Well, I’m wrapping up my survey of Huggins’ work with this novel and after pretty disappointing outings on the last couple, I’m glad to end on a book that is somewhat a return to form. It isn’t as high intensity as The Reckoning, Leviathan or Cain, but it’s a better thriller than anything he’s written since those. A retired cop and his family move into an old home in the country, only to discover that evil lurks in the basement. Actually, it’s an immortal Egyptian sorcerer (one of the ones who fought with Moses!) who has been buried there for centuries. Yeah, it’s an Egyptian sorcerer buried in America; look, it’s a whole thing. The characters are slightly more interesting than in Huggins’ last two, particularly the retired cop and the villainous sorcerer. Getting inside the villain’s head is always a good thing in a Huggins novel and the sorcerer himself is a well-done villain. The action is high-energy and as good as any action he’s written since Hunter, I’d say. It’s a fun genre novel, mixing action and horror in a charming way. It’s likable and entertaining and an improvement on Huggins’ last few novels for sure. 3 stars.
tl;dr – ancient Egyptian sorcerer battles retired cop and killers from the Vatican in this fun return to form from Huggins; excellent action & some good characters make this a fun genre piece. 3 stars.