The Elymais Coin [Paperback]

John H. Manhold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2008

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR CY LANE MUST STOP THE ELYMAIS COIN FROM BEING USED AS PART OF A SUBVERSIVE PLOT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES FROM ITS MOST VULNERABLE POINT... THE PRESIDENCY. -------- THE ELYMAIS COIN is a new novel from John H. Manhold, the multiple award winner author of EL TIGRE.

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: CEREB PRESS (September 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979757207
• ISBN-13: 978-0979757204
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,857,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John H. Manhold has degrees from 3 universities in somewhat diversified disciplines and formerly engaged in research that brought lecture and consulting invitations from many areas of the world and has received a life-time achievement award among others, for his efforts. He also acquired USCG Captain's and Master's papers and skippered his trawler on trips, one of which covered 6000 miles, played international golf and gained awards, including gold medals, in single-action weapon shooting events. Now retired and 'too mature' to continue in more vigerous activities, he writes novels (3 award-winners to date), reviews books for marketers and others, and teaches a university level course in writing/publishing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense & Mystery Layered with Today's Global Political Intrigue, October 31, 2008

By 

Melvin Kligman (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Elymais Coin (Paperback)

"The Elymais Coin" unfolds like a well-constructed Chinese puzzle revealing depths of research and insight into ancient history and our post 9/11 world. The first few pages quickly drew me in to an expected 1950's era detective story set in New York's glittery social scene...just as I became absorbed in the murders surrounding 3,000 year-old artifacts, the pages exploded into a fast-moving international journey across today's headlines. John Manhold has interwoven Islamic factions, international trade, organized crime and the U.S. presidential race with beautifully-detailed descriptions of Paris, Morocco, Spain and Mexico. (The reader will feel that you are actually walking the casbah or sharing a meal with the protagonists). A timely and enlightening, yet thoroughly engrossing, novel..."The Elymais Coin" demonstartes the amazing versatility of Manhold's writing style but contains the same hallmark attention to authenticity & research as his earlier novel "El Tigre". I would highly recommend "The Elymais Coin" as a holiday gift!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!, January 16, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Elymais Coin (Paperback)

John H. Manhold divides his time between his careers as a Research Scientist and as an author of historical fiction. His novel EL TIGRE won two of the 2008 National Indie Excellence Awards.

Cy Lane is a private investigator who also holds a law degree from Yale. Coming from an upper class family, whose expectations of him were dashed when he married the bride of his choice, Cy exerted his independence by professionally boxing to support his education. He also became a ranger and served in Desert Storm.

Cy is hired by a coin rich coin collector named James Weston to locate a rare coin that was minted in a country called Elymais, which was part of the second century B.C. Parthian Empire, which was located between Persis and Babylonia. Rare coins from forgotten or little known eras and locations fetch big money, and Weston wanted the coin badly enough to send Cy zigzagging around the world searching for a coin that left a trail of death and destruction in its wake. Cy hooks up with an old CIA acquaintance to hunt down the coin:

"'...The Elymais coin and icon that appeared for sale on the world market were placed there by this Muslim group to gain money to augment their supplies. The icon had been sold and produced some of the necessary monies. The purchaser had no interest in the coin, was not aware of it, or could not afford this piece as well. When Eskel attacked the jeweler and ran off with the coin, immediate reaction occurred. The Muslim faction used a shotgun approach in sending out trackers. Two were successful and, as you know, found him in Andorra. Apparently, he was kept alive because, although he did not have the coin, he was believed to be needed for its recovery. The part of this whole charade that is of most interest to the governments of Morocco and the United States is the fact that he was brought to this country.'"

Manhold is knowledgeable of not only Mideastern politics and geography, but also of world geography. His tale is not so much suspenseful as is a "chase" surrounding the coin, with lots of lovely descriptions of various locations, restaurants, and food. Bravo!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer