also happens to deal in antiquities--a serious no-no for archeologists. So built into the family dynamic is a conflict between the archeologists (Lina and her father) and the dealer (Lina's mother). A few years ago, Lina's father was involved in a scandal that cost him his credibility in the archeological world, and unfortunately, as her father's daughter, Lina has been tarred with the same brush. Now she works for her family's Museum of the Maya in Houston and teaches some classes on the side.

It's in one of her classes that she first meets former ICE agent Hunter Johnston, who caught her eye from the first. When he comes to her to learn more about some Mayan artifacts that have been stolen from an ICE warehouse, she knows immediately that if these artifacts aren't fakes they could set the archeological world on fire. Unfortunately, some bad guys have also concluded that and are doing whatever it takes to keep Lina and Hunter from finding the artifacts. There's also the added complication (I said it was complicated, didn't I?) of some men who seem intent on bringing Lina back to their leader: El Maya.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Lina and Hunter. He's smart enough to know that she's smarter than he is on a lot of things. And they form what can be termed a partnership in the best possible sense. I loved their interactions, and seeing Lina and her crazy family through his eyes. The mystery and it's ties to the Mayan prophecy was fascinating. It was a take on the Maya 2012 thing that I haven't seen before: ie, from an insider's perspective. The climax of the story on the Reyes Balam estate is pretty over the top, but in context, believable.

Am I now afraid that the world will end on December 21? No. But it was fun to think it might while I read this book:)(less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, thriller, romantic-suspense

Mayan end-of-the-world sort of story. Heroine is archaeologist from a Mexican Mayan family. Hero is ex immigration agent who helps a friend find missing artifacts and sort of blackmails heroine into helping. And are the drug lords really practicing Mayan sacrifice??? It gets pretty grisly.

It just jerked me out of the story when she had her cops going into the basement to the crime scene, because they wouldn't. Couldn't. Houston has NO basements anywhere in the city. The water table's too high....more

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May 24, 2012 Kelly Knapp rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mystery buffs, Maya buffs, end of the world buffs, romance readers

Recommended to Kelly by: Goodreads Firstreads giveaway

WOW!!!

Beautiful Sacrifice is as precious and well researched as Maya artifacts and the provenance that accompanies them.

There are no two dimensional characters here. Each is complex and depicted in stunning relief to the setting. Dr. Taylor is a yellow rose. She is a professor of archeology at a Houston museum. Raised in Mexico, the only child of well-healed aristocratic lineage through her mother, and an American Professor for her father, She has enjoyed the best of both worlds. She is refined...more WOW!!!

Beautiful Sacrifice is as precious and well researched as Maya artifacts and the provenance that accompanies them.

There are no two dimensional characters here. Each is complex and depicted in stunning relief to the setting. Dr. Taylor is a yellow rose. She is a professor of archeology at a Houston museum. Raised in Mexico, the only child of well-healed aristocratic lineage through her mother, and an American Professor for her father, She has enjoyed the best of both worlds. She is refined, but very human.

Hunter is a perfect foil for Dr. Taylor. Not perhaps as refined, Hunter became an ICE agent. However, he has recently left the job to work for his family’s security company. His position with ICE prepared him for cross-border contraband. His position with the family business has prepared him for getting down and dirty (without leaving evidence of his presence) when the circumstances require.

These two are the main characters, but there are numerous secondary characters. Jase is Hunter’s friend from ICE who has lost Mayan Artifacts, stolen on his watch. Abuelita is an important person in Dr. Taylor’s life. Often a refuge from the constant battling of her parents, she spent a great deal of time with her grandmother, learning the mythic history of the Maya. Celia, Dr. Taylor’s mother, is dignified and refined also. Her father Phillip is a self-absorbed archeologist determined to find that one artifact that will lift him to the top of the status heap. Murcurio, her first crush, and Carlos, her only other relative, were both part of her childhood in Mexico.

When rare and disturbing artifacts are stolen from an ICE warehouse, Jase’s job is in jeopardy. He calls in his friend, Hunter, to follow the path of the stolen artifacts. Hunter seeks out Dr. Taylor as a specialist in Maya artifacts. With only pictures to look at, Dr. Taylor is amazed at the workmanship of the artifacts. If real, they could be the proof of one additional Maya God-King during the final destruction by the Spaniards. This is big news with the end of the Maya calendar looming in December.

Following the path of the artifacts means finding lots of bodies in its wake. That combined with an attempted kidnapping of Dr. Taylor has Hunter taking her into protective custody…his protective custody. Dr. Taylor agrees but points out that the family compound in Mexico is the appropriate hiding spot because there are additional guards and she must be there for her Abuelita’s birthday, anyway.

While in Mexico, Dr. Taylor shows Hunter her home and land with pride. Then she takes him to a burial mound that she found. But someone has been digging on the family land, and Dr. Taylor and Hunter are walking into danger.

Of course, behind the primary story, Dr. Taylor and Hunter are finding it hard to not notice each other. From the first moment, the sexual tension is obvious. While all of the events happen within a few days, the author skillfully leads the two into a relationship without it feeling as if it is happening too quickly. This is a difficult thing to do, but Lowell does it with apparent ease. While this is a stand alone story, I hope we will be treated to future books with Dr. Taylor and Hunter as characters, either main or secondary. They are a team to equal Sherlock Holmes and Watson, without all of the vices of Holmes.

A winner!!!

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Jun 06, 2012 Shiela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-protagonist, thriller, romantic-suspense

This one was so much better than the previous few Lowell books that I read. In fact, I had completely dropped this author for a good few years (which is an extremely hard and very unusual thing for me to do, especially since I've been reading Lowell since I was a teenager). The thing that compelled me to pick this one up is the whole Mayan history/ 2012 end of the world thing. When I read reviews of this book, the biggest complaint most readers had was that there was too much Mayan history and n...more

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May 29, 2012 Barbara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf, romance, mystery-thriller

First time I've ever given up on a book by Elizabeth Lowell--but then there's a first time for everything.
I thought I was caught in a time warp and was reading one of her old Silhouette Desires. Seriously, the mental lusting in the first scene between the hero and heroine was so over the top--Sheesh! I figured out who the bad guy was in the first 50 pages. I didn't like Lina very much, I didn't like Hunter very much, her dysfunctional family was SO familiar, and so on...About page 60 I gave up a...more

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May 13, 2012 Melinda Le Baron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, different-but-good, historical, adventure, beautiful-3d-characters, truly-exciting, historical-hotties, highly-technilogical, beautifully-written, fantasy, beautifully-ended, supernatural, paranormal, urban-hotties

This is a really good book! It would make an incredible movie. I can see it with Angelina Jolie as the Female Star and maybe Antonio Banderos as the love interest. It would be action packed and full of excitement and mystery, they'd be hot on the trail of missing Mayan artifacts being used by a killer for sacrificing victims. Meanwhile, they would in turn would be stalked by unknown men in suits speaking a dialect of Mayan. Where will it all lead?

It is amazing, but it leads to the Mayan God Kawa...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed several Elizabeth Lowell rom/mystery/thrillers, but this one was a head-scratcher. The protagonist, Dr. Lina Taylor, is an archeologist specializing in Mayan artifacts and history; her family, weird, crotchety archeologist father and Mayan artifacts art seller mother, live on a Yucatan estate chockablock full of sites and Maya stuff. They're estranged and strange.

Lina falls for Hunter, strong guy, and they spend a LOT of time talking about Maya artifacts history, a cult (that Lowe...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Lowell should definitely write more books! I miss her between stories. Beautiful Sacrifice is about Lina, youngest member of a line of royalty from the Maya in the Yucatan of Mexico. She lives and works at an archeologist and professor in the United States but splits her time in the lands of her family in the Yucatan. Hunter, former cop in one of the "alphabet" agencies, approaches Lina to help identify and possibly help rescue some stolen items that were the responsibility of a former...more

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May 27, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

The 2012 end of the world deadline is only weeks away… and to archeologist Lina Taylor –a direct descendant of the Mayan priest of this prediction – doesn’t put much stalk into it and hints to her college students that it is merely myth. Lina studies the ancient artifacts with a passion that attracts the attention of Hunter Johnson, a former immigration and customs enforcement officer who just happens to be taking Taylor’s classes – and the interest goes beyond Lina’s knowledge.

A friend of Hunt...more The 2012 end of the world deadline is only weeks away… and to archeologist Lina Taylor –a direct descendant of the Mayan priest of this prediction – doesn’t put much stalk into it and hints to her college students that it is merely myth. Lina studies the ancient artifacts with a passion that attracts the attention of Hunter Johnson, a former immigration and customs enforcement officer who just happens to be taking Taylor’s classes – and the interest goes beyond Lina’s knowledge.

A friend of Hunter’s, who is still an ICE officer get embroiled in some unknown Mayan artifacts that happened to be crossing the US-Mexico border – his friend’s job is on the line… and Hunter can’t do anything but help… he really doesn’t have anything better to do. As a result, Johnson enlists Lina’s help.

Overall rating… a three for this story line… I love Elizabeth Lowell’s books… but when I began reading Beautiful Sacrifice I felt I was dropped into the middle of a love story… no first meeting… but not yet an item if that helps. As to negative, Lina is an incredibly strong person but none of the men in her life but Hunter respect her. That is just a little grating. Okay… as for good, I loved learning about the Mayan culture… in some places it was a lot of information. Now I just have to find out how much is true. In addition, I would have loved more information about Hunter… whys if and buts… I have read a lot of Lowell’s books and this is not her best work. If you are trying Lowell for the first time, try some of her other variations…. You will be much more satisfied… to put it into perspective, I usually read her novels start to finish. This novel… I lost interest 100 pages from the end…. And I had to force myself to finish…like I said kind of heavy on the Mayan history. I also was frustrated because the description on the outer flap of the book is misleading…. So again a three…. Thanks goodreads first reads for the chance to read and review one of my top 25 authors books!

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Jun 23, 2012 Rachell rated it 2 of 5 stars

For a book based on history the research is deplorable, and where was the editor? Little things that really bugged me (maybe because I've actually visited and/or lived in that part of the world where the author obviously has done neither) Basements in Houston? Sure, as long as you want to swim In it. Houston a 'border' town? Yea, if Louisiana and the Gulf counts. Flying into Cozumel and driving to/through Tulum and the jungle...anyone tell the author that Cozumel is an island (a small one) and T...more

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May 28, 2012 Jacquie Talento rated it 5 of 5 stars

Talk about a book that keeps you hanging on to the edge of your seat. This one is it in all areas. I was lucky enough to win this book from a Goodreads contest and I hit the jackpot. The writing style is perfect, Ms. Lowell takes you on a ride of your life. This book was such a pleasure to read I couldn’t put it down. I found myself cheating at work and reading in when I was suppose to be doing my job I was so hooked on it wanting to know what happens next. Luckily, I get to keep my job.
The sto...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good book, kept you on the edge of your seat.

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Jun 07, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

With an interesting premise and an exotic setting, this romantic suspense novel is a half-step above the typical of its genre.
Chock-full of portents of evil, mysterious ancient religions, human sacrifices, preaching about unethical misappropriation of archeological finds and more, there is plenty here to keep a reader entertained (with only the occasional need for an eye-roll courtesy of the hero's tough-guy language or the over-the-top villianry).
Perfect for quiet weekend or a relaxing day at...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Elli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, romance

I don't know whether it was the background material (Mayan 2012) or what, but I had to push myself at a few points to keep reading this novel. I usually love Elizabeth Lowell and am more than willing to read all night to finish one of her books, but I put this one down and didn't get back to it for almost a week! I didn't feel like the background motivation for the lead characters was well defined and I wanted to see more of their relationship growing and less about weird cult activities. The ti...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm glad this was a library book; if I'd have paid for it i would be very disappointed. I would only give it 2.5 stars. I really wanted to like it but ended up skimming it by the last 50 pages. I'm fascinated by the Maya but this book just didn't grab me. The heroine was so willfully ignorant of her family's true nature that she just ended up seeming foolish rather than sympathetic. Reading this book passed the time and staved off a bit of boredom for a couple of hours but that's really the best...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, archeology

A thriller combining the end of the Maya Long Count and archeology with a crazy family.

My Take
I enjoyed this. Of course, it does combine archeology with suspense, so I am a bit prejudiced.

I did enjoy the explanation of the Maya religion and the slightly more in-depth information about the importance of blood sacrifice. An interesting mix of historical significance and the perversions modern man will twist it. As an artist, I appreciated the description of certain of the artifacts and how they we...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Dana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, alpha-males, disappointing, elizabeth-lowell, favorite-author, i-reviewed, library-loan, romance, stand-alone

sigh.

EL is normally such a hit for me. The first 1/4 of the book started out great. The dialogue was catchy, the story had an exciting premise and the characters were endearing. Lina and Hunter were like two wild cats circling each other, and Jase was a nice by-line. But the story never really took off. EL kept running us around this tired plot line without really making any effort to develop it. There weren't enough secondary characters to make the mystery very mysterious, and attributed to the...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, contemporary, read-2012, suspense, audio, manipulative-friends-family

Originally published on AAR in Speaking of Audiobooks:
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8940

Narrated by Richard Ferrone

Archaeologist Lina Turner is not only a specialist in Mayan artifacts; she is of Mayan decent and can trace her lineage back to before the Spanish conquest. Hunter Johnson is a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. While helping a current ICE officer track down rare and illegally excavated Mayan artifacts, Hunter seeks Lina’s help. He hopes a better understanding o...more Originally published on AAR in Speaking of Audiobooks:
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8940

Narrated by Richard Ferrone

Archaeologist Lina Turner is not only a specialist in Mayan artifacts; she is of Mayan decent and can trace her lineage back to before the Spanish conquest. Hunter Johnson is a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. While helping a current ICE officer track down rare and illegally excavated Mayan artifacts, Hunter seeks Lina’s help. He hopes a better understanding of the significance of the lost artifacts can help him locate them. The investigation turns dangerous, and when the artifacts seem to be linked to Lina’s family, Hunter and Lina leave Houston for her family’s compound on the Yucatan peninsula, hoping for both safety and more answers.

Beautiful Sacrifice contains a significant amount of Mayan history. I enjoyed the history lesson but some listeners may grow weary of the many details Lowell includes. Lowell mixes the fact with fiction by inventing the Mayan god, Kawa’il, along with a bloodthirsty group of followers. Narrator Richard Ferrone has a gravelly voice that suits the sometimes mysterious and mystical atmosphere of the story. His reading brings the forbidding jungle, the dark caves, and the ancient rituals to life. Belief in the ancient Mayan gods seems almost reasonable in this setting.

The reasons behind Hunter’s inclusion in the search for the artifacts weren’t well developed, but that was a minor weakness. Hunter is presented as independent and emotionally closed off, and the narration emphasizes his strength and reserve. Lina is a capable professional who feels the weight of her family obligations. Due to her emotionally distant and often manipulative parents, Lina prefers to work in Houston rather than remain in the Yucatan. Ferrone manages to portray both Lina’s strength and her vulnerability. He doesn’t change his voice significantly when portraying female characters, but the gender of the speaker is clear most of the time. There are only a few sections of dialogue when the change in speaker is not identified that may cause some confusion.

The suspense plot doesn’t entirely work and the dramatic climax goes on for too long. However, the plot and setting are unique and the action moves the book along at a nice pace. In the end, Beautiful Sacrifice is an enjoyable, if somewhat flawed, book that is enhanced by a strong narration. (less)

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Apr 19, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Beautiful Sacrifice takes the story of the 2012 Maya prophecy to new heights. Dr. Lina Taylor is descended from the Maya and Spanish who conquered them. She is the daughter of two very strong and complicated people and the current heir to the Reyes Balam lands in South America. She has studied the Maya on digs with her archeologist father and now teaches about the complex culture. When Hunter Johnson, former ICE agent and a sometimes student comes to her with photographs of stolen artifacts, she...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 2012

Being a big fan of Elizabeth Lowell's, I have been eagerly waiting her new book since it was not a continuation of her St. Kilda series. With December 21, 2012 approaching,I was looking forward to seeing Ms. Lowell's take. Sadly, I have to admit, Beautiful Sacrifice was a disappointment to me. I'm not saying I hated it, I just thought it was an OK read. I was hoping for a real adventure with a romance, but the book fell short of my expectations. I was expecting some exciting time in the jungle w...more

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About Elizabeth Lowell

Individually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one non-fiction book. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. The novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery to suspense.

In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous p...more

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