First published 2012
Porter Stone leads a secret archaeological expedition into the Sudd, a treacherous swamp in northern Sudan. His team searches for the burial chamber of King Narmer, the legendary pharaoh who unified Egypt in 3200 B.C. Stone believes Narmer's double crown lies buried with the god-king. No Egyptian royal crown has ever been found, and this one supposedly holds immense power. The expedition faces more than the swamp's dangers. Strange events plague the dig site. Team members whisper about an ancient curse as unexplained incidents multiply. Fear spreads through the camp. Stone calls in Professor Jeremy Logan to investigate the disturbing occurrences. Logan must separate superstition from reality while the team races to complete their monumental discovery. The deeper Logan digs into the mystery, the more questions arise about what they have truly awakened in this remote corner of Sudan.
Genres: adventure, mystery, archaeology, thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mystery, race-against-time
Setting: Egypt, Sudan, The Sudd
Period: 3200 B.C., 21st Century
306 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday