Marine archaeologist Jack Howard may have discovered clues that will lead to one of the missing treasures of the world -- the lost golden menorah of Jerusalem. His team of experts' excitement is tempered by the realization that someone else wants the menorah. Now they must dig their way through the many fables surrounding the treasure and read their archaeological clues accurately to make sure this treasure stays safe.

Unfortunately, their competition is determined and when their friend and colleague, Maria de Montijo, is kidnapped, Howard and his team know they must do everything possible to get her back safely. Thus begins a journey that will lead them to mind-boggling discoveries that will rewrite history.

Give me an Indiana Jones style of book any day and I'm a happy woman. Unfortunately, Gibbins doesn't quite achieve the balance of action and history. There was little to no action until page 180 in this book and too much of it was like reading a history lesson. I think the research and information behind the book are phenomenal, but Gibbins didn't find a way to simplify that history while moving the plot forward. It sounds like I hated the book and that's not the case. It was fascinating in some aspects, but I kept finding my mind wandering during the parts where I felt as if a lecture was occurring. I'd like to see something else with Jack Howard in it -- but something that smacks you in the face with a little more action a la Dirk Pitt.

Book Summary

From the fall of the Roman Empire to the last days of Nazi power, marine archaeologist Jack Howard and his team of adventurers are hot on the trail of history’s most elusive and desired treasure: the lost golden menorah of Jerusalem. And what they discover could change the world forever….

Deep beneath the windswept waters near Istanbul, Jack and his crack team of experts have uncovered a surprising clue to the location of the fabled treasure plundered during the Crusades. Meanwhile, in a dusty cathedral library, someone unearths a long-forgotten medieval map. Together the two discoveries will solve an ancient mystery—and spark a race to stop a present-day conspiracy of staggering proportions.

From diving into the core of an arctic iceberg to the last stand of a Viking warship to an extraordinary revelation deep in the jungles of Central America, Jack is headed straight into a globe-spanning clash of civilizations, into an astounding underground labyrinth steeped in blood and horrors—and to a confrontation with a killer on a shattering crusade of his own.