William Petre

If you are looking for a fun read full of ancient Egyptian history, this mix of adventure and romance is a rollicking good time. The second book to feature archeologist and adventurer Daniel Knox, and his partner Gaille Bonnard by Will Adams is that rare instance where what we read between the binding actually lives up to the fun promised on the cover.

Unlike books in this genre with a more serious vibe — or perhaps pretension — the reader isn't really meant to take all this too seriously. Once you realize this, it's easy to suspend belief and just gobble it down as you would enjoyable junk food.

When Egyptologist Knox comes across a lid being offered in an Alexandrian marketplace the fun begins. The Dead Sea Scrolls come into play, as does the mystery surrounding the Exodus. There is more, but to reveal that might ruin some surprises the for the reader. There are plenty of good guys and bad guys, and enough historical speculation — as mentioned, not to be taken too seriously — to make this a fun time.

Our hero, Knox, soon finds himself on the run from a bad Egyptian cop named Khaled, and a twisted preacher protecting an ancient dig. An Egyptian policeman named Naguib whose wife and child act as his conscience when a young girl's body is found at a dig, will try to discover what's going on before it is too late for both Knox, and his love Gaille. Khaled's character has echoes of those 1930's adventure films. Though set very much in the present, the entire book has that same feel.

You'll have to read this crackling adventure to discover how a hoax which might have an unexpected basis in truth — fictional truth, of course — play out in an Egypt full of ancient secrets. Knox's pal Augustin is on hand, and might find a romance of his own in this one, while Knox finally realizes that his feelings for his mentor's daughter are much deeper than he'd been aware.

There is both excitement and danger here on the level I've described, with just the right dash of romance thrown into the pot. A quick and entertaining read you can relax with at home, or on the beach.… (mehr)

Alejandro Magno es el conquistador más grande y enigmático de la Historia. Su legendaria tumba, una de las maravillas de la Antigüedad, al parecer se perdió para siempre. Mucho más tarde, unos obreros de la construcción encuentran por casualidad en Alejandría la entrada de una catacumba. Este hecho desencadena una carrera a muerte en busca del mayor tesoro de todos los tiempos. Daniel Knox es un egiptólogo marginado por las corruptas autoridades arqueológicas. La fascinación que siente por Alejandro Magno y su tumba podría llevarle a la muerte. Perseguido por el brutal magnate naviero Hassan al-Assyuti, su única posibilidad de seguir con vida pasa por ganar esta frenética carrera. Sin embargo, más gente anda a la caza del mismo premio, y matarán por conseguirlo…… (mehr)

Although I read the first book of the series almost 9 years ago and had this book on my TBR for 7.5 years, I was in the mood to read something about the middle east, something that had a little action, and when I went to my bookcase, with so many unread books, it was the book I wanted to read. (Even though it is a book that might be good for a lot of the challenges I want to accomplish for 2018.)
This time, the book is 3.5 stars (I wish once again that Goodreads could give us this option) because of the pacing; everything was rushed, maybe because of things that happen during the book, and the characters are in danger.
With this series, you learn about ancient Egypt and intersections during ancient times and all the nations that passed through. Still, you also learn about Egypt, the bureaucracy, the bribing mentality, and how life is there.
Another issue shown in this book is about religion and how it interacts with other fields like history, archaeology, and even science. I loved how the chapters are written; the book has different plot lines that, in the end, all intertwine. Each chapter is divided into 4-5 parts with a little bit of each plotline. The sensation of reading those chapters is like watching a movie with different scenes.
I would suggest this book to people like suspense, like archeological and historical information if you are willing to read open-mindedly about the religious conspiracy.

A quote I take from this book is "...And if not them, then perhaps the people of a future age. A more rational, enlightened age maybe they'd appreciate the wisdom of the walls, not hate and vilify it." (page 3-4).… (mehr)