Splinter Effect

Ludington debuts with a rip-roaring thriller about a time-traveling treasure hunter who journeys to Justinian Constantinople in hopes of recovering the menorah of the Temple of Jerusalem. In 2018, the menorah has been lost for centuries—making it a hot commodity for adventurers like Dr. Robert “Rabbit” Ward, who works as a chrono-archaeologist for the Smithsonian, embarking on missions to the past sponsored by wealthy donors. On Rabbit’s first attempt to recover the menorah, he made an enemy of the influential Kahan family by abandoning their 20-year-old son, Aaron, in 455 CE Rome as it was being sacked by the Vandals. Since then, Rabbit has traveled alone on a series of successful assignments, but his credibility has been shaken by the interference of an unknown female time traveler in his most recent missions. Skeptical donors give Rabbit a final chance to prove himself by retrieving the menorah from its last known location in 535 CE Constantinople. He faces steep odds, however, with another traveler after the same object, and indications that he’s become the target of a shadowy adversary. Rabbit’s quick wit and fast fists make him a winning protagonist, and though the book’s home stretch feels a bit rushed, Ludington demonstrates a knack for fleet action sequences. Readers will be eager for the sequel. (Mar.)