Crystal skulls, ancient civilisations, nefarious secret societies, ‘shape shifters’, danger, cross-continental anthropology - this all sounds a bit like Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code. And, indeed, from one perspective, this is what James Alexander has achieved in his novel, The Feathered Serpent.

The story begins when a semi-retired anthropologist, Professor Henry Williams, receives a mysterious papyrus from Egypt with an incredible story to tell. This leads to another unknown manuscript, a Mayan Codex that tells of mankind’s distant past, rewrites all history and defies scientific theory. It tells the tale of an evil creature known as Typhon, and his influence on mankind’s past. Williams, and his assistant, Dr Piers Anderson, travel from Egypt to Mexico and find that their lives are always threatened by a sinister society, The League of Horus, who are desperate to stop the academics from discovering the truth at all costs. Along the way they encounter Don Pedro Vacharo, a Mayan shamen, and the sacred Crystal Skull which takes them back to a time of legend and myth. To Atlantis.

The Feathered Serpent is a story, as told by Williams himself, in the best tradition of Boy’s Own ripping yarns. It contains all the elements that make for a gripping adventure: exotic locations, danger, mystery, shady characters and beautiful women - one good, the other psychopathic. Williams and Anderson embody that sang froid so typical of the British adventure hero, from Sherlock Holmes to James Bond. And their dry wise-cracks when faced with calamity is really one of the duties that the country expects from every man.

This is James Alexander’s first novel and is intended to be the first of a trilogy. The author lives in Devon, and much of the material used for The Feathered Serpent is informed by his interest in all things strange and paranormal, including spiritualism and UFOs.

However, serious concerns about esoteric matters apart (and overlooking clear references to the current world situation), The Feathered Serpent is first and foremost and engrossing adventure novel that any fan of the genre will find hard to put down.