Dourado [Paperback]

David Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2007

A sunken treasure. An ancient Biblical artifact. A mystery as old as humankind. On January 25, 1829, the Portuguese brig Dourado sank off the coast of Indonesia, losing its cargo of priceless treasures from the Holy Land. One of these lost relics holds the key to an ancient mystery. But someone does not want this treasure to come to light. When her father is murdered while searching for the Dourado, Kaylin Maxwell hires treasure hunter and former Navy Seal Dane Maddock and his partner Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake, to locate the Dourado, and recover a lost Biblical artifact, the truth behind which could shake the foundations of the church, and call into question the fundamentally held truths of human existence. Join Dane and Bones on a perilous adventure that carries them from the depths of the Pacific to ancient cities of stone as they unravel the mystery of the Dourado.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fast-paced adventure with action to spare. Dane Maddock is a hero cut from the Dirk Pitt mold, and "Bones" Bonebrake is the best sidekick around. If you like your thrillers with a touch mystery and Biblical archaeology, Dourado is the book for you. -- Megalith Book Reviews

From the Publisher

This revised edition of Dourado includes added material and a preview chapter of David Wood's forthcoming second novel- Cibola.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Gryphonwood Press (October 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097957384X
• ISBN-13: 978-0979573842
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Fiction > General
  • #33 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Men's Adventure

More About the Author

David Wood is a fan of all things historical, archaeological, mythological, and cryptozoological, and his writing blends all of these passions. When it's vacation time, he generally passes on the exotic locales, preferring ruins, caves, Indian mounds, mountains, and sites of historical interest. (Fortunately, he lucked into a wife who loves the outdoors even more than he does!) In addition to his novels, his short fiction has appeared on the web , and in the Don't Know What You've Got anthology, and he writes the occasional editorial for Bleacher Report. Under his pseudonym David Debord, he is the author of The Absent Gods fantasy series. David is a proud member of International Thriller Writers. When not writing, David coaches youth sports. He and his family live in the Atlanta area. Visit him on the web at www.davidwoodweb.com or davidwoodonline.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dourado finds the treasure, April 27, 2009

By 

Xanthorpe (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dourado (Paperback)

Monsieur le Chevalier Louis Domenic de Rienzi is the unluckiest man I know - or at least know of. He has made a discovery that will literally shock the world. It's 1829 and de Rienzi is sailing back to France with a hold full of precious artifacts, including one in particular that will reshape our knowledge of history and of the Bible.

I'm no historian, but I know enough about the power of the early church in Rome to know that anything threatening their stranglehold on religious power would have been met with swift (and often violent) action. In this case, it appears that no action was necessary as nature took a hand in the game and gutted the Dourado, ripping it's hold open with submerged rocks and sending her to the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

And there de Rienzi's treasure lay; undisturbed; until...

Dourado is the first in a series of Dane Maddock adventures. I am a fan of Clive Cussler's 'Dirk Pitt' novels and David Wood's debut is a worthy addition to my list of favorite swashbuckling heroes. There's the hero, Maddock, his irreverent partner Uriah 'Bones' Bonebrake, and the beautiful daughter of a fallen comrade. Oh, and of course, the treasure.

The plot may be somewhat familiar: ex-Navy seals running an underwater salvage team run up against some hard luck on their current project and along comes a beautiful stranger with a tale of fantastic treasure to take the edge off their disappointment. The excitement of this new mission soon wears off though, as more than one mysterious group of very dangerous adversaries begins to take an unhealthy interest in Maddock's business.

Wood's characters in Dourado are fully developed and fit into a believable and entertaining plot very nicely. Maddock has his own secrets that often haunt him at night but the flawed hero is not one to shirk from challenge - or duty. The global locales portrayed in Dourado are three dimensional and inviting, and add an authentic and adventurous spice to the tale.

As the plot builds, the main characters - and a few others - are swept up into an international conspiracy, the pages of Dourado turn as swiftly as the water filled her cargo hold nearly two hundred years ago. The final scenes take place in Petra and could only have been written by someone who has been there - or at least has done a tremendous amount of research.

I can't discuss the final scenes without giving away too much of the story. Suffice it to say that Mr. Wood has crafted an amazing story that combines adventure, faith, history and excitement in equally fascinating measure. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series - Cibola - already available at Amazon.

Dourado is published by Gryphonwood Press.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Return of the Beach Book, June 4, 2009

By 

Sean Ellis (Glendale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dourado (Paperback)

"A sunken treasure. An ancient Biblical artifact. A mystery as old as humankind... a lost Biblical artifact, the truth behind which could shake the foundations of the church, and call into question the fundamentally held truths of human existence."

...yawn...heard it all before. The ubiquitous faith-destroying archaeological discovery plot certainly didn't start with Dan Brown, but his success with it has made it seem almost cliche. The basic premise, that traditional religious beliefs are but a curtain concealing something much more mysterious, no longer seems quite so controversial.

I'll admit, my cynicism held me back from reading David Wood's Dourado for a long time. That's unfortunate because Dourado is a lot of fun.

Wood's heroic but very human (and even slightly flawed) protagonists romp around the world, squaring off against the mysterious baddies who are the self-appointed guardians of the aforementioned secret. Dane Maddock, former-Navy SEAL turned salvage diver answers a call for help from Kaylin Maxwell, the daughter of his old CO, and is thrust into a treasure hunt that begins in the sunken wreck of a ship called Dourado, and ends--almost literally--at the gates of Hell. Along the way, Maddock battles a team of killers and wrestles with his own personal demons, but he's not alone. He gets some help from his long-time friend and comrade in arms, Uriah "Bones" Bonebreak, and equal parts help and trouble from the lovely Kaylin. Wood keeps his characters in the forefront, and lets the relic and the mystery surrounding it take a back seat, which is really what fans of the action-thriller genre want. When he finally does pull back the curtain a little, the secret is a whopper.

Dourado is a brisk read, reminiscent of early Cussler adventures, and perfect for an afternoon at the beach or a cross-country flight. You'll definitely want more of Maddock.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Adventure that Leaves You Wanting More, December 6, 2007

By 

Megalith (Atlantis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dourado (Paperback)

Two ex-Navy SEALs search for a lost Biblical artifact. That's the plot of David Wood's Dourado, a gripping action-adventure that leaves you wanting more.

Dane Maddock and Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake are former Navy SEALS who are hired by the daughter of their former commander, to find the wreck of the Portuguese ship Dourado, upon which a Biblical artifact was thought to be lost. The story begins with the unraveling of the mystery, followed by the search for the ship, and then takes off from there.

Wood's work is reminiscent of a couple other authors in the field. The opening historical prologue and the mystery centered around a shipwreck are akin to that of Clive Cussler, while the almost non-stop action is akin to a Matt Reilly novel.

Dourado has a strong back-story, and the pacing is good. The setting changes frequently, with a battle with modern-day Caribbean pirates, a shootout in the streets of Charleston, a dive in the Pacific, and an adventure in the Middle East to name a few. The Biblical archaeology and speculative angles add depth and interest to the story. The main characters are good, especially Bones, who is tough and funny and altogether believable.


The pacing of Dourado is also its weakness. There were times when I wanted the author to slow down and give a little more explanation or more development to secondary characters. There is a suggested love interest, but nothing really happens.

Overall, I would recommend the book for those who love the action-adventure genre. Dourado is a fast-paced adventure with action to spare. Dane Maddock is a hero cut from the Dirk Pitt mold, and "Bones" Bonebrake is the best sidekick around. If you like your thrillers with a touch mystery and Biblical archaeology, Dourado is the book for you.