Disregarding the authors’ suggestions because they put them at the end of the book and not the beginning, I read The Book of the Dead without having read either of its predecessors or, indeed, any of the authors’ other works. I had no trouble following the plot of this book, although there are many references to previous events in which the protagonists interact which obviously occurred in the earlier novels. It was, certainly, more of a challenge to determine relationships between the characters and, in one instance, (Constance Greene and Margo Green) remember who each character was. Probably because of their huge popularity the authors assume that all their readers are familiar with the back stories.

The Book of the Dead takes place largely in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. When the book opens, the museum is in the position of having to face adverse publicity due to the theft of their diamond collection and its subsequent destruction at the hands of a still unknown person or persons. Since their financial success is directly linked to positive publicity, the most influential staff of the museum is looking for methods of generating some good publicity. It is suggested that The Tomb of Senef, an Egyptian tomb from the Valley of the Kings which was closed down and sealed off in the 1930’s, be renovated and reopened with a gala ceremony to which the rich, powerful and famous would be invited. Since the major cost of this project would be underwritten by a descendent of the family that originally donated the artifacts to the museum, it seems to many high ranking staff that this is a brilliant idea.

The time frame for completing this project is an ambitious one. The extravagant opening is set to occur in six weeks. Many professional lives are dedicated exclusively to this task. Unfortunately as the deadline draws near, bad things begin to happen. A technician is found dead, a curator is killed when he apparently goes mad, and another curator seems to have undergone a major personality change. Rumors that the tomb is cursed and that the curse was the reason that it was originally closed and sealed race through the museum staff. Is the tomb really cursed? Is someone with a intense dislike for the museum trying to sabotage the project? Members of the museum hierarchy, the NYPD, and the FBI combine their efforts to grapple with the problem.

The Book of the Dead is a well written thriller destined to take the reader into a surreal setting for several hours. Although the book is 450 pages in length it is truly a page turner and reads like a much shorter novel. All of the typical earmarks of a successful thriller are present in this story. The tension builds toward the end of each chapter forcing the reader to read “just one more.” The excitement grows as a combination of things unknown to the protagonist but known or surmised by the reader threaten to cause disaster. The success or failure of the venture has a wide ranging effect on both the scientific and artistic community. Politics plays a role, albeit not a major one.

The reader has the opportunity to learn some of the details of running a museum as well as factual information regarding the extent and diversity of the collections in the American Museum of Natural History. The hours spent with this novel in one’s hands can be justified beyond mere entertainment.

The one negative comment that I have regarding this book is that it is entirely predictable. For those people who read heavily in this subgenre, there will be few, if any surprises. I do not know any of these characters well, yet I could predict with great accuracy what would happen next. However, for those fans of Preston and Child this is a good chance to catch up with old friends and see what is happening to them recently.

--Andy Plonka