The Exodus Quest by Will Adams

A chance find in an Egyptian market sets Daniel Knox, an Egyptologist and adventurer, on the trail of a Dead Sea Scroll. Believing the artefact to have been stolen from a nearby dig, Knox sets out with his friend Omar, head of the Supreme Council for Antiquities in Alexandria, to investigate.

Ernest Peterson, the radical preacher in charge of the dig in question, is on a sacred mission, and isn't happy when Knox starts nosing around. So Knox returns under cover of darkness and sneaks into the excavation site, where he finds Peterson and his team hiding the discovery of an ancient temple. Knox takes some pictures for evidence, but is spotted by the team and forced to flee. In the ensuing chase, his car is driven off the road, and Knox is left in hospital with amnesia, remembering nothing before or after the crash. Peterson is determined to finish the job though, putting Knox on the run once again.

Before the crash, Knox sent the photos to his friend Gaille. Gaille is baby-sitting the film crew of sensationalist historian, Charles Stafford. While trying to catch the perfect sunset to finish the documentary, Gaille, Stafford and his assistant Lily find themselves on the bad side of Khaled, a tourist policeman turned grave robber. To cover his tracks, Khaled stages a terrorist kidnapping, filming a video with Gaille reading his fake demands. Knox sees the video and knows Gaille's plight is linked to his own, if only he could remember what that was…

Much in the style of the outrageously popular Da Vinci Code, The Exodus Quest is a page turning action adventure story with all the necessary thriller ingredients – car chases, fights, corrupt police, near death experiences and hostages.

I actually think this is the best out of the several books of this ilk that I've read. Knox is a better lead character, and the romance is far more believable. I don't know enough of the history involved to pass any comment on its accuracy, but this isn't the sort of book you read to improve your education. The history makes an interesting setting, and that's all that really matters. Any background knowledge required to understand the story is pretty skilfully woven into the story – there isn't a tedious info-dump to wade through before the real action starts.

Basically, this is perfect airport reading – interesting enough to keep you occupied, with a likeable lead character and plenty of twists and turns. If you enjoy reading Dan Brown and the legions of make-like authors then this will definitely keep you entertained.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If you enjoyed this, and haven't already read the entire works of Dan Brown, you might enjoy Digital Fortress - although we weren't impressed, and certainly pick up The Alexander Cipher, the first book featuring Daniel Knox, next time you're in the library.

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