Rogue Angel: Destiny by Alex Archer

I have a soft spot for archaeological/historical mysteries and thrillers. The subgenre is extremely glutted with dreck, though, as a result of the huge popularity of The Da Vinci Code. I'm not much of a Da Vinci Code fan, but I've liked some of the novels that followed in its wake, so I'm often willing to give this type of book a chance even though I'm seldom satisfied. I ordered Destiny in the hopes that it would be one of the good ones. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Destiny begins with a prologue set during Joan of Arc's execution. In the novel, Joan has two men sworn to guard and serve her. They rush to her side at the end but are unable to do anything to save her. Oddly, Alex Archer does a lot of verbal gymnastics in this scene to avoid using Joan's name. She's always "the maiden" or ... Read More