Hunt Through Napoleon's Web

In his pulpy sixth adventure (after Hunt Among the Killers of Men), millionaire playboy/archeologist Gabriel Hunt takes on the Alliance of Pharaohs, a shady group that wants all of Egypt's ancient artifacts returned to Egypt. Gabriel's sister, Lucy, has been kidnapped; as ransom, the culprits want Gabriel to find a long-lost second Rosetta Stone stolen by Napoleon. Gabriel swashbuckles through the streets of Cairo, Marrakech, and Corsica with Sammi, a beautiful street magician. The duo have to avoid Corsican guards and the traps set by Napoleon while keeping the artifact out of the alliance's hands. Despite his experience writing James Bond novels, Raymond Benson's venture under the Hunt shared pseudonym is slow out of the gate and so chock-full of details and lists that the pulse-pounding never quite takes. (Oct.)