When Swedish diver Erik Hall returns from one of his deep
cave explorations of an abandoned mine, the items he found
there could change the course of history. The well-
preserved body he discovered in the cave was holding an
ancient ankh depicting the Egyptian symbol of eternal life.
News quickly spreads of Erik's unusual discovery and the
scene becomes chaotic. One big question asked is whether he
found anything else on the corpse, which he did but has
told no one.
Enter Don Titelman, an expert on historical religious
symbols with a photographic memory, who is constantly under
the influence of a variety of narcotics, which he carries
in a shoulder bag with him at all times. Don sets up an
appointment with Erik to exam the ankh, as well as the
other item Erik found. However, when he arrives at Erik's
home, he finds the diver has been killed -- and Don becomes
the main suspect. As he's being ruthlessly questioned by
the Swedish police, Eva Strand appears claiming to be Don's
attorney, even though he's never seen the woman before.
Events become even more confusing and spiral further
downward when Don and Eva are taken to the German Embassy
and held captive. Making their escape through the wine
cellar, their destination is the secret underground home of
Don's reclusive, computer-savvy sister. This is just the
start of a harrowing chase across Europe as Don and Eva
search to find the remaining artifact that goes with the
ankh. In hot pursuit are a group of ruthless people with
their own plans for the artifacts and what they will reveal.
Incorporating some shocking historical facts with ancient
mythological mysteries and speculative outcomes, Jan
Wallentin has written a thrilling arcane adventure with
lots of suspense and powerful political undertones. It kept
me captivated first page to last -- and what a conclusion! A
highly recommended read!
The Arctic, 1897: Nils Strindberg crashes his hydrogen
balloon during the mysterious Andrée Expedition to the North
Pole.
Germany, 1942: Gruesome and inexplicable experiments are
performed on concentration camp prisoners.
Sweden, present-day: Cave diver Erik Hall finds a dead body
wearing an ancient ankh, buried deep in an abandoned mine.
Religious symbol expert Don Titelman seeks out Erik to study
the ankh—but finds Erik dead. Don is the prime suspect, and
soon he’s being chased across Europe to escape a secret
society that will do anything to get their hands on the
ankh. . . .
In this international bestseller, each of these fascinating
strands weaves together to create a mind-blowing cross-genre
thriller that includes arctic explorers, a secret railroad
network, Norse mythology, Nazis, and ancient symbols—and a
shocking secret that’s been hidden for centuries.