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Wednesday 7 January 2015

Pyramid by David Gibbins

Review by The Mole

When a story of a soldier emerging from a Cairo sewer in 1892 having been trapped underground for years comes to the attention of Jack Howard it builds on the intrigue created by the discoveries he had made of the Pharaoh Akhenaten (Pharoah). In order to pursue this he needs to go to Egypt but there is political turmoil and Egypt is on the verge of revolution.

Packed with adventure, heroism and action, this book's pace does sometimes leave you breathless - but somehow you just know things are going to work out. And facts... As a reader of fiction I never know or can be sure where the lines are between fact, supposition and fiction are. Many of the facts are true - the soldiers of history really existed as did the Pharaoh and we've all heard about Nefertiti although the ship carrying Akhenaten's sarcophagus hasn't been found but it's location is believed to be in that general neck-of-the-woods. The underground complex hasn't been found, but the evidence of it's existence is real enough. And so it goes on. I almost wish I had a notebook on hand during the reading but that would spoil the fiction.

Jack Howard is the kind of hero who is extremely cerebral, introverted and highly respectful of women, extremely fit so he can free dive to record depths - and survive - and an uncanny shot with a pistol, so he's something for everyone.

A fast fun read in the most part with occasional slower, more history based sections. But towards the end you may find your anger picqued by the violence of the revolutionaries although this is happening today in the world and it started after the book was written - and not a sick creation of the author.

Publisher -Headline
Genre - Adult fiction, action adventure



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