Product Description

A fading papyrus, nearly four thousand years old. Within it lie the clues to a fabulous treasure from an almost forgotten time... a riddle that becomes a savage battle across the unforgiving terrain of North Africa.

When her husband is brutally murdered, beautiful half-English, half-Egyptian Royan Al Simmu is forced to seek refuge in England. With eminent archaelogist Nicholas Quenton-Harper, she can pick up the pieces of her shattered life and find the courage to return to Ethiopia. For Duraid. And for the dreams of an ancient Pharoah... Because others will stop at nothing to claim the prize as their own.

‘A desert sandstorm couldn’t get pages turning faster than Smith’ Independent On Sunday

‘Full blooded, muscle-on-bone-crunching treasure hunt... it is non-stop action’ Daily Express

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112635 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 720 pages

From Publishers Weekly
An ancient Egyptian scroll leads to a murderous treasure hunt in Smith's thriller, which was a PW bestseller for two weeks.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Noted Egyptologist Royan Al Simma escapes an attempt on her life, but her husband, Duraid, is not so lucky. This husband-and-wife archaeological team was immersed in unraveling the secrets of the "seventh scroll." Written in a type of shorthand, the scroll dates back to the Hyksos invasion of Egypt and was recently discovered in the tomb of Queen Lostris, whose story is told in Smith's River God (St. Martin's, 1994). Grieving over the loss of her husband, Royan engages Sir Nicholas Quenton-Harper, a wealthy English collector, to assist her in completing the work she and Duraid had begun by locating the tomb of Pharaoh Mamose the Eighth, husband of Lostris. Through collective teamwork, Royan and Nicholas travel to Ethiopia, at great peril to themselves, as they try to uncover a 4000-year-old secret. This well-crafted novel is full of adventure, tension, and intrigue. Recommended for general readers.?Maria A. Perez-Stable, Western Michigan Univ. Libs., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Fans of Indiana Jones who haven't yet encountered Smith's novels will enjoy any of his adventure tales. In his latest a beautiful Egyptian woman with a doctorate in archaeology and a wealthy British adventurer search the Ethiopian highlands for the treasures of an ancient tomb. The pace never flags as the heroes overcome each obstacle between them and the Pharoah's golden fortune. Narrator Cazenove, who has a fine gift for vocal characterization, brings the story to life. His British accent is clear to American listeners. The abridgment doesn't interfere with the substance and pace of the story as it sometimes can. B.V. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine