The Hidden Oasis — Paul Sussman

A woman uncovers a millennia-old Egyptian conspiracy in this novel from “one of the best writers of international suspense in the business” (Steve Berry).
 
Over four thousand years ago, the ninety-four-year reign of pharaoh Pepi II ended in chaos. In the dead of night, a party of priests set out into the desert, dragging with them a sled carrying a mysterious object. None of them returned.
 
In modern Egypt, Freya Hannan arrives for the funeral of her estranged sister, Alex, who is said to have committed suicide. But as Freya goes through her sister's belongings, she comes to suspect that Alex was murdered.
 
Soon, Freya realizes that Alex's life was as mysterious as her death. And the search for the truth will ensnare Freya in a lethal conspiracy going back millennia -- pushing her to hunt not only for her sister's killer, but also for an ancient artifact that could tilt the global balance of power.
 
Full of breakneck thrills and daring escapes combined with the genuine feel for the ancient past that only a true archaeologist can bring, “The Hidden Oasis is a rip-roaring gem of a read” (Raymond Khoury).