Back in 3200 B.C.E, King Narmer united Upper and Lower Egypt. Now, deep in the Sudd, a nasty swamp in northern Sudan, explorer Peter Stone is directing an archaeological dig aimed at uncovering Narmer's tomb. When folks on the dig get worried about an ancient curse, Stone brings in Professor Jeremy Logan (you'll remember him from brief appearances in Deep Storm and Terminal Freeze). Looks as if we may be seeing more of Logan; meanwhile, this is obviously one of the big thrillers of the season.

Famous treasure hunter Porter Stone is on the hunt in the most unlikely place in the world. The Sudd, a forsaken wasteland that is neither land nor water south of the Egyptian border, may be the final resting place of Narmer, the king/pharaoh who united the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt nearly 5000 years ago. Narmer's curse over his tomb is particularly vicious, and when strange occurrences begin to appear to match the curse, Porter's crew of archaeologists, engineers, and scientists is spooked. Enigmalogist Jeremy Logan must separate truth from legend, true danger from bizarre and paranormal phenomena, before the crew can find and enter Narmer's tomb. VERDICT Child (4Terminal Freeze) has written a fast-paced, twisty archaeological adventure tale that is well researched and tightly constructed to grab readers and leave them gasping for breath. [See Prepub Alert, 12/12/11.]—Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. Lib. Syst., Cartersville, GA

Archaeologist Porter Stone and Yale professor Jeremy Logan delve deeply into the swamps of Northern Sudan in search of a powerful artifact: the crown of King Narmer, the first pharaoh of Egypt. VERDICT A master of spine-chilling suspense, Child (Terminal Freeze) creates a tension-filled, fast-paced adventure sure to please fans of the supernatural thriller.

Bestseller Child (Terminal Freeze) more than succeeds in making a mummy's curse terrifying in this superb supernatural thriller. Yale medieval history professor Jeremy Logan has such a reputation as a professional "enigmalogist" (someone who investigates ghosts and mythic creatures) that wealthy treasure hunter Porter Stone recruits Logan to assist his team with a dangerous excavation in Egypt. Stone believes he's found the location of the tomb of Narmer, a legendary pharaoh, but it's in the forbidding area known as the Sudd, a huge inaccessible swamp. Stone's expedition has been plagued by a series of bizarre events, from equipment failure to the disappearance of 200 pounds of meat, occurrences that may be the result of a warning Narmer inscribed in stone of the fate awaiting those who violate his final resting place. Child evokes fear through understatement, and his characters are much more than the paper-thin puppets of similarly themed novels. Readers will hope to see more of Logan in a sequel. Agent: Eric Simonoff, William Morris Endeavor. (June)