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Cleopatra's Needle
Two halves of an ancient Egyptian ankh hold the key to a Central Park murder and an ancient evil as archaeologist Dan Rawlins and Mossad agent Jacinda El-Bahri race against time to prevent a disaster of literally biblical proportions. 15,000 first printing.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 12, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 9, 2021
Although billed as a horror novel, CN is really a thriller with supernatural aspects. That stated, this book is basically a fail and I can see why Siebert gave up the novel biz after this (his first novel). Our main protagonist Dan is an Egyptologist working at the museum of natural history in NYC. He, basically, is a complete wanker, sleeping with his graduate students (he teaches a masters class at Georgetown) and really anything with the right anatomy. His father is a famous archeologist as well, but Dan writes 'popular' novels about Ancient Egypt and has a media presence that his father lacks. Also, his father has recently found Jesus Christ as his personal savior and alienated Dan in the bargain.
The story such as it is revolves around an ancient Egyptian ankh, half of which is located at the Met. One day someone comes to ask about it (supposedly an agent from a famous auction house) and Dan leaves a note for his secretary (who he is also sleeping with) to pull it out of the archives. The next day, she is dead and the broken ankh is missing. A few days later, Dan goes to his parents house on Long Island and his father is killed by some strange human/bird hybrid. Then Seibert takes us to Ancient Egypt in the 13th dynasty for over half the book. He main protagonists here are Pharaoh and his main general. This section is endless and I almost DNF it several times. I kept hoping it would get better, but the ham-fisted dialogue and long, drawn out depictions of life there were a real struggle.
The rest of this review contains spoilers, but as I hope no one ever has the bad luck to stumble across this pile, I am not using spoiler tags. The main idea underpinning the novel is that the ancient ankh really has supernatural powers-- why? Never answered. Aliens? Who knows (or really cares). In any case, it was broken in ancient times to stop a ritual. It seems the ankh gives the wielder the power to transfer his 'ba' or spirit into another body, basically giving them immortality. This ritual by an ancient priest was broken up with the ankh, but like a bad penny, it turns up in our era, found (at least half of it) by Dan's dad in a dig in Israel. The other half fell into the hands of a Islamic terrorist in Egypt, purloined from a museum. Yet, there is more to the terrorist than meets the eyes, as he really now is the reincarnation of the ancient priest, and he seeks to unite the ankh once again so he can rule the world! Only one person can stop him--you guess it, Dan!
You really have to suspend belief to read this several times. If you can do that, and get around the blatant sexism and stereotypes (islamic terrorists were probably the worst), you might mildly enjoy this. This really is only fit for lining a bird cage, and that if you really do not like the bird much. How this got picked up by a major publisher is beyond me. Perhaps (being published in 1990) and being marketed as horror during the boom helped; publishers were scrambling for something to sell as horror. While some gems found the light during this era, so did some real stinkers like this pile. I picked it up at a thrift store for 25 cents and feel super ripped off. 1.5 stars only because I finished it, rounding down for the horrible cheesy ending that put the icing on the smelly cake.
The story such as it is revolves around an ancient Egyptian ankh, half of which is located at the Met. One day someone comes to ask about it (supposedly an agent from a famous auction house) and Dan leaves a note for his secretary (who he is also sleeping with) to pull it out of the archives. The next day, she is dead and the broken ankh is missing. A few days later, Dan goes to his parents house on Long Island and his father is killed by some strange human/bird hybrid. Then Seibert takes us to Ancient Egypt in the 13th dynasty for over half the book. He main protagonists here are Pharaoh and his main general. This section is endless and I almost DNF it several times. I kept hoping it would get better, but the ham-fisted dialogue and long, drawn out depictions of life there were a real struggle.
The rest of this review contains spoilers, but as I hope no one ever has the bad luck to stumble across this pile, I am not using spoiler tags. The main idea underpinning the novel is that the ancient ankh really has supernatural powers-- why? Never answered. Aliens? Who knows (or really cares). In any case, it was broken in ancient times to stop a ritual. It seems the ankh gives the wielder the power to transfer his 'ba' or spirit into another body, basically giving them immortality. This ritual by an ancient priest was broken up with the ankh, but like a bad penny, it turns up in our era, found (at least half of it) by Dan's dad in a dig in Israel. The other half fell into the hands of a Islamic terrorist in Egypt, purloined from a museum. Yet, there is more to the terrorist than meets the eyes, as he really now is the reincarnation of the ancient priest, and he seeks to unite the ankh once again so he can rule the world! Only one person can stop him--you guess it, Dan!
You really have to suspend belief to read this several times. If you can do that, and get around the blatant sexism and stereotypes (islamic terrorists were probably the worst), you might mildly enjoy this. This really is only fit for lining a bird cage, and that if you really do not like the bird much. How this got picked up by a major publisher is beyond me. Perhaps (being published in 1990) and being marketed as horror during the boom helped; publishers were scrambling for something to sell as horror. While some gems found the light during this era, so did some real stinkers like this pile. I picked it up at a thrift store for 25 cents and feel super ripped off. 1.5 stars only because I finished it, rounding down for the horrible cheesy ending that put the icing on the smelly cake.
June 23, 2016
I enjoyed part one but then it went down hill and never came back up again. Totally unrealistic and ridiculous.
August 13, 2020
I think I picked up this book from a clearance book sale for 2 bits and, well, it was worth it. I'd read some Goodreads reviews before I started reading it and shook my head at all the complaining about the type of book it is. I don't know what copies those reviewers read, but mine very clearly on the front cover likens its plot to something from "The X-Files" and the back cover has a "Publishers Weekly" review quote referring to it as a thriller. Honestly, I'm not sure why they were complaining that it was a supernatural thriller like it was a surprise or that it inherently makes a book bad.
The book was a super easy read and I blew through it in a fairly short time when added all together. One detail that irked me is that the reason for the book title isn't even explained (in passing!) until page 313 of the 426 pages! That aside, the book's problem primarily is I'm not sure if the author knew what he was doing or what he wanted to write about. It's split in 3 parts and in between parts 1 and 3 of a modern-day plot is this incredibly long and frankly fairly tedious jump to a different bunch of characters in ancient Egypt who, in the end and in my opinion, were really of little consequence to the denouement.
Throw that in with some quite cringe-worthy sexist attitudes and dialogue - which I'm not 100% would've still been acceptable even in 1999 when this book was originally published - and mediocre character development and I wish I'd picked something else with my 2 bits.
The book was a super easy read and I blew through it in a fairly short time when added all together. One detail that irked me is that the reason for the book title isn't even explained (in passing!) until page 313 of the 426 pages! That aside, the book's problem primarily is I'm not sure if the author knew what he was doing or what he wanted to write about. It's split in 3 parts and in between parts 1 and 3 of a modern-day plot is this incredibly long and frankly fairly tedious jump to a different bunch of characters in ancient Egypt who, in the end and in my opinion, were really of little consequence to the denouement.
Throw that in with some quite cringe-worthy sexist attitudes and dialogue - which I'm not 100% would've still been acceptable even in 1999 when this book was originally published - and mediocre character development and I wish I'd picked something else with my 2 bits.
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September 1, 2020Loved the book, but ending was a little more rushed than I would have liked.
December 17, 2022
I had too much hope built up for this one.
I love a good mystery and I the build up did it’s job but the end result was disappointing and left me wanting a better ending.
I love a good mystery and I the build up did it’s job but the end result was disappointing and left me wanting a better ending.
March 25, 2024
DNF. I usually try to push through a book, but I just couldn't. My reading time is valuable, and I want to spend it reading something that entertains me... or at least make sense.
October 19, 2014
Awful. I legitimately could not finish this book. Usually I'll force myself to finish books I dislike, but I could not manage it with this one. As someone who has studied and practiced archaeology, and is also studying for a career in the museum field, this book seemed promising at first, but just within the first few chapters, managed to push every single one of my buttons. Now, I'm all for artistic license, especially in novels with supernatural overtones, but there comes a point where an author has played too fast and too loose with the rules, and Cleopatra's Needle passed that point quite quickly.
June 10, 2015
Even one star is generous! Not sure how I plowed through it other than the hope that somehow it would improve. Love books featuring archeologists as protagonists but this was just silly...plot was so contrived and unbelievable unless you think ancient Egyptian gods could return. I would have passes on this if it had been billed as a fantasy. Sheer determination brought me to its ridiculous conclusion. Do not waste your time!
June 25, 2015
Parts of this book were really good, then other parts were convoluted and hard to follow. It was like walking through a fog and every once in a while the fog would lift and you would find yourself in a beautiful meadow, to shortly lose it in the mist again. I don't think I would read anything else by this author.
October 8, 2014
When I first began the book, I was kind of meh. But as I progressed I became engaged. I think for me the enjoyable part was the flip to ancient Egypt and the story of Isis and Osiris and history of the ankh. As someone said, the end was very X-File but in the end it was an enjoyable read.
November 17, 2008
THIS BOOK IS TERRIBLE.
WHY CAN'T I STOP READING IT.
THE MOON WAS LIKE IF YOU HELD A LITTLE PEARL ONION UP TO THE SKY AT ARM'S LENGTH.
WHY CAN'T I STOP READING IT.
THE MOON WAS LIKE IF YOU HELD A LITTLE PEARL ONION UP TO THE SKY AT ARM'S LENGTH.
June 24, 2009
Very "X-Files" and unbelievable, but still a decent read.
April 1, 2011
Rollins-like tale set around archelo find
April 16, 2017
Took a little getting used to. Suspension of disbelief in full effect! Glad I stuck it out. A review on the cover says "The X-Files on speed." Accurate description. Ultimately enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews