THE THIRD GATE

When a famous archaeological treasure hunter attempts to locate the burial tomb of an Egyptian king, his team is thwarted by mysterious disasters. He hires Jeremy Logan, a Yale history professor and self-titled enigmatologist, to debunk the team’s increasing certainty that the pharaoh’s curse will cause further catastrophe. Narrator Johnathan McClain’s temperate characterization elevates the credibility of Logan, allowing the listener to buy into the idea that modern scientists might face a supernatural rival as they prepare to penetrate the three gates of the tomb. The primary characters are delivered with only subtle vocal variations, but some bit parts have colorful accents. McClain enhances the narrative passages about the history of Egyptian royalty with deft pacing. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]