The Book Of The Dead

Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is the focus of this novel as his evil brother Diogenes puts several plans into effect. One plan involves targeting Aloysius's dearest friends...and casual acquaintances.

Concurrently, the New York Museum of Natural History has re-opened an old tomb, closed down decades ago. There are hints of the tomb being cursed, but most tombs do have a curse on them as a matter of course, as a protection against grave robbers. Not much is thought of the curse until a lighting technician is found savagely murdered. Later, a British Egyptologist goes mad and attacks a colleague; security is forced to shoot and kill him. When a replacement Egyptian specialist turns out to be the one woman Pendergast is in love with, everyone becomes suspicious of this coincidence. Their fears are not unfounded.