The Einstein Prophecy

This supernatural thriller, set in 1944, gets all revved up and then goes nowhere. American soldier Lt. Lucas Athan recovers an ancient Egyptian ossuary in Germany. After a severe injury, he returns to the U.S. and begins to study the object as part of his work at Princeton. Simone Rashid and her father had unearthed the ossuary in the first place, and through Simone’s cunning they catch up with it in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Albert Einstein is hard at work on the same campus: though Einstein’s security clearance has been revoked, Robert Oppenheimer nevertheless seeks the eminent scientist’s help in developing the atomic bomb. As Lucas and Simone explore the contents and implications of the ossuary, their paths intersect with Einstein’s, and all must find answers before their enemies destroy the world. Masello (The Romanov Cross) crafts immersive settings, suspenseful scenarios, and engaging characters, but as the momentum builds, sweeping toward inevitable conclusions, events become somewhat trite and predictable. The promising and entertaining first half eventually yields to troubling conclusions about the nature of evil. Agent: Cynthia Manson, Cynthia Manson Literary. (July)