A mysterious coded manuscript, a violent Ivy League murder, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide in a labyrinth of betrayal, madness, and genius in The Rule of Four. At once a compelling suspense novel and a richly imagined coming-of- age story. The Rule of Four is a fiction debut of astounding power and depth. THE RULE OF FOUR Princeton. Good Friday, 1999. On the eve of grad- uation, two students are a hairsbreadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a Renaissance text that has baffled scholars for centuries. Famous for its hypnotic power over those who study it, the five-hundred- year-old Hypnerotomachia may finally reveal its secrets to Tom Sullivan, whose father was obsessed with the book, and Paul Harris, whose future depends on it. But as the deadline looms, research hos stalled-until an ancient diary surfaces. What Tom and Paul discover inside shocks even them: proof that the location of a hidden crypt has been ciphered within the pages of the obscure Renaissance text. Armed with this final clue, the two friends delve into the bizarre world of the Hypnerotomachia-a world of forgotten erudition, strange sexual oppetites, and terrible violence. But just as they begin to realize the magnitude of their discovery. Princeton's snowy compus is rocked: a longtime student of the book is murdered, shot dead in the hushed halls of the history department

ISBN: 9780385337113