William Dietrich, Napoleon's Pyramids

Napoleon's Pyramids

William Dietrich

HarperCollins, Feb 2007, $24.95

ISBN 0060848324

Four years have passed since Robespierre and the Reign of Terror ended. In Paris, though the aristocracy may have changed from blue blood to revolutionary blood, France seems back to normal as war, corruption, and pleasure rule. While observing this trend back to normalcy, American expatriate Ethan Gage wins a seemingly valuable trinket at cards, but it almost costs him his life. This is the story of how Ben Franklin's former apprentice learns a life lesson that gambling is a vice.

Ethan won the Egyptian medallion in a card game. Afterward one of the other players offers money for the item, but Ethan turns him down. Just before leaving he warned no one refuses Silano and besides the medallion is cursed. Soon afterward thieves attack Ethan who realizes quickly they want the medallion. He survives their assault and keeps his newest asset, but now learns the gendarme seek him as a murder suspect. His luck turns at this point when he is attacked again, but gypsies and a mysterious Brit save his life. He joins Napoleon's Egypt expedition to get out of France and to learn why the medallion is so coveted. Instead in Egypt, malevolent assassins willing to kill him for the medallion come after Ethan.

Gage is a sort of a late nineteenth century Hans Solo as he is a bit of a rogue. The storyline is fast-paced whether it is in Paris or the Sahara as it seems that every turn that the hero makes and under every grain of sand he steps on lead to danger from someone coveting the medallion. The use of real historical persona and a strong support cast augments a terrific heroic saga that equates to a night of no sleep for readers.

Harriet Klausner