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Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings
Every historical fact is real. The question remains—are they true?
From New York to Jerusalem, one archaeologist races to uncover a truth buried for millennia—and powerful forces will kill to keep it hidden.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Ethan Stone presents a bold new theory about King Tut’s mysterious death. Hours later, his world unravels. A journalist challenges his past. A secretive defense empire resurfaces. And a trail of ancient clues leads from the ruins of Egypt to the deserts of Arabia—and toward a mountain beneath the shadow of Jerusalem that may change everything we believe about history.
The truth is ancient.
The war is now.
And one man stands between history and its final secret.
From New York to Jerusalem, one archaeologist races to uncover a truth buried for millennia—and powerful forces will kill to keep it hidden.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Ethan Stone presents a bold new theory about King Tut’s mysterious death. Hours later, his world unravels. A journalist challenges his past. A secretive defense empire resurfaces. And a trail of ancient clues leads from the ruins of Egypt to the deserts of Arabia—and toward a mountain beneath the shadow of Jerusalem that may change everything we believe about history.
The truth is ancient.
The war is now.
And one man stands between history and its final secret.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2025
7 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Adam W. Schindler
2 books1 followerAdam W. Schindler is a novelist whose work explores the intersection of faith, power, and moral consequence in moments of historical and modern crisis.
Trained in philosophy and theology, his storytelling draws on ancient texts, biblical history, and contemporary geopolitics, weaving high-stakes suspense with enduring questions about belief, inheritance, and responsibility.
Adam has collaborated on biblical and historical projects for film and publishing, including serving as a Biblical Scholar for a major motion picture. He is the author of Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings, the first novel in a planned thriller series, and is currently developing additional work in both prose and screen formats.
Trained in philosophy and theology, his storytelling draws on ancient texts, biblical history, and contemporary geopolitics, weaving high-stakes suspense with enduring questions about belief, inheritance, and responsibility.
Adam has collaborated on biblical and historical projects for film and publishing, including serving as a Biblical Scholar for a major motion picture. He is the author of Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings, the first novel in a planned thriller series, and is currently developing additional work in both prose and screen formats.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 18, 2025
I love great thrillers, and this one has it all! Adam Schindler knows how to tell a great story. He hits a nerve, the one where history feels like it’s breathing down your neck, and every situation the main character, Ethan Stone, finds himself in could be a fuse waiting for a spark. If you crave stories that blend history with heart pounding suspense, this could be your next obsession. Midway through the first chapter I caught myself doing what I do when I have a new Dan Brown, Louise Penny, or James Patterson novel in my hands… leaning in, tracking the clues, waiting for the ground to shift under my feet, all while falling in love with the characters.
The setup feels familiar in the best way. You’ve got a scholar with a theory the establishment doesn’t want to hear, a museum lecture that lights the match, and then the tempo jumps. Among the many things that Schindler gets right is the sense of velocity. Ethan Stone isn’t just moving across continents. He’s being yanked deeper into a story that was set in motion long before he was born. An echo of inevitability kept me turning pages and made it hard to put down.
There’s a unique pleasure in seeing real historical details get woven into something that feels a tad too plausible. I kept pausing to search which facts were verifiable and which were narrative skills, and the line kept blurring. That’s the sweet spot for this genre that I enjoy so much and Schindler masters. When the book whispers, “you could look this up…” Naturally, I looked things up. I cross referenced the internet, my Bible, my maps and I learned a lot while expanding my vocabulary, geography and travel wish list.
The global sweep works. New York and London have their crisp modern menace, while the sections in Arabia and around Jerusalem are where the book finds its pulse. The sense of scale grows as Stone gets closer to the core of the mystery. You start to feel the weight of millennia settling on the present moment, and the question becomes less “Is this real?” and more “Suppose it is?” Because the more you research, the more you will know the truth hides in plain sight.
There’s an undercurrent of paranoia threading through the plot that reminded me of early Brown. The sense that the modern machinery of politics, defense, and media can bury truth as effectively as shifting desert sand. Schindler doesn’t overplay it. He lets the reader sit with the tension, the little clicks of recognition when a piece of history you thought you understood tilts. The pace tightens with each chapter. The revelations hit with a satisfying snap, not because they’re shocking, but because they feel earned.
If you read to solve mysteries, enjoy conspiracies with teeth, ancient questions colliding with modern agendas, and just a little romance, this story will be quite satisfying. It feels like the start of something bigger. Schindler has only opened the outer chamber and knows there are deeper rooms ahead, I look forward to him walking us through those doors as the chronicles unfold.
I closed the book with that familiar mix of satisfaction, wonder and the quiet shiver that comes with believing what we think we know, can all be changed in an instant, with every new piece of information that is revealed. For a few hours, you’re right there in the middle of it with Ethan Stone savoring a story so descriptive it leaves you wondering how soon you will be able to see the movie. I’m anxiously waiting for the next installment and encourage you and your book club to indulge in this thriller if you dare.
A perfect gift for readers that enjoy suspense, thrillers and historical fiction.
The setup feels familiar in the best way. You’ve got a scholar with a theory the establishment doesn’t want to hear, a museum lecture that lights the match, and then the tempo jumps. Among the many things that Schindler gets right is the sense of velocity. Ethan Stone isn’t just moving across continents. He’s being yanked deeper into a story that was set in motion long before he was born. An echo of inevitability kept me turning pages and made it hard to put down.
There’s a unique pleasure in seeing real historical details get woven into something that feels a tad too plausible. I kept pausing to search which facts were verifiable and which were narrative skills, and the line kept blurring. That’s the sweet spot for this genre that I enjoy so much and Schindler masters. When the book whispers, “you could look this up…” Naturally, I looked things up. I cross referenced the internet, my Bible, my maps and I learned a lot while expanding my vocabulary, geography and travel wish list.
The global sweep works. New York and London have their crisp modern menace, while the sections in Arabia and around Jerusalem are where the book finds its pulse. The sense of scale grows as Stone gets closer to the core of the mystery. You start to feel the weight of millennia settling on the present moment, and the question becomes less “Is this real?” and more “Suppose it is?” Because the more you research, the more you will know the truth hides in plain sight.
There’s an undercurrent of paranoia threading through the plot that reminded me of early Brown. The sense that the modern machinery of politics, defense, and media can bury truth as effectively as shifting desert sand. Schindler doesn’t overplay it. He lets the reader sit with the tension, the little clicks of recognition when a piece of history you thought you understood tilts. The pace tightens with each chapter. The revelations hit with a satisfying snap, not because they’re shocking, but because they feel earned.
If you read to solve mysteries, enjoy conspiracies with teeth, ancient questions colliding with modern agendas, and just a little romance, this story will be quite satisfying. It feels like the start of something bigger. Schindler has only opened the outer chamber and knows there are deeper rooms ahead, I look forward to him walking us through those doors as the chronicles unfold.
I closed the book with that familiar mix of satisfaction, wonder and the quiet shiver that comes with believing what we think we know, can all be changed in an instant, with every new piece of information that is revealed. For a few hours, you’re right there in the middle of it with Ethan Stone savoring a story so descriptive it leaves you wondering how soon you will be able to see the movie. I’m anxiously waiting for the next installment and encourage you and your book club to indulge in this thriller if you dare.
A perfect gift for readers that enjoy suspense, thrillers and historical fiction.
November 20, 2025
A most captivating read! Adam Schindler’s Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings keeps you in suspense. Right out of the gate, Adam takes you back approximately 3,500 years to a riveting time in history and then catapults you to the present, threading both the past and the present in a fascinating way that only a skilled writer can do. It blends action, adventure and romance. For the archaeology fans out there, you will be captivated with the main character, Dr. Ethan Stone, Egyptologist, a great contender to the famous ‘Indiana Jones’. He has wit! He has a keen sense of adventure!
A central part of the story occurs at some archaeological sites of the Exodus journey of God’s People. Adam brilliantly takes the reader along with Dr. Ethan Stone’s team on an exploratory adventure to these ‘bigger than life’ sites. You, the reader, will feel like you are walking in step with the team, in awe of such discoveries. You will experience the same wonderment as the characters. Be prepared to be captivated as Adam delivers detailed descriptions of these ancient archaeological sites. He does so in such manner as to give you, the reader, the impression he walked the land and took copious and meticulous notes of the landscape and sites … just so you, the reader, can experience it as well.
Adam then takes his characters to the most contentious nation on the planet … the Land of Israel … where he brings them into further discoveries of archaeological sites. The excitement! The wonder! Enough to give the reader the thirst to visit and discover the Land in person.
The age-old battle between good and evil comes through in unique ways within the key characters of this story. Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings is so well written; you, the reader, will have the sense you are in a movie theatre watching an ‘Indiana Jones’ movie, sitting on the edge of your seat! This book is a top-notch attention grabber. Be prepared to find yourself leaping right into the next chapter without taking a pause. This momentum is sustained throughout the 400+ page book. It’s a page turner. It’s a must read. It’s a keeper for one’s library.
My final thought? When is the sequel being released?!?
A central part of the story occurs at some archaeological sites of the Exodus journey of God’s People. Adam brilliantly takes the reader along with Dr. Ethan Stone’s team on an exploratory adventure to these ‘bigger than life’ sites. You, the reader, will feel like you are walking in step with the team, in awe of such discoveries. You will experience the same wonderment as the characters. Be prepared to be captivated as Adam delivers detailed descriptions of these ancient archaeological sites. He does so in such manner as to give you, the reader, the impression he walked the land and took copious and meticulous notes of the landscape and sites … just so you, the reader, can experience it as well.
Adam then takes his characters to the most contentious nation on the planet … the Land of Israel … where he brings them into further discoveries of archaeological sites. The excitement! The wonder! Enough to give the reader the thirst to visit and discover the Land in person.
The age-old battle between good and evil comes through in unique ways within the key characters of this story. Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings is so well written; you, the reader, will have the sense you are in a movie theatre watching an ‘Indiana Jones’ movie, sitting on the edge of your seat! This book is a top-notch attention grabber. Be prepared to find yourself leaping right into the next chapter without taking a pause. This momentum is sustained throughout the 400+ page book. It’s a page turner. It’s a must read. It’s a keeper for one’s library.
My final thought? When is the sequel being released?!?
November 24, 2025
A suspenseful, character-driven thriller that sets the stage for an unforgettable trilogy—I couldn’t put it down.
From the very first chapter, Adam Schindler pulls you in with characters that feel instantly familiar. I especially loved Ethan and his team—each member with their own strengths, flaws, and humanity that made me care about what happened to them. The story strikes a smart balance: there’s suspense and tension woven through every page, a thread of romance that adds warmth without stealing focus, and an overall pace that keeps you saying, “just one more chapter.”
What impressed me most was Adam’s ability to sustain momentum. The stakes rise steadily, the suspense builds, and before you know it, you’ve been reading far longer than you planned. That’s the mark of a storyteller who knows exactly how to hold his audience.
If I had to note one thing, it’s that I tend to be picky about clichés, and a few did appear here. But they were rare—and in truth, most readers likely won’t even notice them. The strength of the characters, the richness of the plot, and the tension throughout far outweigh those minor moments.
Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings is a compelling, well-crafted thriller with heart. With two more books already on the horizon, this first installment sets the stage for a powerful trilogy. I, for one, can’t wait for the next chapter—and recommend readers start here so they’ll be ready when the story continues.
From the very first chapter, Adam Schindler pulls you in with characters that feel instantly familiar. I especially loved Ethan and his team—each member with their own strengths, flaws, and humanity that made me care about what happened to them. The story strikes a smart balance: there’s suspense and tension woven through every page, a thread of romance that adds warmth without stealing focus, and an overall pace that keeps you saying, “just one more chapter.”
What impressed me most was Adam’s ability to sustain momentum. The stakes rise steadily, the suspense builds, and before you know it, you’ve been reading far longer than you planned. That’s the mark of a storyteller who knows exactly how to hold his audience.
If I had to note one thing, it’s that I tend to be picky about clichés, and a few did appear here. But they were rare—and in truth, most readers likely won’t even notice them. The strength of the characters, the richness of the plot, and the tension throughout far outweigh those minor moments.
Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings is a compelling, well-crafted thriller with heart. With two more books already on the horizon, this first installment sets the stage for a powerful trilogy. I, for one, can’t wait for the next chapter—and recommend readers start here so they’ll be ready when the story continues.
November 25, 2025
PHARAOH: CURSE OF THE KINGS IS LIKE A FEAST WITH ALL MY FAVORITE FOODS!
I loved this novel! Author Adam Schindler has brought together so many fascinating and deliciously intriguing concepts/plot lines in one glorious feast!
There is the ancient Egypt of the Pharaohs and the pyramids;
There is the Biblical Exodus of the Hebrew people;
There is a modern story of family conflict with Dr. Ethan Stone to match that of the ancient family conflict opening the story;
There are conflicted emotions and principles that are resolved in the face of ideological and political terrorism;
There is the deep spiritual underpinning of Jerusalem;
There are global tensions. . . and romantic tensions;
And there are admirable, stoic, deeply moral former Special Ops guys, the friends and comrades of Stone, in contrast to the jihadist pawns of the story's evil antagonist.
All the characters -- both good and bad -- are well-developed and realistic; their actions are believable.
Read Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings by Adam Schindler. The story is a feast, so exciting and gripping that you will not want to leave it!
I loved this novel! Author Adam Schindler has brought together so many fascinating and deliciously intriguing concepts/plot lines in one glorious feast!
There is the ancient Egypt of the Pharaohs and the pyramids;
There is the Biblical Exodus of the Hebrew people;
There is a modern story of family conflict with Dr. Ethan Stone to match that of the ancient family conflict opening the story;
There are conflicted emotions and principles that are resolved in the face of ideological and political terrorism;
There is the deep spiritual underpinning of Jerusalem;
There are global tensions. . . and romantic tensions;
And there are admirable, stoic, deeply moral former Special Ops guys, the friends and comrades of Stone, in contrast to the jihadist pawns of the story's evil antagonist.
All the characters -- both good and bad -- are well-developed and realistic; their actions are believable.
Read Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings by Adam Schindler. The story is a feast, so exciting and gripping that you will not want to leave it!
November 11, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings pulls you right into the world of young Egyptologist Dr. Ethan Stone as he tries to uncover a mystery that’s fascinated him for years. The story is full of twists and turns, with a great mix of real historical details and fast-paced adventure. I loved how the author lets you see the story through not just Ethan’s eyes, but also other key characters whose backgrounds and motives unfold naturally as you go. It kept me turning the pages and eager to see where the story would lead next.
November 19, 2025
Adam W. Schindler‘s Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings is an exhilarating adventure, reminiscent of Raiders of the lost Ark. Follow the handsome Dr Ethan Stone, an expert in the things of Egypt as he uncover secrets, traveling through dusty trails in ancient places. Ethan is challenged by a beautiful skeptical columnist . He is aided by his longtime loyal army friends. The plot is packed with danger, intrigue and unexpected twists. I was genuinely sad to finish the book, but I am interested in the promise of a sequel being written!
November 25, 2025
Adam Schindler's Pharaoh: Curse of the Kings traces the physical and historical and spiritual journey of modern-day Egyptologist Ethan Stone as he seeks to uncover new clues about the Egyptian Pharaohs of the time of Moses that could change how to understand the book of Exodus.
Add in Ethan's unexpected encounter with a respected female journalist, and three Army buddies of Ethan who help gather information onsite in the Middle East near where they had served during recent wars-- and encounter local operatives working against their data-gathering, and a father in London whose plan was for Ethan to inherit his military defense contractor empire. The melding of these subplots adds further intrigue.
The author's research of ancient Egypt is thorough, as evidenced when it's sprinkled throughout the story, and expected in subsequent books!
I was given an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Add in Ethan's unexpected encounter with a respected female journalist, and three Army buddies of Ethan who help gather information onsite in the Middle East near where they had served during recent wars-- and encounter local operatives working against their data-gathering, and a father in London whose plan was for Ethan to inherit his military defense contractor empire. The melding of these subplots adds further intrigue.
The author's research of ancient Egypt is thorough, as evidenced when it's sprinkled throughout the story, and expected in subsequent books!
I was given an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
November 22, 2025
I read Adam W. Schindler's, Pharaoh: Curse of the King, and it reminded me of the historical fiction genre, such as the likes of GA Henty but with a Dan Brown flair.
The believer in Yeshua/Jesus will appreciate the biblical accuracy and the Torah follower, the historicity, such as the flight and stages of the Israelites into the wilderness. Travel to these exciting sites and be amazed through the eyes of modern day characters. You will stir up your spirit to have memory of our brothers and sisters who walked the desert land, without wearing out their sandals, and may even get a surprise in the reading!
The believer in Yeshua/Jesus will appreciate the biblical accuracy and the Torah follower, the historicity, such as the flight and stages of the Israelites into the wilderness. Travel to these exciting sites and be amazed through the eyes of modern day characters. You will stir up your spirit to have memory of our brothers and sisters who walked the desert land, without wearing out their sandals, and may even get a surprise in the reading!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews