The Curse of Sekhem Ka

In The Curse of Sekhem Ka, Matthew Messina weaves a clever, fast-paced thriller. From Cairo to Rome to Munich and eventually to Washington D.C., readers are treated to taut suspense as Murph and Carli attempt to unravel the Curse. Messina skillfully blends actual events with entertaining fiction, creating a fresh new hero in Mike Murphy. And, if you think dentists lead boring lives, then you’ve never met Murph; smart and athletic, a former Junior Olympic volleyball champion, Mike Murphy DDS shatters all stereotypes by running into the face of danger to solve the mystery, heroically protecting his friends and the woman he loves.

In The Curse of Sekhem Ka, Matthew Messina weaves a clever, fast-paced thriller. From Cairo to Rome to Munich and eventually to Washington D.C., readers are treated to taut suspense as Murph and Carli attempt to unravel the Curse. Messina skillfully blends actual events with entertaining fiction, creating a fresh new hero in Mike Murphy. And, if you think dentists lead boring lives, then you’ve never met Murph; smart and athletic, a former Junior Olympic volleyball champion, Mike Murphy DDS shatters all stereotypes by running into the face of danger to solve the mystery, heroically protecting his friends and the woman he loves. Dr. Michael Murphy had gained fame as a contestant on the reality show The Dental Apprentice. Murph receives a call from a former flame, Egyptologist Carli Chamoun, inviting him to come to Egypt to share in her discovery – the tombs of the dentists to the Pharaoh Djoser. Arriving in Cairo, Murph is alarmed to find Carli on the run, chased by gunmen. Murph has to find and rescue Carli, as he is shocked to find out that she has taken an ancient scroll that holds the key to unraveling a five-thousand-year old mystery. In a search for furrther clues, the two are forced to break into the pyramid complex at Saqqara. In deciphering the hieroglyphics contained on the walls of the dentists’ tomb and on the ancient scroll, Carli discovers the curse of Sekhem Ka, a dentist and priest to the Pharaoh… Djoser had been murdered, and one of the dentists was the assassin. Running for their lives, Murph and Carli uncover a pattern in a number of unsolved murders around the world. Events set into motion five thousand years ago are now careening to a conclusion. Swept up by the Curse of Sekhem Ka, Murph and Carli race across Europe then back to Washington, D.C. As they reveal more of the plot, a shocking plan becomes clear. Murph and Carli are forced to confront an ancient evil and fight to stop a chain of events that threatens the world.

Dr. Matt Messina is a practicing dentist who shares an adventurous nature and Mid-western heritage with his fictional hero, Mike Murphy DDS. Like Murph, the author graduated from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry at the top of his dental class and frequently sports the Block O baseball cap of his beloved Buckeyes. Messina has been the Editor of the Ohio Dental Association since 2003, receiving numerous awards for his writing. He has been a national spokesperson for the American Dental Association since 1996, appearing on ABC TV’s Good Morning America, National Public Radio (NPR), CNN, and in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Washington Post, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and WebMD to name just a few. Messina’s professional research and publications have focused on ethical decision-making processes in patient care. He is a member of the Visiting Faculty of The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education in Key Biscayne, Florida. He lectures nationally on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction and treatment, dental emergencies in sports, and the development of leadership qualities in professionals. Messina lives in Cleveland Ohio with his wife Denise and three children. The Curse of Sekhem Ka is his debut in the action adventure genre. Given the rousing support for this novel expect that Dr. Mike Murphy will return soon in another action-packed novel titled "The Black Swan Event."