The Playground of the Gods

This is a stunningly readable, fascinating and profoundly written book. I could not put it down. It is filled with amazingly well-drawn characters, nonstop action that drives a first rate plot along to a satisfying conclusion. As good as Sydney Sheldon with more human emotion and wisdom.

Long before the cheesy reality shows, Cathy Cash Spellman wrote Playground Of The Gods, a kind of Paradise Island with deadly consequences, but played out by some of the world's most powerful and beautiful people. Thoros Gagarian, a powerful sixty-three year old billionaire, purchased the island of Mora Utu in the south Pacific. He and his five wealthy buddies decide to take a `boys week off', in which the six of them will each invite a `trophy' woman to come along. He plans an indulgent and sensual vacation for everyone. Thoros himself invites Justine Cousteau, an intelligent woman who is also a capable pilot, to assist him in flying his private plane from Oahu to Mora Utu. Jase Schindler invites Liz Cavanaugh, from his publishing company, Tony Capuletti invites Tiffany Johnson, a PR director for a nationwide chain of gyms. H. Douglas Rand invites his subordinate, Francesca Corbo (Chesi), the Project Coordinator for the Mora Utu designs, Jack Doherty invites Marika, a TV Commercial star with big aspirations of becoming a movie star, and Alex Barclay-Fontaine invites Christie Gibbs, a reporter. The men are super rich and powerful, the women are beautiful and intelligent, and it looks to be the vacation of a lifetime. Until Tony rapes Marika, drawing a line in the sand between the men and the women. The women become fearful, alone on an island where the men believe that money will pay off rape charges, and when Justine finds that the plane has been sabotaged, cutting off their escape, the group of women flees into the jungle. What ensues is a battle of the sexes, the men against the women, and Thoros's two servants, Emilio and Nelida are destined to guide them through the fates that await them. Their games include sabotage, back-stabbing, pitting themselves against each other, and even love. Somehow, they must all make it off the secluded island before the storms come. This is a great story, with well fleshed out characters and flowing prose. The only reason I did not give it five stars was because I could not quite stomach the mystical part of the two servants, that seemed a little forced and over-the-top. What I really did like was the humanity of the characters, the women's strength showing through in spite of their `bimbo' actions, and the men showing their own humanity through the `machismo' of their actions. Fantastic beach or airline read, this one is best savored when you are kicking back with a comfortable attitude and need a little diversion. Enjoy!

I just finished reading this. It is written really well, and I like the way she wrote the woman characters, they were all strong individuals. The story gets really intense toward the end.