The Babylon Rite

Knox’s greatest strength is coming up with original anthropological mysteries; his greatest weakness is stopping the action so his characters can expound at length—as shown in this intriguing science quest thriller. Anthropologist Jessica Silverton’s dig in Peru has discovered evidence of human sacrifice in the ancient Moche civilization. The Moche had a bizarre culture, as suggested by erotic pottery depicting “Sex with animals. Sex with the dead. Sex between skeletons.” In Scotland, journalist Adam Blackwood witnesses the strange death of Knights Templar researcher Archibald McLintock. Adam teams with McLintock’s daughter, Nina, to investigate her father’s death. Many people die while the characters search for a mysterious drug that explains the barbaric oddities of both the Moche and the Templars. Knox (The Lost Goddess), the pseudonym of British journalist Sean Thomas, provides a surfeit of gruesome detail, but readers with strong stomachs and who don’t mind the lectures will be satisfied. Agent: Jay Mandel, William Morris Endeavor. (May)