Mayan myth, including the much-ballyhooed 2012 doomsday theory, forms the backbone of this action-packed debut. Danielle Laidlaw, an investigator for a covert branch of the National Research Institute, sets off into the Amazon with a small group of mercenaries, renegades, rogues, and scholars to uncover the source of mysterious radioactive crystals, hoping to find an ancient Mayan city and a possible source for clean energy. Ruthless billionaire Richard Kaufman has his own plans for the technology and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means killing Danielle and her team.
There are other dangers lurking in the rain forests, including a cartoonishly savage tribe of natives called the Chollokwan and a mysterious man-eating creature. A few sections seem unnecessarily padded, but the fast pace and nonstop violence will keep readers forging ahead.
Black Rain is an adventure that’s not only a terrific read, but is smart, intelligent, and poised to shake up the whole thriller community. Black Rain sizzles with tension and twists that both entertain and magnetize. The plot envelopes the reader into a brilliantly conceived world, full of strange and amazing things. Brown manages to keep the action level and the interesting facts about Mayan culture coming fast enough to propel you through the book. This book is for genre fans and won’t win any new converts, but Brown keeps things interesting enough.
Somewhere between adventure, sci-fi and fantasy, Black Rain is a decent, if not particularly memorable, debut novel for Brown. As a beach read, it works fine, as the story moves quickly and entertainingly. If you enjoy these sorts of treasure hunt stories, then this will probably be worth reading.
Related Books:
- The Lost Symbol : Dan Brown
- The Curious Garden – By Peter Brown
- The Silent Sea : Clive Cussler
- An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith : Barbara Brown Taylor
