Storm Cycle

At the start of this fast-paced romantic thriller, the second from the bestselling mother and son Johansen team (Silent Thunder), Rachel Kirby, a computer whiz in Houston, Tex., is working hard to spur medical research on Krabbe's disease, a rare nervous-system disorder afflicting her sister, Allie. After Rachel narrowly survives a sniper's bullet, she receives an e-mail from John Tavak, a stranger who claims to be trapped in an Egyptian tomb, where he's met Peseshet, an ancient physician who may have a cure for Allie's ailment. The sisters set off on a globe-trotting adventure featuring gunfights, explosions and contrived romantic subplots. Rachel finds herself attracted to the enigmatic Tavak, while Allie starts falling for Hal Demanski, a spoiled billionaire who ends up aiding their efforts to get Peseshet's secrets before an evil pharmaceutical company does. Despite the lack of character development or surprising plot twists, action fans should be satisfied. (July) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.