I read this while on holiday in Egypt - thought it would be apt and also meant I could wild release it there!

So, the first thing to say about this is that when you read it, you should keep in mind that it was written before '911', which makes the events imagined, quite prescient.

This is a thriller centred round an archaeologist who is asked to work on a tomb found by an American Oil company which has been doing test drillings somewhere in the Middle East - they have stumbled upon what appears to be the tomb of a Pharoah. Wrapped around this, are the usual tensions in the area, coupled with a terrorist plot. How all the various characters inter-relate is all very coincidental, but there wouldn't be a story if they didn't. Some of the twists were well signposted, but I must admit I didn't see the last chapter coming!

I think the most interesting thing about the book is how well reasoned the 'terrorist activities' and the various Middle Eastern plots & intrigues are. When you look at what has happened since it was written.......

Anyway, this isn't my normal reading matter, but I did enjoy it. I found all the intrigue reasonably well thought through & it did capture my imagination sufficiently for me to speed through it (I normally read a book a day on a relaxing holiday, but this wasn't that type of trip, so I got through remarkably quickly)

I left it in the Iberotel in Luxor in one of the public areas & it had gone when I next passed by, so hopefully it's on its travels and being enjoyed by someone else.
( )

This was the twelfth of Manfredi's books that I have read so I have to call myself a fan, but after the previous two, (Ancient Curse and Ides of March) I was prepared for disappointment. I did however enjoy this book. I found it exciting and interesting.

At the start of the book, we are taken back to Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem before the exile of its population to Babylon and the destruction of the first Temple in 586BC. The prophet Jeremiah escapes the city with the temple treasures (including the Ark of the Covenant) and hides them in a cave on the Holy Mountain. However, he discovers something else on the mountain that shatters his world.

Jump forward to modern times. An American archaeologist, disgraced, recently divorced and out of a job is asked to excavate a mysterious ancient Egyptian tomb accidentally found by a shady American mining company operating in the Middle-East. What follows is a thrilling story of archaeological discovery, international nuclear terrorism and a new Arab-Israeli war.

I think to enjoy this book, you really have to remember that it is fiction. Some of its key ideas are interesting speculations but stretch plausibility to its limits. The suggestion that an archaeological discovery, even one so momentous as proposed in this book, would destroy the faith of Jews, Christians and Moslems shows a misunderstanding of the nature of religion worthy of a religious fundamentalist or one of the new breed of "bumper sticker" atheists.

Also, Manfredi hasn't grasped some of the finer details of middle-eastern politics and religion. The suggestion that Sunni Moslems would accept (Shia) Iranian control of Mecca to gain the liberation of Jerusalem from Israel seems to be a given for Manfredi. Not so simple I'm afraid.

None of this significantly reduced my enjoyment of this book. It is FICTION after all. Some of the writing (perhaps translation) is clumsy but some (e.g. parts of chapter 13) are brilliant.

As a general comment on conflict in the middle-east, Manfredi shows sensitivity to all sides and makes the often made observation that violence begets violence. An observation worth repeating often. My faith in Manfredi is restored. ( )

An archeological whodunit with a biblical theme. The hero is a professor of archeology . Since the author really is an archeologist, the authenticity of the little details adds much to the story. Set in the turbulent middle East, THe author shows compassion and understanding for all the players. A very interesting read.

onestamente,non me lo aspettavo un romanzetto cosi' intrigante con tutti (o quasi) gli ingredienti classici dei best-seller. mi era proprio sfuggito fin ad ora,ma si puo' vivere senza! ( )