Kit's wedding present to his new wife was an unusual one, but it perfectly suited Stella's personality. He took her caving, exploring new areas in an effort to find a treasure secreted by Cedric Owen, a physician and adventurer from the mid 1500s. Kit had been obsessed with putting together clues in Cedric's writings and he was pretty sure he had figured out where the flawless sapphire, carved as a perfect human skull, could be found.

He was right, and Stella triumphantly rose from the cold water at the bottom of the cave, holding the lime-encrusted masterpiece. But the two are followed out of the cave and in their haste, Kit sustains a terrible fall. At first, it seems he might die, but then he recovers, with terrible physical problems.

Stella is trying to figure out what the skulls means and begins to understand that it's supposed to be part of the solution that will stop Armageddon. Prophecies indicate the world will end on December 21, 2012, and the more she learns, the more she believes that, as the keeper of the skull, she must stop the ultimate disaster.

Wow! Does one word count as an adequate review? From the first page, the action never stops in this adventure. Terrific characterization, an intriguing plot and best of all, flashbacks to Cedric Owen's life and adventures. As a writer, I think it's challenging to make those flashbacks without losing the flow of the story. Ms. Scott does it well. If you're not reading her, you're missing a marvelous storyteller.