The Medusa Stone » (Unabridged)

Jack Du Brul is the author of numerous thrillers, and he has also collaborated with Clive Cussler on the New York Times bestseller Dark Watch and the upcoming Skeleton Coast. Du Brul was educated at the Westminster School and holds a degree in international relations from George Washington University. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Debbie.

Ten years ago, the spy satellite Medusa burned upon re-entry - but not before its sensors revealed a secret buried deep in the earth. A priceless discovery that some would die to find - and kill to possess . . .

With uncanny talent as a geologist and a quick intelligence matched by savvy and courage, Philip Mercer is fast becoming a legend in powerful circles around the world. And at least two groups in those circles need his help. One group - of unknown allegiance and with a reputation for violence - snatches and holds hostage his oldest friend, forcing Mercer to help them.

In a harsh and hostile land ravaged by violence, Mercer races to find the one thing that will save his friend. But the location of this ancient treasure is elusive. He is thwarted by brutal competing forces, and suddenly, he learns that there is much more at stake than either his life or the life of an old friend: The fate of thousands of innocent souls depends on him - and him alone . . .

Publishers Weekly

James Bond-like globetrotting geologist Philip Mercer (he favors vodka gimlets) has made a name in international political and law-enforcement circles as a can-do guy. When his octogenarian best friend, Harry, is kidnapped by Israeli terrorists, Mercer undertakes a search for his friend that takes him to remote, exotic, dirt-poor Eritrea, where he sets out to locate a legendary diamond mine. Elsewhere, Sudanese rebels and sadistic Boers are following the leadership of a corrupt Italian industrialist determined to fulfill his family's African legacy. As bodies begin to pile up, and mayhem and destruction mount, Mercer, as he races to save Harry, has to decide if gorgeous, willowy Eritrean Jewess Selome Nagast is plotting against him. While tunneling through dangerous, long-disused mines and trekking across harsh, unforgiving desert, Mercer uncovers a biblical secret that puts him in even greater danger. This novel's nearly 500 pages of fast-paced prose propel DuBrul (Charon's Landing) closer to the front ranks of thriller authors. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|