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Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
7 Deadly Wonders
by Matthew Reilly
Simon and Schuster, January, 2006
Hardcover, 400 pages
ISBN: 0743270533
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
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Amazon.co.uk
The Great Pyramid at Giza once looked even more fantastic than it does now.
Today the sides are rough, but they were once were covered in white marble, which
was all stripped off to build other buildings. At the top of the pyramid was a
Golden Capstone, which allegedly protected Egypt from the Tartarus Rotation,
a solar event that happens every 4500 years. The next Tartarus Rotation is due
to occur in March, 2006, and without the Capstone to channel the sun's rays,
the Earth will be subjected to global flooding and scorching heat. There is
another legend about the Capstone: whoever recites the correct spell while standing
by the Capstone during the Tartarus Rotation will gain 1,000 years of
global domination for his country. The capstone was cut into seven parts
by Alexander the Great (the last man to rule the globe) and hidden inside
the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. With the balance of power on Earth at stake,
the United States and the Vatican are both determined to find the Capstone and
seize power. But there is a third group in the race for the Capstone: a coalition of
eight smaller nations who think that no one country should have such power at
its disposal. This third group is headed by Australian supersoldier Captain Jack West Jr., who was trained by U.S. Special Forces. Now, the race is on to find the pieces of the
Capstone, avoiding all the ancient traps by the ancient architect Imhotep and
trying to stay one step ahead of the other teams.
In the first Indiana Jones movie, there is an iconic scene where Indy is escaping from a booby trapped tomb. He's running as fast as he can as a giant stone ball is rolling
after him, about to crush him into paste. Take that scene and multiply it by about
1,000 times and you get some idea of what the action in 7 Deadly Wonders is like. Ancient tombs, ingenious and deadly traps for grave robbers, breathtaking action scenes and dastardly villains keep this exciting adventure rolling along at warp speed.
Jack West is a hardened hero with a soft spot for the little girl he rescued from
the clutches of the power-hungry Jesuit Francisco del Piero and West's personal enemy,
the backstabbing Colonel Marshall Judah. This is a classic, bigger than life adventure story that will appeal to fans of Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton and James Rollins.
Pursuit
by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
Henry Holt, February, 2006
Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN: 0805074392
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
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Amazon.co.uk
Chief Inspector Espinosa is on vacation and bored
in his hometown of Copacabana, Brazil (his plans were altered
when his wife was called to New York for an art seminar) when
an unusual case presents itself. Psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Nesse
tells Espinosa that his 17 year-old daughter has been kidnapped.
He suspects one of his patients of kidnapping her. The patient's
name is Isador Cruz, but he insists that the doctor call him Jonas.
The doctor says that Jonas has been stalking his family: showing
up at their home, angling to meet his daughter etc. But the more
Inspector Espinosa investigates, the stranger the case becomes.
Is it Jonas or the doctor who is paranoid? When murders start
piling up, it will be up to Espinosa to sift through the conflicting
evidence to find out who is telling the truth, identify a killer and find
a missing girl.
In this fifth installment of the Brazilian crime series, Inspector
Espinosa faces a confusing array of clues and suspects.
With his wife out of town, Espinosa devotes his full energies
to this intellectually taxing puzzle. Watching Espinosa work is
a pleasure, as is this outstanding police procedural series.
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