Part of NUMA Files, book 7
First published 2007
Kurt Austin faces deadly adversaries when someone steals an ancient Phoenician statue called the Navigator from Baghdad's museum. The thieves kill a corrupt antiquities dealer in their pursuit of the artifact. They nearly claim a second victim when they target a UN investigator, but Austin and his NUMA partner Joe Zavala arrive just in time to prevent another murder. Austin cannot understand why anyone would kill for this particular statue. His investigation pulls the NUMA team into a complex mystery that spans centuries. The trail leads them to King Solomon's missing treasures and a coded packet of documents that Thomas Jefferson created himself. They discover connections to a classified scientific project with world-changing potential. Each revelation brings new dangers and unexpected twists. Austin must uncover the Navigator's true significance while staying ahead of ruthless enemies who will stop at nothing to possess it.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Baghdad, Iraq, United Nations
Period: 21st-century
437 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Adult