Gold in the Shadow

Michael Marcotte

Review by Molly

Rachel Carson Aguila was unprepared for how her life was about to change. Worried to a frazzle upon hearing that her twin, Kenny, had crashed in an airplane somewhere in the Amazon jungles, the petite anthropologist decides she must set out for Peru at once. Skilled in both the language and mores of the native peoples where Rachel believes her brother may be laying injured convinces the impetuous young woman that she alone is the one who is most likely to find Kenny. Soon after her arrival in Peru Rachel finds herself joining a group with a local anthropologist and one of her old college profs along with native guides and two men she will soon enough discover are anything but what they profess. The startled Rachel learns an amazing secret as she and her party continue forging into a land where few others have dared enter.

Blend a little Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone for an idea of the escapade and escitement to be found in this enthralling adventure novel. Marcotte has used his knowledge of the people and jungle area where he places his adventurers to full advantage in a book that will keep you glued to the page.

The fright felt by Rachel and the others in the party is tangible. The desperation driven behavior of the dwindling group as they strive to flee from what appears to be an all but impossible hidden world will keep you turning the pages as you cheer the band on in their headlong flight toward escape. The characters are inventive and well thought out. From the abrasive Max to the mysterious Tristan Sloan, Rachel and the Peruvian guides, each is individual and believable.

This book offers the reader a peek inside a world which just might exist. The author has deftly offered a glimpse into the actual past and a glance beyond what we know to be true in the present culture of the jungle. In a short time the reader is drawn into the action; we too are slogging along in the middle of what often appears to be an impossible, improbably situation. Like Rachel, we hope it is a nightmare from which we will awaken. But it is not and we must continue our journey. Highly incisive and highly recommended.