Sphinx

by Robin Cook

Paperback, 1983

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Signet (1983), Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Description

It was the magic and mystery of an empire long past that beautiful Erica Baron came to explore. Innocently she cast her eyes in forbidden places and discovered the clue to a treasure beyond imagination. It was then that terror overtook her, as the most fearful curse of the ancient world and the most savage menace of the modern one threatened to detroy her. One dangerously attractive man offered Erica help...he offered her protection...he offered her love. And in this strange, exotic land of seductive evils, where no one could be trusted, desire became for Erica the deadliest snare of all...

User reviews

LibraryThing member mnleona

Erica Baron is an Egyptologist who goes to Egypt by herself on her first visit to Egypt. This book has alot of mystery and good descriptions. As I was reading this book, I began to think of Nancy Drew and her father telling her not to get into situations that would lead her into trouble.

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LibraryThing member turtlesleap

Erica Baron is a young Egyptologist, traveling through Egypt to fulfill a dream and to assert her independence. She becomes involved in a smuggling ring, meets an improbable number of strikingly handsome men, all of whom are predictably smitten with her and, ultimately, escapes with her life. This

book reads like a wannabe romance. The main character's judgement is so questionable that it borders on feeble-mindedness. Not a bad read. Cooks is a solid writer of genre fiction but this is not one of his best.

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LibraryThing member Barb_H

I was disappointed at first that this wasn't one of Cook's typical Medical Thrillers. However, I did end up enjoying the story.

LibraryThing member nilsonbazana

All in all a intriguing adventure where I found myself devouring the final chapters in order to get to the bottom of a, though not so spotless, rather well-woven plot.

LibraryThing member donbuch1

Best known for his medical novels, Robin Cook achieves a minor masterpiece with this exotic tale. Set in 1980, the story focuses on a week in Cairo and Luxor as the reader follows the intrigues of Erica Baron, an American Egyptologist. Caught in black market schemes of Egyptian antiquities, this

young female protagonist directly witnesses vendor murder, mosque violence, and bodyguard assassination. To enhance the main storyline, Cook candidly develops the risk-taking Baron who ensnares herself in romantic liasons, but keeps focused to find the Seti I statue. Besides locating the life-size piece, she discovers an elaborate covert operation to smuggle priceless artifacts out of the Valley of the Kings, which she attempts to thwart by relying upon her academic conscience. The brilliant use of imagery and unforeseen "treasure map" details keeps the plot flowing. Although some information of the main character's movements are unnecessary to build characterization, the author generates a convincing story. Easily mistaken as a silly mummy fable of curse and consequence, rather the extraordinary novel provides a decent roadmap for the study of how to write a narrative that will grab a reading audience.

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LibraryThing member cbloky

a good easy read that keeps you interested. Cook develops his characters so you have a good understanding of them. When i was done it had me wanting to visit the area.

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