The Kingdom

In Cussler and Blackwood's rousing third adventure featuring treasure hunters extraordinaire Sam and Remi Fargo (after Lost Empire), the couple get on the trail of a sacred object, the Theurang, "said to have been a life-sized statue of a man-like creature or... the skeleton of the creature itself." Or maybe it's a chest holding the creature's bones. Reclusive wealthy entrepreneur Charles King (aka "King Charlie") is also searching for this artifact. King's girlfriend, Zhilan Hsu, and their grown children, Russell and Marjorie, will stop at nothing to fulfill King's deadly demands. As in the previous volumes, the action ricochets around the globe, with Sam and Remi making one astounding discovery after another while they decipher cryptic clues, exchange banter, and escape otherwise inescapable dangers. Fresh prose, a smart and amusing husband-and-wife team, interesting history and science, and a wildly imaginative plot all add up to a good time for Cussler's many fans as well as series newcomers. (June)