King Solomon’s Curse
Author: Andy McDermott Publisher: Headline Publishing Group ISBN: 9781472236883
RENOWNED archaeologist Nina Wilde is back on the hunt – this time, in search of the legendary King Solomon’s mines. Unfortunately, her adventure ends up endangering her young daughter.
Nina and former SAS soldier Eddie Chase are a husband-and-wife team who found Atlantis, the tomb of King Arthur, Valhalla, and even the Ark of the Covenant, to name but a few of their earlier adventures.
Working on a televised documentary in search of the First Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, Nina and her team uncover a secret chamber within a tomb that contains a model of a mysterious city that is said to house an ancient artefact that has great power.
Her curiosity and interest push her to search for this lost city built by Solomon, which she deduces is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the most dangerous countries in the world. And right now, it is locked in the middle of a civil war.
However, that’s not the only problem. Nina has earlier promised her young daughter, Macy, and husband that she will be home after her work in Jerusalem.
But the lure of yet another discovery is just too tempting for her to walk away. With a film crew, she jets off to the DRC, much to her husband’s disappointment.
Worried about her safety, Eddie flies out to meet her hoping to arrange some bodyguards for Nina and the film crew, leaving Macy in the care of his parents. But things don’t go quite according to plan and he ends up joining the expedition instead.
Their nightmare begin when they are faced with rebel soldiers led by Philippe Mukobo and aided by John Brice, a M15 agent with the British government in DRC.
McDermott manages to keep readers captivated with a series of thrilling, non-stop action. The scenes vividly unfold with each chapter, but for once, no helicopters get blown out of the sky.
As usual, there’s a high body count, with an interesting moral dimension to one death, making this an interesting and compelling read. – M.L.M.