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“Dark Gold ”

written by Harriet Klausner on 21/05/2006

Dark Gold

David Angsten

Dunne, Jul 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 0312343736



Dan Duran is globetrotting, but his family worries about him since his last postcard arrived four months ago. He has always kept in touch insuring them all is well. His mom fears her son has gotten into something nasty perhaps even dead so she pleads with her other offspring, recent college grad Jack to find Dan.



Jack and his two best pals, Duff and Rock, head to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; the place where the family last heard from Dan, but soon follow a clue that leads to Punta Perdida, a village considered cursed by outsiders. To get there, the threesome obtains a ride in the Obi-man yacht owned by the mysterious Bahamian businessman Leo Bellocheque; his crew is manned by beautiful Eva and Candy. In the cursed village, Jack meets a priest who insists Dan is dead, but also hands to him his sibling's journal. Jack soon realizes that Bellocheque is the key to his missing brother and finding the sunken treasure of the Argonaut, which Dan apparently located. Teaming up they can retrieve the booty, but must elude the lethal man-eating manta ray "El Diablo Blanco", avoid becoming sacrifices of the devil-worshipping Punta Perdida villagers, and evade gold seeking killers all during a one week vacation in Mexico.



Fans who enjoy a non-stop action-packed over the top thriller will appreciate this fine campy tale that never takes itself seriously in a Tremors sort of way. While winking at readers, David Angsten entertains as Jack quickly goes from one escapade to another sort of like the 1940 cliffhangers. DARK GOLD is a terrific how I spent my vacation landing in one harrowing incident after another tale that is escapist fun to read.



Harriet Klausner