Customer Reviews

Gold In the Shadow

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The setting of "Gold in the Shadow" is exotic, fraught with the natural dangers of dense South American jungles. Plus lost treasures and historical puzzles. Author Michael Marcotte uses his knowledge of anthropology to create an adventure that is so thrilling you can't put the book down. Instead of pitting man against nature, however, he introduces Rachel, a short, slim anthropologist with mismatching eyes. She's a heroine whom readers, whether men or women, feel comfortable with because of her flaws rather than her virtue. She's courageous and honest, yet refreshingly vulnerable. Her only reason for flying to Peru is to find her lost twin brother, a cargo pilot whose plane has crashed near the border of Bolivia. Once she arrives in Cuzco, an unscrupulous treasure seeker dupes her into believing that he will help her find her brother's downed plane if she will join his expedition as his interpreter. In the perilous journey to follow, this man's greed endangers everyone, and only Rachel's knowledge of ancient myths and native legends helps her unlock the secret to their survival. In his debut novel, Michael Marcotte proves he is a master storyteller far more credible than Clive Cussler. His authentic details bring his adventurous tale to life, and like an ancient fable, the reader comes away with a far greater gift than the gold treasure sought in the story. It is the wisdom found in "Gold in the Shadow."

Oklahoma anthropologist Rachel Carson Aguila worries about her twin brother Kenny, a pilot, whose plane allegedly went down somewhere in the Peruvian side of the Amazon Jungle. Having spent some time there amidst the local populations, Rachel knows first hand how dangerous the beautiful terrain and its people can be to an outsider. Unable to patiently sit back when her only living relative is in danger, Rachel flies to Peru to encourage local search missions.

In Peru, American Egyptologist Dr. Harold Gallagher recognizes Rachel from her university days. He informs his expedition leader Max Arnold that she may be the only white person in the world who speaks Yaminhua, a local Indian dialect. Max realizes that she is the answer to a prayer, as the expedition party desperately needs someone to talk with the dangerous Yaminhua when they enter the territory. He uses the downed plane to persuade Rachel to join his team seeking a treasure from a three-thousand-year-old map of stone found in Morocco by the jungle guide Tristan Sloan. If she wants to save her brother, the conniving Max seems her only chance, but he knows her sibling is safe in a remote area of Bolivia.

GOLD IN THE SHADOWS is an exciting anthropologic-archeological thriller that works because of the powerfully but divergent cast. The thrilling story line entertains the audience with its non-stop action. However, the tale clearly belongs to the characters including the jungle. All the key players are fully developed so readers understand their motives including the cruel mad Max. Michael Marcotte shows he is a talented author who provides fans with a gratifying novel worth reading.

Harriet Klausner

Michael Marcotte draws you into this adventure, and you find yourself a member of an expedition through the Madre de Dios jungle. The clever riddles and intricate puzzles tied to ancient myths and legends capture the imagination and challenge you to keep up with the group, trying to discover the secret passages that will lead you to safety. As you encounter one factastic obstacle after another, the authentic language and magnificent descriptions help blur the line between fact and fiction. I found myself wondering, "What if?" and hoping that the lost city really does exist.

Gold in the Shadow is a very rewarding read. You'll have a difficult time putting it down once you have joined the incursion to find the lost brother and the lost city.

The adventures of Indiana Jones meet the Connecticut Yankee in King Author's Court in this action packed thriller by Michael Marcotte. The jungles of South America and the possibilities offered by ancient archeology create an exotic backdrop of danger, mystery and promises of gold in GOLD IN THE SHADOWS.

When Rachel Carson's twin brother is reported missing, she steadfastly believes Kenny is still alive. Kenny's current employer confirmed his failure to report after a long distance flight over the jungles east of Cuzco in South America. Rachel immediately flies to South America, a country she previously spent time in as a graduate student, in search of her brother. She little realizes her quest will lead to a path of self discovery in inner mysteries as well as the more obvious quest through the jungle for her brother's lost plane.

A student of archeology, Rachel's language skills with the Indian natives provides her with an opportunity to join Max Arnold's expedition into the depths of the jungle. Max claims to have information on a downed plane, leading Rachel to believe it could be her brother. But his motives are far from being in her best interest. Indeed, Max's hidden agenda threatens the lives each member of the team, and although fifteen people begin the expedition, few will complete the journey. And those who do will be forever changed by where they find their gold.

Marcotte brings a fascinating montage of Indian and Egyptian theory and knowledge to GOLD IN THE SHADOWS, offering a richly varied and exciting backdrop for this additive adventure. The fast paced plot, the depth of characterization and the unique insights into history provide fascinating entertainment. Indeed, Lovers of the Inca civilization have long been aware of the striking parallels between Inca culture and Egyptian, but rarely has a fiction writer so convincingly presented their case in a fictional context. If you love ancient civilizations and fast paced adventure, then I heartily recommend GOLD IN THE SHADOWS.

An expedition to look for a downed pilot deep in the Amazon forest leeds to and adventure filled with intrigue, suprises and a handfull of twists and turns. A fast pacing novel written with intelligence and skill. The protagonist of this story, a young anthropologist who is looking for her brother (the pilot), quickly finds herself in the midst of a dangerous, intricate expedition. Whether you are an adventurer in real life or just at heart, you will love this book.

Over the course of my life, I have had the honor to read many novels. However, I must say that after reading this novel, my expectations were drastically raised for all other works of literary art that I read from here on out. Michael Marcotte has masterfully created and woven together a story of rich historical background as well as bringing in the great works of Egyptian and Early Middle American myths and lore. Then blending them together into such a scale that he touches upon several theories that have been propsed about ancient civilizations for years. He achieved this masterfully.

Having heard great reviews of this new author's novel, I decided I wanted to read it. Not being someone who studies much in the field or follows peruvian types of lifestyle, this book had it's work cut out for it. Michael Marcotte had to reach me through plot and characterization. He delivered. You are pulled along on a suspenseful journey through the wild jungles of the amazon, and it's here that Michael's knowledge and ability to paint the picture in my head carried me through. The members of this expedition are all there for their own personal, and for some very greedy, reasons. However, it's combining one common goal, desire to simply survive, that enables what few are left to hang on to their lives. It has a nice romantic overture, subtle..but there, that pulls two of the characters out from the rest. But, it's not really pushing on that romance, just letting nature take it's course. Our hero and heroin also learn more than what they seek to find, her..her twin brother who had disappeared into the jungle, and him knowledge of a lost city while someone else foots the bill for selfish reasons of his own, but, what they learn is what matters most in this world if you finally get smart enough to see it and stop overlooking it. It's packed with mystery and drama, murder and death, adventure and discovery, and even sneaks in pleny of gool old sardonic humor. Last, but not least, an enlightening and even surprising end.

An exciting, non-stop adventure. You never know what's going to happen next! I couldn't put the book down -- a must read!!

Indiana Jones has met his match in Rachel Aguilera who has journeyed to the Amazon to find her brother's downed plane. Upon the start of her adventure, she is connived into joining an expedition for the lost city of El Dorado. This book kept my attention from start to finish. The writing is highly intelligent without sounding too high brow. The characters act and react realistically and, although you may never have been lost in the Amazon personally, you find yourselves relating easily to what they experience and how they accept it.

If you are intrigued by the rumors of Inca gold and are curious about life in the Amazon now and in ancient times, it's a worthy read.

The author is obviously well versed in anthropolgy and the indigenious tribes in the Amazon basin - and through that he has spun a tale not unlike Dan Brown's DAVINCI CODE or most of Michael Crichton's books that have a foundation in truths, overlayed with some speculation and again overlayed with fictional characters in a fast-paced "novelistic" setting ... however while Michael Marcotte might know the world of the Amazon past and present, he is a clear novice when it comes to dialogue, characters and fictional writing.

The 1st two chapters are particularly cringe-worthy but on the other hand, 90% of the book involves the Amazon basin and frankly, there are not a lot of "fact-based" novels set in the Amazon and/or touching upon the linkage with other civilizations that it's still intriguing enough to recommend. In the hands of a better writer, what he's suggesting might seem more plausible but it's still an intriguing 'ride' nevertheless - you still feel smarter for having the read the book and that's not all bad.

So, if you want to learn a thing or two, and be presented with some fact-based speculation in a setting where most other authors don't stray, GOLD IN THE SHADOW is worth your time - for summer reading, it's the one you want to start with first.