BOOK: Firebird | Book Shelf

If you are struck with hunger at an odd hour in Kathmandu, say 2:00 am in the morning, the best option is to hop on to one of the 24-hour sandwich joints in Thamel. The sandwiches taste like heaven, especially because nothing else is available at that hour, but make it a point to go easy on the filling. Looking at the available choices, you might just be tempted to pack up your sandwich with multiple fillings – in doing so; you fail to relish the taste of any of the ingredients.

Dasain was a veritable drought for me, stuck at home without any movies or reading material. Thankfully, relief came in the form of Michael Asher's Firebird, set in Egypt amongst the pyramids. My first impression, now that I have flipped over the last page – it is like one of the earlier mentioned sandwiches, tasty but with a little too much filling. The modern plot, which is racy and filled with action, grabs the reader's attention. The reference to the past and the mysticism heightens the suspense but the FBI, UFOs, cults and the rest makes the plot just too thick, and dilutes the overall impact.

Set just before the dawning of the 2nd millennium in Cairo, the plot revolves around Sammy Rashid, an unconventional detective on the trail of a killer. The trail of killings has been long and they suggest a creature that may well be a demon, as many believe it to be. There is fear in the air as preparations are on for a grand millennium celebration amongst the pyramids. The plot thickens as an Egyptian scientist; a key advisor to the US President gets murdered during a visit to Cairo. There appears to be some connection between the killer and the latest killing. The FBI now come into the picture and Rashid is paired up with and American agent in trying to solve the mystery.

But as the days go by, the questions mount and the answers are not forthcoming. The killer, the killings and the events of the past few months are all a part of a much larger plan that runs back to tens of thousands of years. The answers get revealed in time, past and the present. If you've heard of the theory of extraterrestrial visits to the ancient civilizations of South America, this book draws on a similar incident during the past in Egypt – one that changed the face of the planet.

The action in this book runs from cover to cover. It makes a good read, especially for those who relish action, mystery and a touch of antiquity. On the negative side, the reader's involvement with the action is only skin deep – one tends to forget the plot once the last page is turned. Overall, a good book to while away time but not one to find the place of pride in your library.