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Indiana Jones: Untold Adventures #2
Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai
The untold stories of the world's greatest adventurer!
Indy heads to Egypt, continuing his quest for the Hall of Records.
Indy heads to Egypt, continuing his quest for the Hall of Records.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
167 people want to read
About the author
J.W. Rinzler
64 books103 followersJ. W. Rinzler has authored over 20 books including two New York Times bestsellers and a #1 best-selling graphic novel. With more than 600,000 copies in print, his books have been translated into seven languages.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 15, 2015
A Quickie Review
The name Sinai always makes me laugh, only because some poor speller in my high school Sunday school class once spelled it as "Sinie". This book, however, is pretty much the same as the previous one; not terrible, but not all that great either. As I said in my review of the first book, older fans of the movies should check out the old-school Expanded Universe novels.
Score: 2/5
The name Sinai always makes me laugh, only because some poor speller in my high school Sunday school class once spelled it as "Sinie". This book, however, is pretty much the same as the previous one; not terrible, but not all that great either. As I said in my review of the first book, older fans of the movies should check out the old-school Expanded Universe novels.
Score: 2/5
June 9, 2025
The late J.W. Rinzler holds near-legendary status in Star Wars circles, thanks to his exhaustive and masterful non-fiction books chronicling the making of the original trilogy, as well as titles covering Indiana Jones, Planet of the Apes, and others. But fiction? That was never really his lane.
Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai (2009) was one of only two times Rinzler ventured into storytelling (the other being the space-race novel All Up in 2020), and I regret to say… it shows.
Coming off the high of Indiana Jones and the Pyramid of the Sorcerer by Ryder Windham – the first entry in Scholastic’s Untold Adventures line of YA Indiana Jones novels – I was genuinely excited to crack open this second book. But Rinzler’s effort just… let’s pull the band-aid off… pales in comparison.
That’s not to say it’s a total misfire. The setup is classic Indiana Jones: Nazis, World War II, ancient relics, globe-trotting from the Yucatán to Rome to Egypt. There’s even fun fan service with a rare post-Last Crusade appearance from Henry Jones Sr. The prose is brisk and readable. On paper, it should work.
But many of the creative choices feel off – not so much in concept, but certainly in execution.
The central plot involves the Nazis pursuing a mythical power atop Mount Sinai. Yes, that Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. So far, so Indy. But rather than charting fresh territory, Rinzler leans heavily on tropes lifted wholesale from the films. The structure and beats feel familiar – too familiar. It’s like watching a remix of Raiders and Last Crusade, without much innovation.
The most jarring element? A Nazi antagonist with a robotic arm that shoots bolts of electricity.
I had to double-check the page when that happened. It completely breaks the internal logic of Indiana Jones stories, where the world is largely grounded in historical reality until a burst of supernatural weirdness at the climax. Even Crystal Skull, for all its alien antics, kept its characters rooted in period realism. But a Nazi cyborg with lightning powers in the 1940s? That’s pure cartoon. A mechanical arm was actually once considered for Toht in Raiders – but it was rejected by George Lucas himself for being too ridiculous. And if Lucas thought it was too much… well, do I really need to finish that sentence?
It’s obvious Rinzler borrowed these scraps from abandoned Indy scripts he covered in The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. The robot arm? It popped up again in The Monkey King (the film that was scheduled to be the third Indiana Jones outing). The villain’s name in this novel, Mephisto? Also from that aborted script. Recycling unused ideas can be fun – but only if they fit. Here, they don’t.
And poor Bert.
In Pyramid of the Sorcerer, Bert was one of the highlights: feisty, capable, independent – just a great foil for Indy. Here, she’s been reduced to a love-struck sidekick. Worse still, she inexplicably adopts two random children in Rome and brings them along on a dangerous journey to Egypt… during wartime… while people are actively being murdered around them. What? Kids separated from their parents in wartime is sad, but it’s still a baffling decision, both for her and for Indy, who just goes along with it.
Rinzler possibly included the kids to help younger readers see themselves in the story – but honestly, when I was a kid, the last thing I wanted in my Indiana Jones adventure was other kids tagging along.
The novel builds toward a climax lifted almost directly from Last Crusade: the Nazis hold loved ones hostage (Bert and the kids instead of Henry Sr.), forcing Indy to brave ancient booby traps so they can swoop in afterward. Beat for beat, it’s pretty much the same. Functional, sure – but uninspired.
Honestly, I feel like a bit of a heel writing this. J.W. Rinzler was a titan in the world of Star Wars and Lucasfilm scholarship, and by all accounts a kind and generous man. He passed away far too soon. But the facts remain: this book just doesn’t stack up – especially when placed alongside the first entry.
The most frustrating part? The ending teases a potential third book, with Indy heading to Japan – an underused and intriguing setting for the franchise. It feels like a clear “pass-the-baton” moment, and I can’t help but wonder if someone was working on it and if any drafts or outlines for that story exist.
In the end, this review probably sounds harsher than intended, because my disappointment is rooted in some pretty high hopes. There are enjoyable moments, and if you’re a die-hard Indy fan, you may still find enough to like. But between the robotic arms, the kiddie tagalongs, and the recycled story beats from the films, The Mystery of Mount Sinai feels more like a missed opportunity than a lost treasure.
Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai (2009) was one of only two times Rinzler ventured into storytelling (the other being the space-race novel All Up in 2020), and I regret to say… it shows.
Coming off the high of Indiana Jones and the Pyramid of the Sorcerer by Ryder Windham – the first entry in Scholastic’s Untold Adventures line of YA Indiana Jones novels – I was genuinely excited to crack open this second book. But Rinzler’s effort just… let’s pull the band-aid off… pales in comparison.
That’s not to say it’s a total misfire. The setup is classic Indiana Jones: Nazis, World War II, ancient relics, globe-trotting from the Yucatán to Rome to Egypt. There’s even fun fan service with a rare post-Last Crusade appearance from Henry Jones Sr. The prose is brisk and readable. On paper, it should work.
But many of the creative choices feel off – not so much in concept, but certainly in execution.
The central plot involves the Nazis pursuing a mythical power atop Mount Sinai. Yes, that Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. So far, so Indy. But rather than charting fresh territory, Rinzler leans heavily on tropes lifted wholesale from the films. The structure and beats feel familiar – too familiar. It’s like watching a remix of Raiders and Last Crusade, without much innovation.
The most jarring element? A Nazi antagonist with a robotic arm that shoots bolts of electricity.
I had to double-check the page when that happened. It completely breaks the internal logic of Indiana Jones stories, where the world is largely grounded in historical reality until a burst of supernatural weirdness at the climax. Even Crystal Skull, for all its alien antics, kept its characters rooted in period realism. But a Nazi cyborg with lightning powers in the 1940s? That’s pure cartoon. A mechanical arm was actually once considered for Toht in Raiders – but it was rejected by George Lucas himself for being too ridiculous. And if Lucas thought it was too much… well, do I really need to finish that sentence?
It’s obvious Rinzler borrowed these scraps from abandoned Indy scripts he covered in The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. The robot arm? It popped up again in The Monkey King (the film that was scheduled to be the third Indiana Jones outing). The villain’s name in this novel, Mephisto? Also from that aborted script. Recycling unused ideas can be fun – but only if they fit. Here, they don’t.
And poor Bert.
In Pyramid of the Sorcerer, Bert was one of the highlights: feisty, capable, independent – just a great foil for Indy. Here, she’s been reduced to a love-struck sidekick. Worse still, she inexplicably adopts two random children in Rome and brings them along on a dangerous journey to Egypt… during wartime… while people are actively being murdered around them. What? Kids separated from their parents in wartime is sad, but it’s still a baffling decision, both for her and for Indy, who just goes along with it.
Rinzler possibly included the kids to help younger readers see themselves in the story – but honestly, when I was a kid, the last thing I wanted in my Indiana Jones adventure was other kids tagging along.
The novel builds toward a climax lifted almost directly from Last Crusade: the Nazis hold loved ones hostage (Bert and the kids instead of Henry Sr.), forcing Indy to brave ancient booby traps so they can swoop in afterward. Beat for beat, it’s pretty much the same. Functional, sure – but uninspired.
Honestly, I feel like a bit of a heel writing this. J.W. Rinzler was a titan in the world of Star Wars and Lucasfilm scholarship, and by all accounts a kind and generous man. He passed away far too soon. But the facts remain: this book just doesn’t stack up – especially when placed alongside the first entry.
The most frustrating part? The ending teases a potential third book, with Indy heading to Japan – an underused and intriguing setting for the franchise. It feels like a clear “pass-the-baton” moment, and I can’t help but wonder if someone was working on it and if any drafts or outlines for that story exist.
In the end, this review probably sounds harsher than intended, because my disappointment is rooted in some pretty high hopes. There are enjoyable moments, and if you’re a die-hard Indy fan, you may still find enough to like. But between the robotic arms, the kiddie tagalongs, and the recycled story beats from the films, The Mystery of Mount Sinai feels more like a missed opportunity than a lost treasure.
June 28, 2023
This was a really fun Indiana Jones adventure. The story takes place after the events of Indiana Jones and the Pyramid of the Sorcerer and before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This was a quick read with some cool history, Nazi's, and loads of action. Adventure has a name: Indiana Jones!
September 25, 2022
I read this to my six year old daughter. That might be a questionable choice, but now she knows what a colossus is. And she knows a lot more about machine guns and hand grenades than before. And she hates Nazis.
To be fair, this is a good Indiana Jones story. I'm a little fuzzy about what the actual MacGuffin was, but the story had all of the things you'd expect from classic Indy adventure. The writing, however, was not good, even for young adult fiction.
To be fair, this is a good Indiana Jones story. I'm a little fuzzy about what the actual MacGuffin was, but the story had all of the things you'd expect from classic Indy adventure. The writing, however, was not good, even for young adult fiction.
December 17, 2025
I had read the original books in the series in 1993 or 1994 and we picked this one up used a few years ago.
I was disappointed in it. I was hoping for more than just "Nazis Bad" and "let's go look for the religious artifact." To be honest, I'm not even sure what was saved from the evil Nazis.
I was disappointed in it. I was hoping for more than just "Nazis Bad" and "let's go look for the religious artifact." To be honest, I'm not even sure what was saved from the evil Nazis.
August 31, 2017
Rather mediocre, even for a kids' book.
January 30, 2023
Action packed! Great book for young readers and definitely a step up from the first one.
April 22, 2024
Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai, by J.W. Rinzler picks up right where Indiana Jones and the Pyramid of the Sorcerer, by Ryder Windham finished. It was just as good as its' predecessor.
May 28, 2009
Better than the first book in this young adult series. Still not enough to give it another star. An endless series of fights and chases one after the other. That sort of thing looks good on a movie screen, but in a book, you should at least wave in the direction of a plot.
July 26, 2014
Great kids book. A continuation from a previous book. Felt like it needed more. Too many questions left at the end of the story.
January 24, 2016
red SOMETIME in 2010
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews