Avenging Storm

by Maurice Mayben

Avenging Storm by Maurice Mayben, 2009, Robert D. Reed PublishersRated 5-stars on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and GoodReads.com. A “masterpiece of suspense, international intrigue, and peril.” Richard Blake for Midwest Book Review"Warning – you will NOT be able to put this book down! Fast paced, lots of twists, and a great ending – I loved it!" Diann TonnesenImagine an ancient Chinese healer had developed a natural cure for what we today call ‘’ no drugs, no surgery, only healthy food and beverages that fortify and cleanse the human body, enabling it to “cure” itself. The healer, Chang Li Suk, inscribed this treatment onto several metal tablets, but they were lost during a 13th century sea voyage off the coast of ancient Persia.Seven hundred years later, an American soldier, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Derek Storm, alone, wounded and stranded during Operation Desert Storm, discovers one of those tablets in the Iraqi desert. Not able to read Chinese and not knowing the tablet’s significance, he pockets the artifact and takes it home as a souvenir after the war.Twelve years down the road, a stunningly beautiful young medical research doctor, Lisa Chen, who is working with his uncle, sees the tablet in Storm’s apartment and upon translating it, informs him that it’s a natural cure for cancer, the plague of the 20th century, but “where’s the rest of it?”Storm, now cognizant of the artifact’s importance and encouraged by Dr. Chen, feels obligated to return to Iraq to recover the remaining artifacts that complete the formula. There are numerous obstacles in his way, perilous obstacles.First, Iraq is again on the verge of war, about to be pounded in Gulf war II. Storm enlists the help of some well-to-do friends to figure out how to sneak in as a civilian, locate the exact spot where he found the original tablet twelve years previous, recover the accompanying artifacts, and then get out of Iraq before he or the artifacts get blown up in the war, or worse, captured by the Iraqis.Second, and no less lethal, unscrupulous power-hungry government officials and their greedy lobbyist cohorts have gotten wind of this potential cancer cure and become wary of losing billions of dollars if it is revealed. They conspire to suppress the cure until they can manipulate a piece of the action for themselves. They hire ruthless mercenaries to track down Storm and his relatives, and they make Storm’s quest the most perilous adventure of his life, even murdering one of his uncles and endangering Storm and his associates.Derek Storm, sixth degree Kung Fu black sash, must summon all of his cunning and employ his Kung Fu and soldiering skills to navigate the numerous twists and complexities of government and lobbyist corruption, overcome all obstacles, recover the remaining artifacts to reveal the cure, and bring all of the corrupt culprits to justice… the harsh and righteous justice of Avenging Storm.

508 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2009

About the author

US Army veteran
US Air Force veteran
Kung Fu San Soo black sash
retired airline Captain
author"

Reviews

[Rickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins with Derek Storm as a wounded, stranded American soldier awaiting rescue in an Iraqi desert. As he digs into a sandy bomb crater for protection, he discovers some artifacts that appear to be of Chinese origin. He is finally extracted by a U.S. helicopter, then takes these artifacts with him to the United States.

Back in the states, Derek’s uncles are verge of discovering a cure for cancer. Storm is shocked when one of his uncles is brutally murdered and their research lab ransacked. Why would someone murder a research doctor and destroy their lab? Does it have something to do with their cancer research? Why would someone want to suppress a cure for cancer, a cure that could only benefit the world and possibly save millions of lives?

As Derek investigates the mysterious inscriptions on his Chinese artifacts, he discovers that they seem to tell of an ancient cure for cancer. Unfortunately, they are incomplete, and Derek must find a way to go back into Iraq, which now seems to be on the brink of another war.

A timely novel, Avenging Storm takes place around the time of both Gulf Wars and involves a possible cure for cancer. It tells a tale of greed by corrupt government officials and medical groups who employ ruthless thugs to achieve their selfish goals, using whatever means necessary. There is no doubt that Mr. Mayben is very knowledgeable about weapons, aircraft, the martial arts, and military/covert operations and tactics. The characters are well developed, and the main character, Derek Storm, seems to be a larger-than-life hero who is more than capable of administering justice to those who wrong him.

Avenging Storm has fast-paced action, which is divided into short sub-chapters that will keep you turning the pages. I found the author’s reference to California to be quite humorous - apparently a state with more than its share of regulations. It was interesting how the author wove historical details, specifically about the Marco Polo expeditions, into the book. Why would Chinese artifacts be found in an Iraqi desert? Have Chinese artifacts actually been found in Iraq? These were questions that popped into my mind as I was reading.

From the title, you probably deduce that Derek Storm has a way of dispensing his own form of justice quickly to those who wrong him or those close to him. Avenging Storm would make a great movie. If I were the author, I would convert it to a screenplay adaptation; it has everything that would make an exciting movie. I recommend it for those who enjoy fast-paced adventures, especially recommended for those who like military and martial arts action.

[Kassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Fast read, full of action, great story line, nail-biting, and
all the good things about a thriller story! Would love to see this made into a movie!!!! This could have a sequel, too!!!
Thanks Mr Mayben for the book!

[Lyle Edelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT book, fast paced and definately a must read. I lost sleep several nights in a row because I couldn't stop reading it!
I can't wait for the sequel to come out.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you Mr. Mayben for giving me the opportunity to be a first reads winner. Just finished reading this book. It took me almost three weeks to finish it, which is not good. It was a good concept, but I think when I read at least, I subconsiously look for inconsistancies. I found some in this book. For instance, when Lisa Chen told Peter that she's never even held a gun, but a few pages before Storm actually had to take the gun from her. And if you were being chased through Death Valley by the bad guys, would making love be on your high list of things to do?? That just didn't seem plausible to me. But still, I agree with Kassie's comments that this would make a great movie.

[Maurice Mayben · Rating 5 out of 5]

from Richard Blake- Midwest Book Review: A "craft(ed)...masterpiece of suspense, international intrigue, and peril."

5-star reviews on Barnes&Noble, Borders, Amazon.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will add my review later......