James Rollins has really been filling that archaeological-action-adventure-thriller niche in my library. Although it could be ridiculously melodramatic in places, Excavation was even better than his first book, Subterranean. It spent less time setting things up and practically plunged right into the action and mystery right away. It also rolled along at a brisker pace - I didn't have the need to skim like I did with Subterranean.

Rollins is a fun author; his books aren't high literature, but they're certainly lots of fun. The only downside is that his characters only exist for the action. I'd love it if he could come up with some memorable characters like Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child do in their collaborations.