THE LABYRINTH OF OSIRIS

A woman is garroted in an Armenian church in Israel. In Egypt's Eastern Desert, wells are being poisoned. A militant group called "The Nemesis Agenda" is making trouble. These seemingly unconnected events lead Detective Arieh Ben-Roi of the Jerusalem police to call on his old friend, Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor Police. What transpires is a thrill-packed police procedural. Narrator Gordon Griffin deftly moves the plot through shifting time periods and international locales, building Sussman's multidimensional characters through subtle vocal changes. However, inappropriate mid-sentence pauses lasting a tick longer than necessary prove distracting. Even so, the wildly entertaining plot, some seriously bad guys, fascinating archaeological information, and the deep bond of friendship between the two detectives are beautifully rendered with honesty and insight by Griffin. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]