The Tomb of Hercules: A Novel (Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase)

Book was in good condition and I appreciate receiving it as soon as I did.

I've never taken the time to write a review before, so that right there should tell you something! I can't remember the last time I was so involved in a book that I couldn't stop reading it. I kept saying to myself, "Okay, I'll stop at the end of this chapter/section." But once I got there I'd think "Okay, just ONE MORE!" I didn't go to sleep until 7:30 this morning! I am an avid reader - I probably average about two to three books a week - and I can't remember the last time I was so engrossed in a story that I stayed up all night! The action was amazing and NON-STOP. The many exotic locales were brilliantly described and made me feel like I was actually seeing them with my own eyes. The history/mythology was interesting and thought-provoking, but not overly and analytically explained and disected until it became boring and unreadable, as some authors tend to do. But the draw to Andy's books, for me, is his characters. They are so well-written and developed that you feel like you know them personally. Real people, with complex personalities, the author shows that they have good traits and bad just like the rest of us. You'll truly find youself rooting for them or shaking your head at their bad decisions, whichever the situation calls for at the time. It is absolutley killing me that I have to wait to read "THE SECRET OF EXCALIBUR" and "THE COVENANT OF GENESIS" as they are not yet available on Kindle. I have already pre-ordered them both, and am looking forward to a few more sleepless, breathtaking nights.

I had heard for several months the comparison between Andy McDermott and Matthew Reilly--who is, in MY humble opinion the absolute KING of action/adventure novels. So after initially not being able to obtain any books due to them being available mostly overseas, they finally showed up locally and I took the plunge. While I still say that Reilly is the clear winner when it comes to sheer kinetic energy within the pages of ANY novel, Andy certainly is in a respectable 2nd place. Let me be clear: if you think Andy McDermott has plenty of action, then you obviously haven't read Reilly (and I encourage you to do so if that is the case). Now...The Hunt For Atlantis was a VERY fun debut by an obviously talented and creative adventure author. In particular I enjoyed the mixture of comic relief in the middle of tense situations (provided mainly by Eddie, of course). I Was wondering after finishing Atlantis whether or not Andy could repeat that success or be stuck in a sophomore slump as many authors tend to get. While 'Hurcules' isn't quite as all-out compelling as the first book, I found the entertainment factor to be ratcheted just as high--along with plenty of action. Some people have aversions to such adventure-drenched novels that feature mythic storylines...but I am NOT one of those people, thankfully. As a fan of Matthew Reilly, I think it rather obvious that the reality of our heroes escapes by razor-thin margins is not my yardstick for measuring if I like a book or not. As long as the author isn't trying to pass off some of the more outrageous types of actions scenes as 'based on fact', I honestly don't care how real or not it may be...I tend to be more concerned with whether or not I am entertained during the whole process, and with Andy McDermott, let me assure you I WAS. Let me also say that I really enjoyed how Nina and Eddie played off one another. It was plainly obvious at the end of Atlantis that they were becoming more than just friends, and in Hercules that becomes even more so. The snarky attitude of Eddie in the heat of battle and facing impossible odds never ceases to put a smile on my face...enough so that I genuinely look forward to the next Nina & Eddie adventure, which have been available overseas for a long time now, but not in the states--at least not yet. I will be first in line when they do, I promise. In short, Andy McDermott has quickly become another addition to my "Must Read" list, and while that may not mean anything to you, it certainly means something to me. Kudos Andy...now do something to get those other books available F-A-S-T-E-R, please!

After THE HUNT FOR ATLANTIS proved successful, the UN named archeologist Nina Wilde as the Director of Operations of the International Heritage Agency though she is not even thirty years ago. The mission of the IHA is to safeguard artifacts from looters. Former SAS operative Eddie Chase is her live-in boyfriend and personal protector. Terrorists attack the IHA research station above Atlantis killing everyone. Led by Joe Komosa they force Dr. Bill Raynes to download data onto a flash drive; before dying Raynes sees the last two entries are Wilde and Chase. Officialdom called it a horrible accident. Three months later, Nina and Eddie hobnob with the rich and famous in New York although Eddie feels like a fish out of water even as they are on the harbor. They meet non-executive director of IHA, affluent Shanghai businessman Richard Yuen Xuan and his wife Lady Sophia. Eddie and Nina get into a nasty public argument and go their separate ways. Nina is determined to find THE TOMB OF HERCULES that she has been researching and Eddie as resolute goes to Singapore to rescue his former wife Sophia from her boorish husband. On separate continents someone tries to kill them. Soon the pair unites on the lam with a powerful adversary in pursuit who wants the Plato manuscript that Nina allegedly has found. This adrenalin pumped story line is on speed as the plot is filled with action from the start and never takes a breather even for a cocktail on a yacht. Although over the top of the stratosphere make that mesosphere and the characters even the villain never developed beyond fighting and the lead couple making up, fans will have a difficult time putting down Andy McDermott's epic thriller. Harriet Klausner

Second book in the Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase series. I liked the first and third books best, but you certinly should read this one to get a full understanding of the series. It ran hot and cold in certin parts, but regardless i could not put it down like all the other chapters.