We find upon opening this book that young Adam and his cousin Justin Sinclair have been invited to go on a tour of Egypt by their Aunt Isabel, an investigative journalist, and will be accompanied by their grandmother as well. Their excitement is palpable as they begin a journey of adventure, danger ... more

We find upon opening this book that young Adam and his cousin Justin Sinclair have been invited to go on a tour of Egypt by their Aunt Isabel, an investigative journalist, and will be accompanied by their grandmother as well. Their excitement is palpable as they begin a journey of adventure, danger and even deception before finally making the discovery of which dreams are made. Joining their tour group in Cairo, Adam is given three small scarabs by a peddler who disappears when the police arrive. Suddenly their average run of the mill tour is replaced by mystery and intrigue, some which place the boys in danger and some which give them insight into not only the three scarabs but another unique scarab they discover has been slipped unknown into a pocket of Adams’ pants. When they discover that the famous archeologist James Kinnard is missing, the boys are more than ever drawn to finding out what is so special about the scarabs they now have in their possession. They have a feeling that Kinnard’s disappearance is somehow mixed in with the mysterious peddler and the searching of their room. But it isn’t until their Aunt’s camera is stolen and they are suddenly given a much more expensive version by a highly placed Egyptian man, who just happens to be around when the thief is caught, that they are drawn even deeper into the mystery and become more involved as the days pass watching and waiting for the next turn in their adventure. Even meeting Dr. Faisal Khalid, the head of the Egyptian museum somehow makes them uncomfortable and when they follow some men into a hidden room, they boys know they are in for trouble if they do not discover, before someone else does, the real importance of the scarab they hide so carefully. Add to this a trip down the Nile, a face in their window, the story of the Scarab King, ruins galore and the appearance of many sinister characters and you have the makings of a book any young reader will find not only riveting but fun to read as well. I highly recommend this for the young adventurer in your life. Through it’s twists and turns the author leads the reader to an end and puts two young boys and assorted characters through many exciting and mesmerizing times. It is a book that young readers will cling to for it’s excitement and suspense and a book that older readers will enjoy for the pure joy of reading a book filled with possibilities of treasure in Egypt. I know, I enjoyed this book as much, as my young son will and I intend to obtain every copy I possibly can, of books, author Fiona Ingram has written. For in this day and age of real life horrific tales, this is one that safely takes the reader into a land of mystery and intrigue yet delivers them in the end safely back at home, ready for the next adventure of Adam and Justin. And that in my opinion, is what makes a successful writer for young readers, that safe ending that is premised by excitement, promise of treasure, adventure intertwined with twists and turns galore!

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab BY: Fiona Ingram PUBLISHED BY: iUniverse PUBLISHED IN: 2008 ISBN: 978-0-595-457168 Pages: 258 Ages: Teen & Up Reviewed by Billy Burgess In this first chapter of the Chronicles of the Stone, Adam and his cousin Justin are invited to go on a trip to Egypt by ... more

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab BY: Fiona Ingram PUBLISHED BY: iUniverse PUBLISHED IN: 2008 ISBN: 978-0-595-457168 Pages: 258 Ages: Teen & Up Reviewed by Billy Burgess In this first chapter of the Chronicles of the Stone, Adam and his cousin Justin are invited to go on a trip to Egypt by their Aunt Isabel and their Grandmother. The boys are excited about visiting another country. Their Aunt tells them that the archaeologist, James Kinnaird, has disappeared while looking for the tomb of the Scarab King. The tomb of the Scarab King is just a legend and has never been proven to exist by any archaeologist. When they arrived in Cairo, they joined a tour group. A stranger gives three tiny scarabs to Adam. More odd things happen. Their aunt’s camera is switched with Dr. Khalid’s camera. Adam then discovers a fourth scarab in his back pocket. What are theses mysterious scarabs? Is someone one following them? Is the legend of the Scarab King real? Adam and Justin must try to solve the mystery. Author Fiona Ingram mixes history and legends in this fast action adventure that keeps you reading till the very end. The characters are cleverly written. Young readers can easily step into the shoes of these two cousins and experienced this exciting adventure that takes you into the heart of Egypt. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.