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WesternSFA


The Midas Legacy
by Andy McDermott
Dell Books; $9.99; 630pp
Published: March 2017

Here’s a fast-paced summer read from Andy McDermott who’s written over a dozen international thrillers, in the mode of Steven Berry and James Rollins

He’s fascinated by Atlantis.  In this particular tale, dealing with his stalwart characters Dr. Nina Wilde (archeologist) and her husband (ex-SAS soldier from Yorkshire) Eddie Chase, McDermott once again focuses on Atlantis. Nina and Eddie discovered the remains of Atlantis in a previous book and are seeking to find artifacts in the sunken ruins at the beginning of this one.

And they do! They find a Secret Codex, companion to a previous Codex written by the great Atlantean explorer Talonor. His travels lead him from Atlantis---all the way to the Himalayas, where these two crucibles, one small and one very large are finally found in what’s known as the Midas Cave. Protected by Buddhist monks up behind an obscure Himalayan monastery.

So what’s so special about these crucibles?

Well, they are fundamentally able to turn mercury into gold—with a bit of nuclear hanky panky—hence the “Midas” part of this particular Legacy.

Of course, sinister forces want to control these Atlantean artifacts. Who wouldn’t want to be able to manufacture gold? Nina also crosses paths with a super-secret group called The Midas Legacy (to which she discovers her family is connected) that has been aware of this mercury-into-gold ability. Nina and her husband are chased all over the planet trying to keep the crucibles out of the wrong hands: NYC, to Reykjavik to the Greek islands, the Himalayas and finally, just for giggles—we spend almost the last dozen chapters in North Korea as they try to keep the crucibles from being shipped to the Middle East (along with some nuclear warheads).

This is loads of fun—lots of insane chases through the Himalayas and on a runaway transport truck in North Korea.

My caveat? Nina and Eddie---are not compelling characters. Nina is a no-nonsense archeologist able to kick butt and save herself from a plethora of dangerous situations; as is Eddie. But their dialogue gets tiresome, no, more, their attitudes are tiresome. Lots of indignant screeching and shouting at each other in tight situations. Clever saves; yes. Clever dialogue: Not so much. It became rather annoying.

Nina and Eddie are not my favorite globetrotting explorers, treasure seekers. (Try Clive Cussler’s Sam and Remi Fargo) But who am I to argue with success? This is McDermott’s thirteenth novel. ~~ Sue Martin

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