Carolyn Stein

This is another great adventure novel featuring Sam and Remi Fargo, the intrepid diving, caving, and climbing treasure hunters. Of course I loved it and of course it made my runs so much better. This one was actually better than the first in this series. This time the mystery focuses on the Aztecs, a long-lost Confederate ship, and an American in Africa who may have been mad or may have found something amazing. The bad guys are truly bad and of course they get their comeuppance in the end. I'm a simple girl. Give me an adventure, a chase, bad guys, good guys, a lost treasure, and a historical mystery and I'm happy.

Another great companion for my runs! This book features two treasure hunters, Sam and Remi Fargo, who get sucked into an adventure when they spot a friend being taken away. The characters are believable but a bit over the top, which I like. The action carries through the book and includes history, puzzles and riddles in addition to gun-wielding enemies. The relationship between the two principles is both sweet and filled with respect for each other's abilities. They are tough cookies and I loved having them join me on my runs. They got me through some of the tough points I faced (which are nothing compared to their tough challenges and adventures)!

The Isaac Bell books are perfect entertainment while running and this was more of the same in that regard. I learned a good bit about early aviation and caught a bit of the excitement that my beloved must feel when he reads about this period. Overall that is one of my favorite aspects of these books. Cussler makes the world of the early 20th century come alive so well that I feel that I have a dual life spent there in the company of grand people with great courage. He takes a period I often see through scratchy black and white photos and makes it burst into full color and motion.

I love these adventures with Sam and Remi Fargo and this was the best one yet with some of their most creative and unlikely escapes from death-threatening situations. Also it introduces a new researcher who is quite engaging. I hope we see more of him in future books. This time it begins with Sam and Remi trying to rescue a friend but quickly turns into a treasure hunt before the bad guy can kill them or take the treasure for his own nefarious purposes.

This is an incredible book, capable of bringing smiles and tears (often within the same few pages). It is not for everyone since the story it tells is horrific but the humanity of the characters and the gentle bits of humor ameliorate the horror of the black death and the epidemic in the future plot. I read it two months ago and it still haunts me. I can feel the warm breath of the characters breathing down my neck and they are never far from my thoughts. She is a masterful writer. The awards for this book are well-deserved. Just don't read it while depressed.

The book contains a great deal of good advice on how to dig out from a mountain of stuff as well as how to avoid finding oneself back under the mountain in the future. At times I thought he was a bit of a scold, but I have to admit I got a lot out of it. He reinforces his ideas with some easy to remember phrases and this has proven to be far more valuable than I thought at the time I listened to it. I now say to myself when tempted in stores: "For something to be added, something else has to be gotten rid of. What shall it be?" and this has helped me save money and stay a bit neater. It was what I needed and I recommend it to anyone else who has a problem with stuff piling up. One suggestion: read it in segments and then focus on the room he discusses for a while. Don't swallow it in one great gulp.

I have listened to it several times and recommended it to many people I work with as well as my husband. It's message that we all have limited energy is a critical one.

I changed some of the things I do in my life.

This is a wonderful froth of a story with excellent narration that brings the story to life. There are no downsides. It is beautifully told with lots of detail, including lots of references to delicious food, which is always a plus for me. The sub-plot with the detective's mother was also a joy. The book combines the intellect and detection skills of Sherlock Holmes and the humor of Stephanie Plum (if she were a chubby Indian detective). I'm hungry for more from Tarquin Hall.