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Lost Library: An Archaeological Thriller
Ancient wonder. A seductive rival. A discovery to die for.
Darwin Lacroix drops everything—including his fiancée, Eyrún—to pursue a new lead on the lost Library of Alexandria. The trail begins in Rome, but it belongs to Tessa Santarossa—a brilliant Italian operator who plays by her own rules and never shows her full hand.
What starts as a promising discovery turns into a dangerous race across a two-thousand-year-old path. Armed militants want the truth buried, and Tessa’s agenda is as elusive as the prize itself. Eyrún sees the threat immediately—and when the hunt turns violent, suspicion gives way to confrontation.
As the search deepens, so do the risks. Betrayals surface. Alliances fracture. Darwin is forced to decide who he can trust before the wrong hands reach a discovery that could alter the understanding of history itself.
Finding the lost archive could define Darwin’s career…or destroy everything he’s built.
Lost Library is the second novel in the Darwin Lacroix Adventures—high-stakes archaeological thrillers where ancient discoveries ignite modern conflicts, and the truth is never left buried.
Previously published as Hypatia's Diary.
Darwin Lacroix drops everything—including his fiancée, Eyrún—to pursue a new lead on the lost Library of Alexandria. The trail begins in Rome, but it belongs to Tessa Santarossa—a brilliant Italian operator who plays by her own rules and never shows her full hand.
What starts as a promising discovery turns into a dangerous race across a two-thousand-year-old path. Armed militants want the truth buried, and Tessa’s agenda is as elusive as the prize itself. Eyrún sees the threat immediately—and when the hunt turns violent, suspicion gives way to confrontation.
As the search deepens, so do the risks. Betrayals surface. Alliances fracture. Darwin is forced to decide who he can trust before the wrong hands reach a discovery that could alter the understanding of history itself.
Finding the lost archive could define Darwin’s career…or destroy everything he’s built.
Lost Library is the second novel in the Darwin Lacroix Adventures—high-stakes archaeological thrillers where ancient discoveries ignite modern conflicts, and the truth is never left buried.
Previously published as Hypatia's Diary.
392 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2020
About the author
Dave Bartell
21 books124 followersDave Bartell has spent his life chasing questions across mountains, deserts, laboratories, and quiet places where the universe feels close enough to touch. He climbed the highest mountain in the continental United States at ten, earned the nickname 'mountain goat' for his relentless pace on the trail, and could start a campfire with a single match before he learned algebra. As a teenager, he preserved indigenous bone beads found on a Southern California peak—his first archaeological discovery, long before he knew the word for it.
A degree in biochemistry sharpened his sense that humanity is made of stardust and story. Air Force survival training taught him how to think when options vanish. Zen meditation taught him how to listen to mysteries hiding in the quiet. He raced road bikes at more than fifty miles an hour, circled Lake Tahoe in four hours, and learned that endurance is a kind of prayer.
Today, Dave writes archaeological thrillers that blend science, history, and wonder. A member of the Archaeological Institute of America, he draws from a lifetime of adventure to craft stories of discovery, danger, and the search for meaning in a vast, ancient world. He lives in Los Gatos, California, where the hills still offer enough wilderness to spark a novel.
A degree in biochemistry sharpened his sense that humanity is made of stardust and story. Air Force survival training taught him how to think when options vanish. Zen meditation taught him how to listen to mysteries hiding in the quiet. He raced road bikes at more than fifty miles an hour, circled Lake Tahoe in four hours, and learned that endurance is a kind of prayer.
Today, Dave writes archaeological thrillers that blend science, history, and wonder. A member of the Archaeological Institute of America, he draws from a lifetime of adventure to craft stories of discovery, danger, and the search for meaning in a vast, ancient world. He lives in Los Gatos, California, where the hills still offer enough wilderness to spark a novel.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 26, 2026
Another brilliantly atmospheric archaeological thriller! Darwin and his friends just don’t seem to be able to keep out of trouble whilst hunting down historic artefacts, and face dangers both ancient and new when on their latest adventure.
The tension builds and time begins to run out for Darwin and his friends as they battle to save the artefacts from evil and greed.
Will Darwin survive it this time? Will he be able to save his friends as well? So much to do against almost insurmountable odds in an ancient and extremely claustrophobic, life-threatening setting.
The tension builds and time begins to run out for Darwin and his friends as they battle to save the artefacts from evil and greed.
Will Darwin survive it this time? Will he be able to save his friends as well? So much to do against almost insurmountable odds in an ancient and extremely claustrophobic, life-threatening setting.
October 8, 2026
This was an audio book with virtual voice. I'd never had one of those before...and it almost landed on my "didn't finish" shelf. I kept hoping it would improve, but no....it didn't. One of the main characters had their name stated four different ways in the same paragraph, and not just once, it did that over and over. I think the story might have been good, but had a very hard time following it. I've never rated a book so low before...I just hope my next one doesn't have a "hold my beer" attitude...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews