Double Shadow

Time-traveling archaeologist Robert “Rabbit” Ward embarks on a dangerous mission to ancient Israel to aid a mysterious ally in Ludington’s thrilling sequel to Splinter Effect. Helen, an enigmatic fellow treasure hunter whom Rabbit first encountered in ancient Constantinople, has been tasked by her shadowy employers with finding Einar Eshek, a thief who plans to steal a treasure that Helen’s colleagues want for themselves. The action begins in 64 CE Rome, where Rabbit stumbles upon a carefully eviscerated corpse and the murderer, who addresses him in modern English. Back in the present, Helen contacts Rabbit to ask for his help finding Einar, and he concocts a legitimate-sounding reason for his benefactors to send him to 68 BCE Qumran. But when he and Helen come upon a corpse tortured in exactly the same way as the one in Rome more than 100 years later, Rabbit realizes they may have a time-traveling serial killer on their hands. Rabbit doesn’t wear a fedora or carry a whip, but the Indiana Jones parallels are undeniable. Luckily, the material lives up to its inspiration, and Ludington supplements the book’s breathless action by deepening Rabbit’s characterization and fleshing out his budding romance with Helen. This series has legs. (Apr.)