Marine archaeologist Jack Howard may have discovered clues
that will lead to one of the missing treasures of the
world -- the lost golden menorah of Jerusalem. His team of
experts' excitement is tempered by the realization that
someone else wants the menorah. Now they must dig their way
through the many fables surrounding the treasure and read
their archaeological clues accurately to make sure this
treasure stays safe.
Unfortunately, their competition is determined and when
their friend and colleague, Maria de Montijo, is kidnapped,
Howard and his team know they must do everything possible
to get her back safely. Thus begins a journey that will
lead them to mind-boggling discoveries that will rewrite
history.
Give me an Indiana Jones style of book any day and I'm a
happy woman. Unfortunately, Gibbins doesn't quite achieve
the balance of action and history. There was little to no
action until page 180 in this book and too much of it was
like reading a history lesson. I think the research and
information behind the book are phenomenal, but Gibbins
didn't find a way to simplify that history while moving the
plot forward. It sounds like I hated the book and that's
not the case. It was fascinating in some aspects, but I
kept finding my mind wandering during the parts where I
felt as if a lecture was occurring. I'd like to see
something else with Jack Howard in it -- but something that
smacks you in the face with a little more action a la Dirk
Pitt.
From the fall of the Roman Empire to the last days of Nazi
power, marine archaeologist Jack Howard and his team of
adventurers are hot on the trail of history’s most elusive
and desired treasure: the lost golden menorah of
Jerusalem. And what they discover could change the world
forever…. Deep beneath the windswept waters
near Istanbul, Jack and his crack team of experts have
uncovered a surprising clue to the location of the fabled
treasure plundered during the Crusades. Meanwhile, in a
dusty cathedral library, someone unearths a long-forgotten
medieval map. Together the two discoveries will solve an
ancient mystery—and spark a race to stop a present-day
conspiracy of staggering proportions.
From diving
into the core of an arctic iceberg to the last stand of a
Viking warship to an extraordinary revelation deep in the
jungles of Central America, Jack is headed straight into a
globe-spanning clash of civilizations, into an astounding
underground labyrinth steeped in blood and horrors—and to
a confrontation with a killer on a shattering crusade of
his own.