The Third Gate

A Novel

By: Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Johnathan McClain

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Under the direction of famed explorer Porter Stone, an archaeological team is secretly attempting to locate the tomb of an ancient pharaoh who was unlike any other in history. Stone believes he has found the burial chamber of King Narmer, the near mythical god-king who united upper and lower Egypt in 3200 B.C., and the archaeologist has reason to believe that the greatest prize of all - Narmer's crown - might be buried with him. No crown of an Egyptian king has ever been discovered, and Narmer's is the elusive crown of the two Egypts, supposedly possessed of awesome powers.

The dig itself is located in one of the most forbidding places on Earth - the Sudd, a nearly impassable swamp in northern Sudan. Amid the nightmarish, disorienting tangle of mud and dead vegetation, a series of harrowing and inexplicable occurrences are causing people on the expedition to fear a centuries - old curse. With a monumental discovery in reach, Professor Jeremy Logan is brought onto the project to investigate. What he finds will raise new questions... and alarm.

In the hands of master storyteller Lincoln Child, The Third Gate breaks new ground and introduces a fascinating new protagonist to the thriller world.

©2012 Lincoln Child (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Lincoln Child's novels are thrilling and tantalizing." (Vince Flynn)

"Bestseller Child ( Terminal Freeze) more than succeeds in making a mummy's curse terrifying in this superb supernatural thriller.... Child evokes fear through understatement...Readers will hope to see more of [lead character] Logan in a sequel." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Ample gadgetry, New Age soul-shifting, and pyrotechnics sufficient to employ a stable of stuntmen when brought to film: Child's newest is the sort of thing to delight all those who got wrapped up in The Mummy. Think, a Dan Brown-ian adventure amongst Pharaohs ready with a pocket full of curses." ( Kirkus)

Enjoyable

What a great way to do weekend chores!!!! Exciting tech, archeologists on the hunt for the tomb of the first Pharaoh that unified Egypt. One reviewer commented that books like this are “brain candy”, addictive and must be finished. Sometimes brain candy is a nice change of pace!

Would YOU Ignore a Pharaoh's Curse?

I???m not superstitious, but I actually wondered if I would ignore the AUTHORITY of a dead ruler...a pharaoh at that. This book met my expectations when I picked it. The characters are intelligent and absolutely audacious. The author does an excellent job at capturing the foreboding of a true Egyptian curse, one that expresses itself through an overpowering dark presence and deadly happenings. The key reason this book works is because the author establishes credibility in regards to the unknown. There is real imagination here. You will listen intently when the characters unearth strange artifacts that seem to defy parts of traditional Egyptology. You'll BELIEVE it. The banter between the lead characters about ancient Egyptian lore tapped into my childhood fascination, exactly like I hoped it would. There is a Jurassic Park-like feel to this story, smart characters meddling with something forbidden, while caged in by an exotic location.

Finally, the author brings the quasi-science of the paranormal right alongside a classic, old school, Egyptian excavation. But I will warn you, the book starts a bit slow, but stick with it because the author is surrounding you with details and themes. The ending is intense and sweeping in its finality. I definitely enjoyed this read.

This is a page burner.

Not being a qualified critic, I must say the plot is intreaging. The narration is excellent and helps establish carracter personna and depth of color. This story robbed me of sleep several nights in a row. All in all, I was delightfully entertained. Thank you Lincoln Child.

Scooby Doo Story

The whole time I was listening to this book, I expected Freddy, Velma and Daphne to come along and tear the mask off the villain. It was the worst attempt at a plot ever made by Lincoln Child. I love their stuff, esp Pendergast but this was so corny it was uncomfortable to listen to.

Pass on this one guys.

Entertaining, but superficial

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book just comes across as Mystery Lite. Very predicatable, both in terms of story and character. Too many times the story "jumped the shark" for no reason.

What was most disappointing about Lincoln Child’s story?

I have always liked the basic premise of Mr. Child's stories. This just isn't followed through well.

Would you be willing to try another one of Johnathan McClain’s performances?

It was okay. I don't think the narrator helped or hurt.

Could you see The Third Gate being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not a chance. Only if it was a low-budget made-for-tv movie on the sci-fi channel or something.

Great suspense, exciting twists!

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it. The twists and turns as the secrets are revealed are great. The characters are well developed and the spooky elements are cool. Thanks for a good book!

Good, not great

The story started out well but lost steam as it went along. The ending was a little too quick and abrupt. The characters are intersting but not very developed. I'm a fan of Lincoln Child and he's written better. However, a mediocre Lincoln Child is still not that bad, it's just not great.

Nice little thriller!

Would you listen to The Third Gate again? Why?

Yes, someday. I don't like listening to books to soon because I tend to get ahead of the book in my head, but this is one I will listen to again someday.
As to why, its a great story, set in a great location with all the things a thriller needs to be great.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! Although I did see some of the things coming, (a disadvantage to reading a lot), there were enough surprises to keep me guessing.

Which character – as performed by Johnathan McClain – was your favorite?

If I have one favorite character, I consider the book a failure. This book was not a failure.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

3 Gates Up!

Loved the premise and the character development. Really wanted it to last longer, but what good book don't you want that from?

Started out great

and finished pretty strong but it got slow in the middle. I would recommend it though to anyone that likes adventure books.