The premise of the book was splendidly adventurous, and the author puts apparently extensive research into the life of Cleopatra to excellent use. There are playful nods to the cultures present in each setting, so most of them come across as very real. The characters are very established in their roles, so first impressions remain fairly consistent throughout the novel.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of points where suspension of disbelief breaks. If any of these would annoy you, this may not be your next book to read:
1. No FBI or archaeology procedures were followed. Whether it was the protection of victim family members, the storage and examination of artifacts, victim post-recovery protocols, compartmentalization and cross-department cooperation, academic contacts between members of different countries, confrontation of armed suspects, or the analysis/investigation techniques common to both archaeology and law enforcement, there are things wrong that cannot be explained by the story situation.
2. Timeline was supremely compressed. Neither the heroes nor the villains thought anything of rushing to the scene of a dig or a dive or a documentary analysis, because of course the right message would be found immediately, the right artifact would be the first thing dug up, and there would never be any algae, silt, or coral to clear.
3. Smart, logical people repeatedly allow panic to control them. The main historian unquestioningly believes the villains who kidnapped him when they say they can kill his family, on the basis of one short video clip. The former-FBI main character allows herself to be controlled by the villain threatening to shoot a different character not once, but four or five times; if this had (bizarrely) not already been addressed by her training in the intelligence community, her former partner would have urgently discussed it with her after the first time because it was such a safety hazard for all.
4. The villains are… dumb by means of obsession. One, possibly two are so wrapped up in gender superiority that it renders them nonsensical (a “new world order” from one antique ruler’s “hire mercenaries” fund?), and another is willingly led around by his reproductive organs. This is not to say the gender and sex politics don’t happen in the underworld— they do, just, not like this.
If you can ignore these inconsistencies, or if you can recover your suspension of disbelief really fast, this is still an enjoyable book. The author opens the series in an old-fashioned way, by ensuring that all (and I do mean ALL) plot and sub-plot threads are resolved with satisfaction, then creating a scene that invites new, unspecified adventures. Given the current fad for leaving much hanging in the opening book in a new series, this is such a relief. The author also shares fiction vs. research notes in an afterword, thereby allowing the reader/listener a little deeper into the story. The pacing throughout the book was fast and continuous, so there were never any scenes that felt like they had no purpose. The conflict was very straightforward. The reader/listener can be very comfortable in cheering the heroes and despising the villains.