You know it’s a good story when you’ll find some more ironing to do just to keep the story going.

Robert Masello‘s thriller is part Indiana Jones, part Monuments Men with a dash of The DaVinci Code and even demon stories thrown in.

I listened to The Einstein Prophecy (on Kindle Unlimited) because I had so much to do. Holiday stuff, you understand. I started as a reader but turned into a listener as the tension built and the situation became dire. I had to know how it turned out. And I had to iron.

And iron I did — two huge tablecloths, six table runners, 12 napkins and then I paused the audio to run around and find something else to do so I could find out if the world came to an end. (Just kidding; I knew it had to have a happy ending. It takes place during the Second World War and we’re still here 71 years later.)

It’s a great read: an art historian finds an ancient artifact everybody wants. Even the Nazis. Albert Einstein plays a colorful and totally lovable role. There’s an exotic Egyptian archaeologist and her brilliant father. A small town and prestigious college have background roles.

And I couldn’t put it down —ur, turn it off.

I love historical fiction and this one really is fiction with a hint of history. The author has dreamed up the organizations involved, conjectured about Einstein’s role in the building of the first atom bomb, and tossed in demons and pure evil to take the story completely over the top. It didn’t matter. I was sucked in so that I was hanging on every crazy sentence.

Until the last few pages. The war is nearly over. Love is in the air. It felt tacked on. But I read on anyway. Who doesn’t like every story to end with a kiss? The question is, will it?