The Third Gate

A Novel

By: Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Johnathan McClain

Under the direction of famed explorer Porter Stone, an archaeological team is secretly attempting to locate the tomb of an ancient pharaoh who was unlike any other in history. Stone believes he has found the burial chamber of King Narmer, the near mythical god-king who united upper and lower Egypt in 3200 B.C., and the archaeologist has reason to believe that the greatest prize of all - Narmer's crown - might be buried with him. No crown of an Egyptian king has ever been discovered, and Narmer's is the elusive crown of the two Egypts, supposedly possessed of awesome powers.

The dig itself is located in one of the most forbidding places on Earth - the Sudd, a nearly impassable swamp in northern Sudan. Amid the nightmarish, disorienting tangle of mud and dead vegetation, a series of harrowing and inexplicable occurrences are causing people on the expedition to fear a centuries - old curse. With a monumental discovery in reach, Professor Jeremy Logan is brought onto the project to investigate. What he finds will raise new questions... and alarm.

In the hands of master storyteller Lincoln Child, The Third Gate breaks new ground and introduces a fascinating new protagonist to the thriller world.

©2012 Lincoln Child (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Lincoln Child's novels are thrilling and tantalizing." (Vince Flynn)

"Bestseller Child ( Terminal Freeze) more than succeeds in making a mummy's curse terrifying in this superb supernatural thriller.... Child evokes fear through understatement...Readers will hope to see more of [lead character] Logan in a sequel." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Ample gadgetry, New Age soul-shifting, and pyrotechnics sufficient to employ a stable of stuntmen when brought to film: Child's newest is the sort of thing to delight all those who got wrapped up in The Mummy. Think, a Dan Brown-ian adventure amongst Pharaohs ready with a pocket full of curses." ( Kirkus)

Entertaining but lacks character & plot developmen

I read and listen to mostly fiction but within that will try nearly any genre. I found this to be entertaining enough to continue listening, and would probably listen to another book by this author if I was in the mood for this type of story, but nothing particularly memorable. I did not particularly care for this narrator- the voice was the same for most of the characters (though he did have some variability so was better than a few others I've listened to). The voice he used for women always sounded petulant to me, and the main character (a male) often sounded arrogant and cocky, though I think if I had read the book I would not have intrepreted most of his speech in that manner. The character and plot development were just so-so but the superficiality of the characters and story did keep the book quick-moving. I was easily able to figure out 'where things were going' before it was revealed- and usually I'm pretty bad at that. Overall, worth a try if you're looking for a quick read in this genre but if you want something that is thought-provoking I'd keep looking.

Enjoyed!

I am a fan of Lincoln Child books... I very much enjoyed this particular story.

A bit disappointed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed the book so yes, I think reading it was time well-spent.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

That's the thing...it was predictable. Child's books usually surprise me right to the end. I figured this one out, though, way before I really wanted to.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this is a good read. Just don't expect quite the Wow factor of other books by Childs like Terminal Freeze or Deep Storm or Utopia.

I loved it

Would you consider the audio edition of The Third Gate to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print but I loved to listen to the audio version

What did you like best about this story?

I really like ancient artifacts and the story being linked to the first king of egypt made me one to listen to this audiobook

Which scene was your favorite?

I have many but they are all spoilers

If you could take any character from The Third Gate out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Logan, so I could listen to his knowledge of his findings

Any additional comments?

This was my first encounter with Lincoln Child and I am going to check out his previous and future work

Fantastic piece of work

I couldn't stop listening! I enjoyed the readers style and this is, thus far, my favorite book by the author. Interesting plot, developed characters, and easy to follow along. Well done and thank you!

Awesome & Spell binding

I listened to this story twice and it was better the second time around. Narrator was excellent I highly recommend this book

A Great Summer Listen

Child's latest is entertaining, if not up to the high standards set by his best collaborative efforts with Douglas Preston (I thought the two authors explored an archeological mystery far more successfully in Thunderhead) . In The Third Gate, Child takes an interesting mix of subjects ranging from near death experiences and scientific exploration to an ancient curse, sets his story in a typically remote location and spins a well-paced, exciting tale. Fans of books like The Ice Limit, Riptide and Deep Storm should have a good time with this one. I did!

disappointing

What did you like best about The Third Gate? What did you like least?

Lackluster writing, lackluster performance, boring story

If you???ve listened to books by Lincoln Child before, how does this one compare?

worse than others

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

a lot of things. Dry performance except in a few places

Did The Third Gate inspire you to do anything?

stop reading these types of books from this author

Any additional comments?

Truly disappointed. Couldn't decide if this was to be a ghost story or mystery thriller. Seemed wrong for either genre

Amazingly written and very fun book!

This fantastic book by Lincoln Child will keep you on the edge of your seats. It is a fun ride and I hated to see the book end!

This audio book is an interesting listen

Where does The Third Gate rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is by far not the best novel that Lincoln Child has been associated with. But it was enjoyable and I felt that I got my money worth.