Carlos Cortes, Perfect Circle

Perfect Circle

Carlos J. Cortes

Bantam, Dec 2008, $$6.99

ISBN: 9780553591620

Hugh Reece, President of International Mining Corporation, regrets what he did that drove his heir grandson Paul away. He knows the Congo discovery needs Paul as the lead field geologist opening the shaft and going down the four miles into the earth to discover what is there. The firm contacts the estranged Paul who, though he remains irate with IMC and his grandpa, agrees to invesitgate.

However, as Paul and his crew prepare for the inner earth journey, the Congolese natives who have lived here for generations, know what he will find. They have been waiting for this day and believe Paul is the chosen one to rapel down the chute to either save or destroy civilization as the west knows it.

This is an exhilarating brisk science fiction thriller with echoes of Journey to the Center of the Earth. The storyline is fast-paced from the moment Paul reaches the Congo and never slows down. However, it is the strong characterizations especially the flawed and remorseful Hugh and the angry Paul who bring a human frailty to the 'Perfect Circle.'

Harriet Klausner