The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott

Review by Ed Homa

Archaeologist Nina Wilde is sure that she has found the location of Atlantis, but no one else believes her or will back an expedition for her to find Atlantis. That is, until billionaire Kristian Frost and his daughter Kari finance the exploration. Ex-SAS Eddie Chase comes along to join the fun, acting as bodyguard, and the action begins.

There have been many lost explorers of Atlantis; Nina's own parents lost their lives in search of the lost continent. Nina and Eddie's search take them on a chase around the world, with a secret and powerful organization on their heels that will stop at nothing to keep Nina from succeeding.

How many times have we seen a novel about Atlantis? There are dozens of thrillers on the market dealing with Atlantis in one way or another. Who needs one more book on the subject? I would think that Atlantis in the title would turn away as many readers and publishers as it attracts, but first time author Andy McDermott hits a home run!

The book has been called "epic", and coming in at 514 pages, epic is a good way to describe it. With its travels around the globe and its length it is epic but when the end of the book came I wasn't ready for it to be over. I found the characters to be believable and very likeable.

Two of my favorite writers are James Rollins and Matthew Reilly. The Hunt for Atlantis was somewhere between those two writers. It didn't have as much science and history as Rollins and it didn't have as much all-out action as Reilly, it fit somewhere in the middle. When I read an action/adventure thriller like this, action and adventure take precedence over character development, as in a Hollywood action movie, but McDermott has done a decent job with his characters. Let's not fool ourselves, though; roller coaster action is what is expected from this book, and roller coaster action is what is in the forefront and is delivered.

The Hunt for Atlantis was published in England in 2007 and was quickly followed by three more novel featuring Nina and Eddie. The fifth novel, The Cult of Osiris will be published in England in 2010. The Hunt for Atlantis was finally published in the US on September 29 and the second novel in the series, The Tomb of Hercules will be published here in the US on October 27 of this year. I don't know how the publishing world works and how decisions and deals are made on how and when books are published but run, do not walk to the bookstore to pick up The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott!

The Hunt for Atlantis, The Tomb of Hercules, The Secret of Excalibur, The Covenant of Genesis, and the Cult of Osiris (2010) are the books in the series by Andy McDermott. The first two are scheduled to be released in the US and if after reading them you can't wait until the others re released here in North America you can find them online at Amazon UK.

Leviathan by David Lynn Golemon

The Event Group returns in another pulse-pounding adventure! An undersea vessel, The Leviathan, is wreaking havoc on the seas, and the Event Group is called in. Golemon begins by paying homage to the works of Alexandre Dumas and Jules Verne. The opening of the prologue is very much like the Count of Monte Cristo, which is a bit jarring, but also intriguing,and lays the foundation for a novel which gives a new treatment to elements of a classic story.

As with Golemon's previous novels, the story progresses at a rapid pace, blending historical mystery with elements of adventure and military thriller. What makes this book stand out are the twists. The crew of The Leviathan, though perpetrating evil acts, do have an understandable motivation- defense of the seas, which the world has been abusing for years. Also ratcheting up the tension is a traitor in the midst of the Event Group. Other strengths include a memorable villain, and a marked improvement in Golemon's writing.

Leviathan is Golemon's finest work t0-date, and is one of the top thrillers of the year. Don't miss it!

His Father's Son by Bentley Litte

His Father's Son by Bentley Little is not the type of thriller I normally review. A former Bram Stoker Award winner, Little has traditionally written in the horror genre, but this novel is more of a psychological thriller. Nonetheless, I found it an engaging read.

Steve Nye is dealing with the apparent mental decline of his father, who one day snaps and attacks Steve's mother. The attack is totally out of character, but during a brief period of clarity, his father says, "I did it." This prompts Steve to begin delving into his father's past, bringing startling revelations to light. The novel takes the reader along on a maddening, yet irresistible journey into the darker realms of the human mind. While reading it, I was reminded of Koko by Peter Straub, and strangely, Sanctuary by William Faulkner.

One of the negative elements of this book, to me, is the emphasis on the cerebral. There is some action, but reading this book is like looking at a very darkly-themed impressionistic painting. Events are filtered through Steve's perceptions, adding a high degree of uncertainty to the reader's understanding of the plot. Also, because Steve is a writer by trade, several of "his" stories are inserted into the book. I felt that this slowed the pace even further. While these elements are negatives to a reader like me, who prefers fast-paced adventures, they will not necessarily be construed as such by those who prefer psychological thrillers.

His Father's Son is a dark, tension-filled story that draws you irresistibly onward until the end. Though some mainstream thriller fans will enjoy it, I especially recommend it to fans of darker, more cerebral mysteries.

Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler and Grant Blackwood

Review by Ed Homa

Spartan Gold: a Fargo Adventure by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood (released Sept 1)

Welcome to the new series in the Cussler-verse, the adventures of husband and wife treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo. Sam’s background is in mechanical engineering, and he spent time working for the Department of Defense at DARPA, while Remi is an anthro-pologist/historian. The Fargos join Dirk Pitt, Kurt Austin and Juan Cabrillo in the Cussler stable of heroes, all of whom have had an adventure published this year except the original Cussler hero, Dirk Pitt.

The book opens according to the Cussler formula with a prelude set in the past, in this case in the Alps in 1800 with Napoleon. From the Alps and Napoleon, we move to a Maryland swamp, where we are first introduced to the Fargos. In the swamp the Fargoes discover a Nazi submarine which eventually ties back to the Napoleon story, and the adventure is underway! We are introduced to the Fargos' research team based in their La Jolla, CA home (another part of the Cussler formula- all of his protagonists have unique homes in which the reader would love to live) and we learn why Sam and Remi don’t have to spend time doing boring research, but instead get to spend their time in far off places having fun and exciting adventures. They aren’t really sure what they are looking for, but they run into Ukrainian mobsters who are also looking for the object of the Fargos' search. The quest takes them around the globe and in-and-out of trouble trying to beat the mobsters to the treasure.

The plot moves along and keeps the reader engaged, and as with all Cussler books, plot is more important than character development. The Fargos are likeable characters and they aren’t perfect. They make mistakes and they don’t always have the correct answer or do the correct thing. They are almost an everyman kind of hero. I am sure they will grow and develop with each new adventure.

This book wasn’t a great book, but it was a fun book. The book was a light read, the perfect vacation book. I would say that of Cussler’s spin-off series, this was the best introductory novel. Fans of Cussler are sure to enjoy this book as will adventure fans. Blackwood did a reasonably good job with the writing of the book and as he gets more comfortable with the Cussler formula he will ease right in and grow and develop with the series. I will definitely pick up the next Fargo Adventure.