River of Ruin
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
In the heart of Panama, a volcanic lake feeds a serpentine river—its stone banks laid by the Inca, who took back the gold and jewels plundered from them by the conquistadors. Legend has it that the Twice-Stolen Treasure has been buried for centuries in the Panamanian jungle. Discovering it means surviving the unpredictable black waters of the River of Ruin....
It begins at a Paris auction house, with a favor granted by an old high school friend to geologist Philip Mercer: the opportunity to buy a rare diary written during the French attempt at digging the Panama Canal. But Mercer isn’t the only one who wants it. Three Chinese assassins have been dispatched to get it, forcing Mercer into a subterranean game of cat and mouse that takes him from the hellish maze of l’empire de la mort and through the sewers of Paris.
Mercer realizes he has uncovered an intricate Chinese plot to trigger a deadly shift in the world’s balance of power. At stake is control of the canal, recently handed over to the government of Panama by the United States. Only Philip Mercer—with help from beautiful U.S. Army officer Lauren Vanik, a cell of tough French Foreign Legion commandos, and a crusty eighty-year-old retired sea captain named Harry White—can stop them.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jam-packed with action and larger-than-life heroics, DuBrul's latest (after Pandora's Curse) sets geologist Philip Mercer on a course to save the world once again. This time he's in Panama, where he uncovers a Chinese plot to bomb the canal with nuclear weapons in order to strong-arm the U.S. into allowing China's takeover of Taiwan. Though teeming with up-to-the-minute technology (such as an experimental but deadly long-range cannon), the novel possesses a surprising Cold War perspective toward China. DuBrul demonstrates his knowledge of everything from geology to mechanics through prose that is at times too technical for the lay reader, but he lends his protagonist a welcome touch of emotional complexity. Mercer's softer side surfaces in his dealings with sexy heroine Lauren Vanik, a U.S. army officer, and, to a different extent, when his recollections of an old mentor prevent him from succumbing to diabolical Chinese torture. Despite these introspective moments, this is an adventure story at heart, and the action scenes come fast and furious, in sewers, factories, giant ships and more. It's evident from the outset that Mercer and his team will come out on top, but the fun is watching DuBrul untangle his own skillfully woven knots.
Customer Reviews
River of Ruin
Action filled and very well thought out story. You do not wish to put it down because it is after all a fun read. The characters are interesting and you do get attached to them. Of course, this being a "Guys" book it has little sentimentality and a lot of bang, bang shoot them up scenes. i do wonder though what a truly terrific story this would have been had the hero been given a bit more depth...
Fantastic Book
From the tantalizing beginning through the ups and downs of a war between people, countries and people within the countries, there is never a good time to put the book down for a break!!! The story pulls and pushes you pang so fast, you can't wait to see what happens next. Jack Du Brul is quickly becoming my second favorite author ,next to. Clive Cussler of course!!!!
Very fast and exciting!
Just like any of Jack's books, extremely accurate and exciting. Never a dull moment and where Jack gets some of the latest military technology is anybody's guess.