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"The Third Gate" (Doubleday), by Lincoln Child
Jeremy Logan receives a cryptic call from an old friend in "The Third Gate," Lincoln Child's latest page turner. Logan specializes in the study of paranormal phenomena, so he's not surprised to learn that his friend needs help that only an "enigmalogist" can provide.
His friend is working with treasure hunter Porter Stone, who has discovered the burial site of the pharaoh Narmer, the man responsible for uniting upper and lower Egypt in the distant past. Stone and his team of experts have found evidence showing Narmer's tomb, buried for centuries, to be far south of other Egyptian burial sites. Why wasn't he buried with the other pharaohs?
Stone needs Logan to help with an old curse that has begun to wreak havoc on the team. Stone is worried about the horrors they will unleash when they finally break into the tomb's main chamber. Logan is an expert at separating myth from science, but this time the truth might be too terrifying to contemplate.
Child writes terrific thrillers with Douglas Preston, but he also shines as a solo author. The pages fly at a furious pace, and Child is a master at taking a complicated plot and making it seem effortless. Great characters and a truly tantalizing puzzle make this "gate" one that everyone should open.
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