The Lost Tomb

by Arla Jones

Archaeological adventure meets vengeful spirit in 1940 Cairo. Siblings Lillian and Jack Stiller, alongside adventurer Roy Sawyer, uncover ancient secrets while dodging supernatural forces. Hunted by a risen Dina seeking revenge, they race across Cairo to Berlin, battling Nazis and ancient curses to prevent catastrophe. A gripping tale of survival and intrigue unfolds, where every move could alter history's course.

In this intricately plotted, fast-paced thriller, the author takes you on a roller-coaster ride through Egypt to Berlin during wartime.

This book is great for fans of James Rollins, Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2023

Reviews

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes, sorry but I did not enjoy it.

Pretty hard to switch off one’s critical thinking when the author has the Hindenburg flying around in 1940 when it went up in flames in 1937. And unfortunately the writing is not up to par in the non-factual elements either and I’m afraid I couldn’t tolerate it long enough to read past the 60% mark.

[D.C. Salmon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Promising Idea Undermined by Execution Issues

Unfortunately, "The Lost Temple" by Arla Jones wasn't a great read for me. There's a genuinely good story idea at its core, with a premise that held a lot of potential. However, for me, the execution really let it down.
The most noticeable issue throughout the book was the lack of thorough proofreading and editing. There were numerous small mistakes – enough to be distracting and pull me out of the narrative. This really impacted the reading experience and felt like a missed opportunity to polish what could have been a much stronger book.
Beyond the grammatical errors, the plot also had numerous holes. While the core concept was compelling, the story felt underdeveloped in places, and some narrative inconsistencies left me scratching my head. It's a shame, because the potential was clearly there, but it wasn't executed properly to truly deliver on its promise.
There was even a factual error that stood out: the Hindenburg wasn't around in 1940, which was jarring.
Overall, it's disappointing to see a good idea struggle with these fundamental issues. I'd give it 3 stars if not for the persistent mistakes, but as it stands, it's a 2-star read.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am beginning to question the authors that use virtual voice. I don’t think they are putting out the effort to produce a quality novel. They think they have written it and that is all they need to do. I don’t know that this is the case here, but it is something I’ve noticed. The premise is good but the work to make it an exciting and interesting novel is not there. Also, if you are going to do a historical piece there is no research involved here. I was not interested in nor do any part of this book draw me in. I don’t care about the characters or the story. It feels very first draft. I did finish more for background noise than a work that interested me.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curses can be in many forms
Dina is entombed, eaten alive by black beetles, then left in a place far away from others, so that she may never be found... But she is, years and years later, and her helpers the black scarab beetles, do her bidding once she is released!
This beginning is a story that kept me reading as I had to know what happened next!
Thank you, Arla Jones, for another great story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Govno Nichevo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this was a surprisingly okay read. The pace was fair, and the story was reasonably engaging. It would have been nice if the author had paid more attention to historical accuracy, the word "blimp" featured far too often for my taste, and the ebook version I had needed more editing and proof reading.

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 2 out of 5]

What could’ve been a very good read turned out to be mediocre due to lack of editing/proofreading. I must confess I felt like not finishing it for a few times. There were so many inconsistencies they were so annoying and distracting. It is a shame as the general story line was good. Was this AI written? And I’m assuming this was for YA too

[Matthias Kalupner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not going to read the rest of this series.

[Mad Scientist · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped almost right away. How when guards are pounding loud enough to break down a door do you still get caught in the bed?! Nope, no believable and could not move past it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish this book. A zombie commanding a brother and sister. Obey me or I kill you just isn’t my kind of book.

[Claudia A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Interesting characters and plot line. Took a while to get going but was well put together, and then the action made you want to read more. Enjoyed it very much.