The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh (Matthew Connor Adventure series, #2) - Carolyn Arnold

Synopsis:

In Egypt’s Western Desert lies the tomb of an unnamed pharaoh that hides a secret so powerful, it could destroy the world as we know it.

Archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor has made a career of finding legends the world has all but forgotten. Though there’s one in particular that has fascinated him for years—the Emerald Tablets. Myth says that they possess the knowledge of the universe, allowing humankind to traverse Heaven and Earth, and have the power to bestow wealth and wisdom upon whoever possesses them. But if they fall into evil hands, it could cause a global disaster.

So when a former colleague stumbles across an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic map that promises to lead to a pharaoh’s tomb and the Emerald Tablets, there’s no way he’s turning down her invitation to join the dig. He only has one stipulation: his best friends Robyn Garcia and Cal Myers come with him.

The road ahead isn’t going to be an easy one, and their shared dream of recovering the Emerald Tablets is being crushed at every turn. And just when they think it’s all over, they learn there are a few clues they have overlooked. But they’re no longer the only ones searching for the Tablets. Now, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and soon they’ll find out that when it comes to hunting legends, they can’t trust anyone.

Review:

The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh is the second in the Matthew Connor series of books by author Carolyn Arnold. Matthew, a renown archaeologist, is contacted by an old friend who is currently working on a dig in Egypt. Having possibly discovered the tomb of a nameless pharaoh, this friend called Alex seeks Matthew’s expertise to join her in what may end up being the discovery of the fabled Emerald Tablets. Not willing to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime that would solidify his reputation, Matthew invites his best friends to tag along for the adventure. With the exploration full of mishaps and mystery and amongst whispers about “curses”, Matthew begins to wonder if the name he's made for himself is worth the damage that could be the result if the tablets fell into the wrong hands.

When I was first contacted to read and review The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh, I was immediately intrigued. Ancient Egypt has always been a fascination of mine, I loved Ancient Egypt when we often spoke of it in History classes as i grew up, and  wont lie, who doesn't love the mummy films from back in 1999 with Brendan Fraser. So I jumped at the opportunity to give it a read and give an honest review. The detail in which the dig site, underground catacombs, burial chamber and subsequent riches were described made me feel as if I were standing next to Matthew and Cal as part of the team, Carolyn has a way of doing that so it was so easy to sit back in a chair and sink into the story.

Like other time before now, I was a little concerned with this being the second book in the series that there would be gaps in the story or the characters because I had not yet read City of Gold and maybe I'd end up confused and lost. I shouldn't have even worried because although it's the second adventure, Carolyn crafted the narrative to focus on the present adventure, although we do hear about the team’s previous adventures/activities together as they are mentioned in the context of the story, but they are served with just the right amount of filler (which did make me want to read the previous book so badly.) There was never a moment I was lost or confused due to the referencing of previous encounters between the characters. 

If you like action-packed adventure books that’s that will keep you reading well into the early hours or in my case, right through them, I have no issue in recommending The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh to you. After this introduction to the Matthew Connor series, I am seriously considering picking up a copy of City of Gold, as well as any future books in the series. This is my 3rd time reading work by Carolyn and by the looks of it, its definitely wont be the last.

Its an easy 5/5 from me, maybe even higher if my scale went that high.