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Easy Go

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Beneath the sands of the Egyptian desert lies treasure beyond imagining. And when a professor of archaeology finds clues to the location of a Pharaoh's lost tomb in ancient hieroglyphs, he hatches a plan to find the burial site - and plunder it. 

But can a five-man team of smugglers and thieves uncover what the centuries have hidden? And even if they find it, can they escape with it...and with their lives? 

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

2006 people are currently reading
2933 people want to read

About the author

John Lange

21 books258 followers
John Lange™ is a pseudonym of author Michael Crichton. His pen name was selected as reference to his above-average height of 6' 9"(2.06 meters). Lange means "tall one" in German, Danish and Dutch.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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5 stars
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3 stars
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1 star
65 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
Profile Image for Bill Riggs.
890 reviews14 followers
May 19, 2025
A pulpy, fun, crime, adventure, Egyptian tomb mystery. This one has a little bit of everything but it all blends very well into a thoroughly enjoyable theft/heist story.
Profile Image for Anete.
576 reviews82 followers
September 22, 2021
Interesants piedzīvojumu romāns par bariņu uzņēmīgu cilvēku, kas apņēmušies atrast un izlaupīt pēdējās Seno Ēģiptiešu kapenes…
Šķiet tīri reālistiski atspoguļo 1960to gadu Ēģiptes dzīvi. Grāmatiņa man lika pie sevis spriest, nez kur gan Spīlbergs iedvesmojies savam slavenajam Indiana Jones tēlam….
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Profile Image for Dave.
3,624 reviews438 followers
July 14, 2017
Easy Go was Crichton's third or fourth published novel and was published in 1968 as John Lange. Andromeda Strain released the previous year was published under his real name.
Crichton wrote Easy Go while enrolled at Harvard Medical School.

Easy Go is an adventure novel about a small band of conspirators who find information about the hiding place of the last tomb of the Pharos, secretly excavate the tomb, and make plans to abscond with the treasure from Egypt. The book is clearly among Crichton's earlier works and suffers from a number of flaws both in terms of character development and in terms of the plot. The book is not a masterpiece and can sometimes seem flat but, once you get past the introductory parts, it is a worthwhile read. Once the excavation got under way, the story flowed quite well and the discovery of the tombs is quite compelling.
Profile Image for Brendon Lowe.
393 reviews95 followers
September 22, 2023
An early crime novel by Michael Crichton writing under the name of John Lange and released as part of the awesome "Hard Case Crime" line of books.

The premise of this makes it sound like it's going to be amazing. A Professor in Egypt identifies the location of the last tomb of a Pharaoh unknown until that time. He sources a group of petty criminals and a rich benefactor with the intent of raiding the tomb and robbing it for its hidden treasures. Will they locate the tomb? Can they escape with the loot or will the dangers they face be too much?

This is just ok. I didn't hate it but it also wasnt very intriguing either. We are subject to alot of bland detail on the Professor and his work, him searching for a crew to assist him, obtaining the equipment needed and how they are going to trick the authorities. Once we read past this bit we then read the slow, slow process of the crew slowly identifying the right area to dig and their painstaking efforts to actually get to the tomb itself.

Its not to the final quarter of the book where the action really starts to happen and the tomb is entered. In saying all that its definitely not a bad novel and is quite funny in parts.

I really like the characters of Lord Grover the ultra rich benefactor. Hes a hard drinking womaniser funding the robbery for nothing more than his own amusement. Hamid is a local Government official who is overlooking the crew as they pretend to conduct research during the day and then conducting enquiries into the tomb at night. His English is poor and his choice of words and how he spoke made me laugh everytime he was on the page.

Crichton has added a little bit of romance between two of the characters as well which was ok and didn't feel out of place. It's a good story just very slow and not alot of tension is built during it until the end. I must say I did enjoy how it all wrapped up and felt satisfied with its conclusion.
Profile Image for Benjamin Stahl.
2,257 reviews70 followers
February 10, 2024
Like many of Crichton's later novels, this one boasts an undeniably enticing premise. Before Spielberg got to making his Indiana Jones movies, here's the guy who would later pen Jurassic Park, writing a story about a bunch of self-made tomb-raiders, seeking out and ransoming the priceless treasure of the last remaining pharaonic tomb in the outskirts of Luxor, right under the Egyptian government's nose.

With Crichton's (or Lange's) fast, utilitarian writing style, an exciting, violent and campy adventure seems likely. However, as is also common of Crichton, the story doesn't really seem intent on reaching its own potential. It ponders along, being all charmingly macho and wiseass in that classic 60's/70's way, but nothing really seems to happen. Even the eventual climax has little more than a hint of tension.

The main characters are hardly complex, but as distinctive characters they get the job done. Pierce, the hero, was as empty a shell as they come; Nikos was the tough guy - he disapproved killing, but had few qualms beating an Egyptian peasant boy senseless; Barnaby, the intelligent but wimpy tag-along; Conway, the smartass black guy; Lisa, the hot girl who isn't afraid to roll up her sleeves. Lord Grover is actually the most interesting, in that I kind of despised him but always was more invested when he was around. His clearly unconscionable lifestyle, his fondness for multiple girls and his stereotypical "rich Brit" schtick was embarrassingly lazy of Crichton, yet fun all the same. I also liked Hamad Iskander as his presence brought a little needed tension whenever he came along to check on the camp. Crichton handled his dialogue kind of terribly though. I don't know if it was racist, or just a lame overuse of the man's poor grasp of English, or something of a combination.

I also feel the end was too ambiguous - especially regarding the apparent execution of a bunch of poor bastards falsely accused of the crime the "heroes" actually commit. Not even Lisa, the feminine voice of reason and compassion, seemed to have any problem with this. Maybe Varese just made it up to coax the real culprits into a confession. I don't know. It strikes a morally jarring note to end on either way.

In conclusion, Easy Go (a laughable title, by the way) was far from great. It wasn't even exactly good. Yet somehow, I found it enjoyable from start to finish. Go figure.
Profile Image for Greg.
2,183 reviews17 followers
June 9, 2019
COUNTDOWN: Mid-20th Century North American Crime
BOOK 231 (of 250)
Hook=4 stars: "The Great Pyramid of Cheops filled the horizon" opens the book. An archaeologist translates hieroglyphics on page one. It's Crichton (Jurassic Park, Andromeda Strain and so many more very good to great novels) exploring ancient Egypt! Could you possibly set this one aside?
Pace=1: Yea, you could set this one aside after all...by about page 50. The breasts of every female is discussed at length. That's fine if that's your thing. But, lots of cigarettes are leisurely smoked. Lots of "facts" are littered throughout the book. Many photos are taken...that is, Crichton's hero seems to have a lot of money for film. Much history is discussed completely unrelated to the (???) plot. Slo-mo novel.
Plot=1: A long lost tomb? It's been done before, many times. And done very nicely. Not here. Near the the end I, too, became lost. And the beating of a young boy, almost to death, is just torture porn to me.
Characters=1: Some had breasts. (A much better title.) There is a 'hero'. Don't remember anything about him after closing the book.
Atmosphere/Place=2: I'm giving this 2 stars because I've read Gore Vidal's "Thieves Fall Out" and it felt like he'd never visited Egypt and had opened perhaps one tour book to mention a couple of statues. Here, it feels like Crichton has read several tour books for his research, but also had not visited Egypt. (I have, I've been inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, and inside Tut's tomb. I've cruised the Nile, visited Alexandria, and maybe that's the issue for me.) Yes, I understand it's fiction. But could you author a book set in, say, Southern USA in 1860 and not mention slaves and cotton plantations? Here, in "Easy Go" Crichton talks about the ancient Egyptian's luxurious lives. Maybe the 1%. Bartle Bull in "Cafe on the Nile" and Agatha Christie in "Death on the Nile" get closer to a real ancient Egypt, as does Norman Mailer in "Ancient Evenings."
Summary: Great hook, great expectations. Then, little to nothing for an overall rating of 1.8.
Profile Image for Joe.
1,196 reviews27 followers
May 10, 2019
When Michael Crichton (Yes, that Michael Crichton) was in med school, he wrote a number of crime potboilers to pass the time under the name "John Lange." This went undiscovered for many years but thankfully was eventually discovered. I have a love/hate relationship with Crichton. His novels were my first leap into "adult" reading as a kid. Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere...the list could go on and on. These books changed my life. They helped me see a larger world and that smart people have a leg up in it.

But then in what would unfortunately become the twilight of his career, he let his conservative politics ruin his writing. State of Fear and Next were lazy and just poor writing. Crichton and I had a literary breakup and before we could get back together, he died tragically young of Lymphoma in 2008.

I was so excited to see these early books existed! What better way to bury the hatchet then to go back to the beginning? So...was "Easy Go" any good?

It was...fine. The writing and set pieces were actually pretty great. Synopsis: Ocean's 11 but for sacred burial grounds in Egypt. The characters are thin but effective. The ending, however, was sudden and ineffective. Obviously the gender and racial politics didn't age well but I largely give it a pass given the genre and the time period.

So this was worth my time, but only barely. I suspect I'll slowly work my way through the rest.
Profile Image for Kaleb.
14 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2018
I have been a longtime fan of Michael Crichton and was excited to discover that he had written under a pseudonym early in his career. I had to see what "John Lange" was all about.

This was one of Crichton's earliest novels, and possibly his first according to at least one source I found, originally written when he was in medical school. His youth as a writer is evident, as the characters are underdeveloped, archetypal, and "larger-than-life" in their portrayal. However, they are all very likable. I don't think I will ever forget the boisterous Lord Grover, the nervous and greedy Barnaby, or the seductive Lisa who is both the love interest and momentary voice of morality among the group of thieves.

The plot moves quickly, spurred on by short, witty dialogue between characters that had me chuckling most of the time. I was not suspecting the surprise at the ending, and in fact found it quite clever. However, I wish it had been more thoroughly fleshed out and not simply dropped in on the last couple of pages with a wink and a nod. Overall, the book jumps from plot point to the next a little too quickly so that, when it is over, you felt like you just watched an enjoyable hour-long TV show that could have been turned in to an excellent full-length movie.

As I was reading I could see shades of who would become the author of some of my favorite books as a teenager: Jurrassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Sphere, Timeline, Prey, State of Fear, and others. Crichton would later structure his novels around themes of cutting-edge technology, and was famous for his ability to weave together science fiction and science fact. In Easy Go, this is replaced by historical and contemporary tidbits about Egypt. The diverse group of strangers brought together is a motif he would continue in future novels such as Jurassic Park, Sphere, and The Andromeda Strain.

All in all the characters are enjoyable and the search for the treasure definitely keeps the reader in suspense. How could a tale of wannabe Egyptian tomb-raiders not? I just wanted more! I wanted it to be written by a mature Crichton.

Easy Go is a fun, light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I definitely am going to check out more of the John Lang books.
Profile Image for Roger.
1,068 reviews13 followers
May 25, 2018
I recently realized I have read every work of fiction Michael Crichton published under his own name. This has been a goal of mine for a long time-I really had not realized I had done it, however, and now I am strangely depressed. There is still a little more Crichton to go-the author wrote eight novels under the pen name John Lange, and I still have three of those to track down. Speaking of which-Easy Go is a reasonably thrilling heist novel. I am not a big fan of this kind of book but these are some nice twists that elevate Easy Go above your typical adventure. And no of course I am not going to tell you what those twists are. It still amazes me that Crichton wrote the Lange novels to pay for college-he was freaking brilliant.
Profile Image for Colin Barnes.
Author 25 books193 followers
May 5, 2020
If you go into this book with the mindset of it being a dime novel adventure tale then you won't be disappointed. It's an entirely different beast to Crichton's technothrillers but I'm glad of that. This is pure, old-school adventure. It rattles along at a fast pace with old timey characters doing daring things. Set mostly in Egypt, it's all about a tomb heist. To say more than that will spoil it, but if you're looking for a quick read that's fun and utterly enjoyable, this is a good one to try out.
Profile Image for Valeria Franco.
Author 2 books27 followers
March 23, 2020
Questo libro si è rivelato un’immensa delusione. Nei primi capitoli sembrava una storia appassionante e coinvolgente, poi si è rivelata soltanto capace di dilungarsi su argomenti inutili tralasciando le parti più interessanti del romanzo.
Non saprei nemmeno con che genere definirlo data la piattezza della trama e delle vicende. Non si può parlare di “azione” perché non vi ho trovato proprio azione, le scene nelle quali poteva esserci si sono ridotte a miseri accenni… E non si può parlare nemmeno di “thriller” perché i momenti di tensione sono stati praticamente tagliati o ridotti all’osso.
Molte situazioni si sono rivelate inverosimili e deludenti, mentre i personaggi vaghi e caricaturati.
Ci ho visto davvero molte potenzialità sprecate in questo libro… Ma è anche vero che, dopo questo volume, Crichton si è rivelato il maestro che tutti conosciamo. Quindi direi che il nostro autore è riuscito (senza alcun dubbio) a sviluppare tutte le sue potenzialità che ha lasciato inespresse in questa storia.

Questo, in estrema sintesi, è “La vendetta del deserto” se volete leggere una recensione un po’ più approfondita ecco il link del mio blog: http://viaggidicarta.altervista.org/l...
Profile Image for Josh.
1,730 reviews184 followers
September 26, 2016
An unlikely band of acquaintances come together to score big off of tomb robbing. An archaeologist, a wealthy Englishman, a writer and a couple of hired muscle men along with the beautiful personal secretary to the Englishman head to the heat of Egypt under the guise of translating hieroglyphics. By night, they search for an elusive tomb thought to contain wealth beyond their means.

Easy Go is an easy read. You wont find a lot of facts about Egypt and the hidden treasures that abound but you will encounter a lively bunch of characters each with their own distinct 'feel' and a thief's theme that takes an unconventional turn.
Profile Image for Trevor S.
5 reviews
November 15, 2013
I've been waiting years and years and years to get a chance to read Michael Crichtons John Lange books, thank you Hard Case Crime for getting them out there!
Easy Go was actually a better read then I was expecting, a fast and exciting book it really feels like a good draft of what would have been a great Crichton.
Profile Image for Craig Childs.
1,024 reviews17 followers
December 9, 2018
An archaeologist finds a coded message in some ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that points to the existence of the tomb of an unknown pharaoh and a lost treasure. Soon he partners with four other men with a plan to pose as a legitimate archaeology expedition, but their secret mission is to find the last tomb of the pharaohs and steal the loot.

The most interesting member of this crew is Lord Grover, who is already rich and is only investing in the mission as a lark. He occupies his time by bringing an assortment of women into the camp and throwing lavish drinking parties.

Easy Go is much better than Hard Case Crime's other treasure hunting themed offering - Thieves Fall Out by Gore Vidal.

In fact, this is my favorite of the John Lange novels that Michael Crichton wrote while in med school. This one is slower than the others and grounded in Egyptian history and lore. The author allows the suspense to build naturally during the search for the tomb, the puzzle of how to gain entrance, and finally the inventive plan to fence its contents and evade detection.

The only flaw is a rushed and somewhat muddled ending. In fact, I googled the book and saw several posts asking for the final three chapters to be explained. So here it is…

(Spoiler alert) Varese, the Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Department, suspects the expedition of criminal mischief after he finds an authentic scarab beetle made of lapis lazuli, which one member of the crew lost. Varese disguises himself as a beggar on two occasions in order to sneak into their work camp, but he is unable to find any concrete evidence of their real mission. However, after he receives a ransom note demanding fifty million dollars in exchange for the location of the tomb, he figures it out.

Here’s the rub: Varese needs the crew in order to find the location of the tomb. He arranges for them to be detained, so they will think they have been caught. Then he offers a fair trade. He will pretend they are innocent if they will lead him to the tomb. They will not get rich, but they will be compensated for their expenses and they will become famous for their discovery.

This plan is essentially what Lord Grover had wanted to do in a previous chapter. The book implies Grover left hints for Varese in the ransom note he wrote, but the extent to which Grover affected Varese’s actions remains unexplained. In any event, Grover would rather have the fame than the money, so he is happy to go along with the arrangement and make the others believe it is their only choice to avoid arrest.

(end spoilers)
Profile Image for Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf).
550 reviews13 followers
July 6, 2019
When I found out that Michael Crichton had written several novels under the name of John Lange before he was well known I wanted to see what they were like. This one was mediocre though it had it's moments. I was tempted to put it down and either finish it later or not finish it at all, but I stuck it out.

Crichton honed his skills and became one of the superb writers of his time, and, well, after his time also. His works are classics in both literature, adventure and certainly instructive no matter the subject he was writing on, dinosaurs and cloning, nano technology, great apes . . . whatever.

This was before he became superb to say the least. Not bad, and when you consider that they were first novels written when he was quite young, they do display a talent.

Even this book was instructive as to Egyptology. However; overall there was little adventure; even the scenes with the cobras were muted and when trapped you knew Pierce, the primary protagonist (is that redundant?) was going to be OK. Whoops? Is that a spoiler? If so, not much of one. In order to understand those you would have to READ THE BOOK but I can't honestly recommend that you do. I won't say you shouldn't, just that. . . well, it's up to you. (As for the love scenes. . . excuse me for yawning.)

I won't be ordering any more John Lange books but will remember Mr. Crichton as the great writer that he was a bit later in his life.

Oh, the cover? It has absolutely nothing to do with what takes place in the book so if you buy the book for its cover you're going to be disappointed.
Profile Image for Leah.
625 reviews74 followers
April 27, 2017
This was such a simple, straightforward book that the ridiculously soft ending should have surprised me less, but it didn't. This is such a cosy-mystery, don't-offend-the-sensitive-readers, everyone-gets-a-nonviolent-slaponthewrist-comeuppance ending that I wanted to vomit. I guess pseudonymous pulp writers of the 60s and 70s weren't in it for the grit? It's like the Hays Code for books, and it is really unsatisfying.

Anyway, the setup is a classic adventure plot: Someone Discovers Something Astonishing, a Crew is Formed, The Plan Gets Underway, Some Setbacks Occur (but Nothing Too Difficult), The Plan Goes Off (With a Small Hitch), The Jig is Up, The End. Where The End = A Solution To The Benefit Of All But Without The Boundless Riches Envisioned By Everyone Involved.

Clive Cussler cut his teeth on this kind of thing, I assume. It worked really well for me, up until I realised that SPOILER nobody dies or gets bitten by cobras or even arrested. I was fully prepared for at least 3/5 of the crew to die horrendous, Egyptian-booby-trap deaths, and none of them did. QUELLE DISAPPOINTMENT.

And it even SPOILER ends in a marriage, just like a cosy romance novel. All in all, fun but forgettable, and massively doesn't deliver on its promises.
Profile Image for Erin Kymes.
14 reviews
September 7, 2019
My new favorite book

Do you love Egyptian history, tomb-robbing, and archaeology? My childhood self was completely satisfied with this book! Would 100% recommend!
Profile Image for Jenni DaVinCat.
566 reviews25 followers
September 19, 2019
Not bad, not bad. It's definitely Crichton, but in order to enjoy this short adventure story, you must not be expecting Crichton. As the blurb states, this was written well before he became the famous author that he was and has nothing to do with the types of novels that he became famous for. There's no element of science in this book, aside from some archaeology.

That being said, it really wasn't bad. It's the kind of book that you really don't have to get too involved in. Something you might bring to the beach, or on an airplane. It's an adventure story set in the 1920's about searching for and robbing the last remaining untouched tomb of a Pharaoh. The characters are interesting and far more developed in a short time frame than many other authors are able to do with much longer books. Crichton has always been talented. He does, however, struggle with writing female characters, which I've found to be true for most of his books. It doesn't make me like him any less, just something I've noticed from reading his many many books.

It actually wouldn't make a bad movie. There's a little twist towards the end that I wish would have been developed further, or maybe he could have allowed the reader to know a little more about what happened after the events of the book, but for the most part, it was entertaining and satisfying.
Profile Image for Claire.
644 reviews39 followers
December 11, 2020
Pulp fiction of the 1970s this Indiana Jones type tale was notably not published in Michael Crichton's own name.

A select group of Super Talented Men (a burglar, an archaeologist, a linguist and a rich Lord) decide to rob the last "undiscovered" pharaohs tomb in Luxor, right under the noses of the Egyptian Antiquities department.

As sexist and racist as you would expect from an era where Egypt is still a British colony and Afghanistan is considered a holiday destination. We've come a long way in half a century.
Profile Image for Garrett.
1,731 reviews22 followers
September 3, 2023
My jumping on point with Crichton was The Great Train Robbery, and like a lot of people, I didn't read Jurassic Park until I heard the first movie was coming out back in 1993. From that point I devoured his stuff, and while the newer stuff got more and more complex and twisty, the older stuff - with its straight ahead H. Rider Haggard-type vibe - always hits the spot, too. This is a reissue, so it's truly vintage, and feels like it, but fans of detail-oriented fortune-seeker pacing will enjoy this no end.
Profile Image for Jaimie Engle.
Author 39 books263 followers
April 2, 2025
Michael Creighton is one of my favorite authors so anytime I can get my hands on a new story of his, I dive in. What I love about this book is that it captures that golden age of being a novelist, the world traveling, the untrustworthy Shenanigans, the inappropriate swooning, the even more inappropriate dialogue, all woven together in a story, reminiscent of Romancing the Stone or Indiana Jones, about a group of thieves looking to pull a heist in a pharaoh’s tomb. It was such a fun book to fall into. I mean, just look at the cover. It says everything you need to know.
Profile Image for Sean Robinson.
64 reviews
April 14, 2025
An exciting and fun read. I like the adventure Michael gives in his books. My only complaint would be the ending seemed rather abrupt and anticlimactic.
Profile Image for Tom Place.
71 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2025
Super fun, quick read. 1960s desert exploration. Solid characters and fun plotline. Will probably read it again in a couple of years.
Profile Image for James Shrimpton.
Author 1 book43 followers
August 14, 2023
Not an astonishing thriller of itself, but very enjoyable and an easy read. The real triumph is the ending. A prime example of sticking the landing with a strong moral imperative.
291 reviews
January 1, 2024
Not Easy

Easy come easy go is a statement but nothing about these folks lives were easy come. I guess in the end they were still alive. A great book, read it. Big D
10 reviews
June 22, 2020
It was interesting to read a book written when Michael Crichton was in medical school! Also, to recognize that even though most of the book was timeless, there were some things that dated it in the 1960’s. This book reminded me of writings of Hemingway. It was also written under a pseudonym, John Lange. I enjoyed reading this book.
Profile Image for Joan.
76 reviews
October 8, 2022
Una historia de aventuras a la que le falta sentido de la aventura. Y es una lástima, porque lo que plantea Crichton aquí es muy prometedor: ladrones de tumbas modernos, en el Egipto de hoy en día, en busca de un tesoro todavía no descubierto. Se nota la mano del autor en muchos pasajes, sobretodo aquellos de corte más aleccionador, pero también que es uno de sus trabajos primerizos.
Profile Image for Samie Foster.
Author 57 books19 followers
March 31, 2019
So recently I learned that there are some books from my author I never read. I For ages declared I have read every Michael Crichton novel, but there are some books not many know about. There are a select few he wrote in college. They were published under the pen name of John Lange and it wasn’t until after his death that they were rebranded as the Michael Crichton's Med School books. There five or of them and the book I decided to read first was Easy Go.

So what is Easy Go? It starts with an archaeologist name Baranby, who while in Egypt one day, thinks, “I want to rob a tomb,” and he has a good idea of where an undiscovered tomb is. Late that night he has a drink in a bar and meets a journalist named Pierce. He likes Pierce and trusts him enough to pass the idea of the tomb raiding by him. And not only does Pierce want to do it, he has connections. A team is put together and they go off to rob a tomb.

So the good? It’s fun. It’s different. It is a fun little tale. Also it has a nice little twist ending you don’t see coming.

The bad? There were two things that I found very odd. One concerned the women in this book. Most women are prostitutes without a name only in the story so that the male characters can be entertained. Then there’s Lisa. She is a character who when introduced appeared to have purpose at first, but was really there so that Pierce would have a love interest. Seriously, she could have been replaced with a house plant and it would have changed nothing. I do understand that Crichton was young when he wrote this and it was just a different environment in America at the time. So I can cut him slack and say that the culture and youthful ignorance led to this portrayal, because he has such developed female characters in his more well known later novels. But some people may not look at it this way and get offended. The same could be said to the referral of Egyptians as Arabs in this story, which could be an issue for people. But again, this is if you’re easily offended. I tend to blow these things off when I read books and just ignore it to focuses on the core story. So this is more of a warning for people. This book is very old and its not politically correct as some would like. Another thing I found odd is it starts as Barnaby’s story, but Pierce hijacks the book fifty pages in. It’s very bizarre. Lastly this book is about tomb raiding and that is it. There are no chance scenes, espionage, Indiana Jones like traps, or curses. They are just robbing a tomb. Toward the end they all face unexpected consequences for their actions you don’t see coming. It’s a very big moral dilemma. But despite the intriguing ending, the reader will be wondering when and if something will happen.

Overall, this is an interesting early work of Michael Crichton and far from the quality of his later stuff. It’s not for everyone. A lot of people may be very disappointed and very bored. But for a lot of people this will be good read, bust because it is well paced, well written and just a different engaging read.

2 smoothies out of four.

Overall Rating: One of Crichton’s Earliest is a Mediocre Romp
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