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Daniel Knox #4
The Eden Legacy
Fact collides with fiction in Will Adams’s fourth pulse-pounding adventure featuring archaeologist Daniel Knox.
Welcome to Eden. Zero.
After she finds out her estranged father and sister are missing from their coastal nature reserve in Madagascar, TV zoologist Rebecca Kirkpatrick is on the first flight home. Underwater archaeologist Daniel Knox is searching for a sunken Chinese treasure ship when he hears of the disappearances and ventures to The Eden Reserve to investigate.
Still with a vendetta to settle, Georgian gangster dynasty the Nergadzes send a hitman to hunt down Knox and avenge them. As Knox chases answers he realizes that the idyllic coral reef of Eden hides an ugly truth – someone is willing to kill and exploit people for a secret that will rewrite the history of the New World…
Welcome to Eden. Zero.
After she finds out her estranged father and sister are missing from their coastal nature reserve in Madagascar, TV zoologist Rebecca Kirkpatrick is on the first flight home. Underwater archaeologist Daniel Knox is searching for a sunken Chinese treasure ship when he hears of the disappearances and ventures to The Eden Reserve to investigate.
Still with a vendetta to settle, Georgian gangster dynasty the Nergadzes send a hitman to hunt down Knox and avenge them. As Knox chases answers he realizes that the idyllic coral reef of Eden hides an ugly truth – someone is willing to kill and exploit people for a secret that will rewrite the history of the New World…
483 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2010
20 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Will Adams
12 books276 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Will Adams has tried his hand at a multitude of careers over the years. Most recently, he worked for a London-based firm of communications consultants, before giving it up to pursue his lifelong dream of writing fiction. His first novel, The Alexander Cipher, is a modern-day quest to find the lost tomb of Alexander the Great. Published in November 2007 by Harper Collins, it is being translated into twelve languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, and will be published in the USA by Grand Central Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Will Adams has tried his hand at a multitude of careers over the years. Most recently, he worked for a London-based firm of communications consultants, before giving it up to pursue his lifelong dream of writing fiction. His first novel, The Alexander Cipher, is a modern-day quest to find the lost tomb of Alexander the Great. Published in November 2007 by Harper Collins, it is being translated into twelve languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch, and will be published in the USA by Grand Central Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 31, 2022
3 stars to Will Adams's The Eden Legacy, the fourth in his "Daniel Knox" series -- and I think possibly the last one. I enjoyed this book, and the series, but I think this one was my least favorite.
Story
In the last book, Daniel suffered a great tragedy and had to go in hiding. This book picks up almost two years later when he's working on a dive rescue team looking for sunken ships near Madagascar. The bad guys from Georgia (Europe) trace him down and want revenge. He's also in search of a woman who helped him out when he first moved to the area after the previous tragedy. He befriends the lost women's sister and together they try to solve the puzzle of the missing Chinese ship, the sister and the Georgian hoodlums.
Strengths
Very descriptive. Lots of archaeological details. Good drama. Surprise Twist.
Suggestions
Not cohesive. Lack of intrigue around the missing Chinese ship (but there were so many options to help it improve). Lacks any hint at the future, which the previous books included.
Final Thoughts
It's a good book, just not as good as the rest of the series. I'd read book 1 and 2 and decide if you want to continue the series. They can be read standalone, no need to finish the series as each one is a separate story.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
Story
In the last book, Daniel suffered a great tragedy and had to go in hiding. This book picks up almost two years later when he's working on a dive rescue team looking for sunken ships near Madagascar. The bad guys from Georgia (Europe) trace him down and want revenge. He's also in search of a woman who helped him out when he first moved to the area after the previous tragedy. He befriends the lost women's sister and together they try to solve the puzzle of the missing Chinese ship, the sister and the Georgian hoodlums.
Strengths
Very descriptive. Lots of archaeological details. Good drama. Surprise Twist.
Suggestions
Not cohesive. Lack of intrigue around the missing Chinese ship (but there were so many options to help it improve). Lacks any hint at the future, which the previous books included.
Final Thoughts
It's a good book, just not as good as the rest of the series. I'd read book 1 and 2 and decide if you want to continue the series. They can be read standalone, no need to finish the series as each one is a separate story.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
February 7, 2018
Having not read the prior three books in the series I found the call backs to incidents with a Georgian gangster to be superfluous to the story line, however I can certainly see the relevance had someone been reading the series in full - that being said they don't at all ruin the book as a stand alone novel.
The story itself surrounds a marine park which has arranged for a marine salvage crew to work a wreck after they finish their current search down the coast, the manager of the marine park however goes missing along with their daughter who is a previous acquaintance of Daniel Knox, one of the marine salvage crew. Knox then travels up to the park to see what's going on at the same time as the managers other daughter comes home from England to search for them. Along comes a greedy entrepreneur who wants to take over the land and a dash of oceanic mystery.
Enjoyable, picks up pace towards the end and keeps you guessing until the last few pages as to what entirely is going on. Might have to go back and read the others now.
The story itself surrounds a marine park which has arranged for a marine salvage crew to work a wreck after they finish their current search down the coast, the manager of the marine park however goes missing along with their daughter who is a previous acquaintance of Daniel Knox, one of the marine salvage crew. Knox then travels up to the park to see what's going on at the same time as the managers other daughter comes home from England to search for them. Along comes a greedy entrepreneur who wants to take over the land and a dash of oceanic mystery.
Enjoyable, picks up pace towards the end and keeps you guessing until the last few pages as to what entirely is going on. Might have to go back and read the others now.
September 8, 2019
I would have given the book a more complimentary review if I had gone just with the level of writing and how well the book kept me interested; it’s a pleasant enough read. But, unfortunately, there was the matter of the characters, mainly that of Rebecca Kirkpatrick.
It’s almost as if Adams felt he had to give Daniel a love interest to replace the one he had, never mind that Rebecca is the complete opposite of Gaille, no matter what Adams writes. Rebecca isn’t a very nice person, and it got sort of old how often Daniel let her off the hook for her cruelty or stupidity. There’s brave and then there’s stupid, and Rebecca comes off as stupid. Considering what a kind and generous character Gaille was, it’s hard not to think that Daniel just hasn’t had any in awhile.
Add to that an ending you could see coming, and the last book in this series becomes quite the disappointment.
It’s almost as if Adams felt he had to give Daniel a love interest to replace the one he had, never mind that Rebecca is the complete opposite of Gaille, no matter what Adams writes. Rebecca isn’t a very nice person, and it got sort of old how often Daniel let her off the hook for her cruelty or stupidity. There’s brave and then there’s stupid, and Rebecca comes off as stupid. Considering what a kind and generous character Gaille was, it’s hard not to think that Daniel just hasn’t had any in awhile.
Add to that an ending you could see coming, and the last book in this series becomes quite the disappointment.
just-have-it
January 24, 2015SUMMARY:
Fact collides with fiction in Will Adams's fourth pulse-pounding adventure featuring archaeologist Daniel Knox.Welcome to Eden. Population: Zero.After she finds out her estranged father and sister are missing from their coastal nature reserve in Madagascar, TV zoologist Rebecca Kirkpatrick is on the first flight home. Underwater archaeologist Daniel Knox is searching for a sunken Chinese treasure ship when he hears of the disappearances and ventures to The Eden Reserve to investigate.Still with a vendetta to settle, Georgian gangster dynasty the Nergadzes send a hitman to hunt down Knox and avenge them. As Knox chases answers he realizes that the idyllic coral reef of Eden hides an ugly truth ' someone is willing to kill and exploit people for a secret that will rewrite the history of the New World'Ś
Fact collides with fiction in Will Adams's fourth pulse-pounding adventure featuring archaeologist Daniel Knox.Welcome to Eden. Population: Zero.After she finds out her estranged father and sister are missing from their coastal nature reserve in Madagascar, TV zoologist Rebecca Kirkpatrick is on the first flight home. Underwater archaeologist Daniel Knox is searching for a sunken Chinese treasure ship when he hears of the disappearances and ventures to The Eden Reserve to investigate.Still with a vendetta to settle, Georgian gangster dynasty the Nergadzes send a hitman to hunt down Knox and avenge them. As Knox chases answers he realizes that the idyllic coral reef of Eden hides an ugly truth ' someone is willing to kill and exploit people for a secret that will rewrite the history of the New World'Ś
September 5, 2020
It felt way too inconsistent. The idea of the plot was interesting, but not enough time was spent on the Chinese ships; Rebecca never came across as a nice person and that ending chapter felt infuriating more than anything; certain story points were little more than stereotype.
Although I was obviously missing context from the previous books, I feel like the author gave enough context that that was not the problem. Especially, because in the middle I almost stopped, though it did pick up near the end.
Although I was obviously missing context from the previous books, I feel like the author gave enough context that that was not the problem. Especially, because in the middle I almost stopped, though it did pick up near the end.
September 12, 2022
So…the parts and action with Daniel Knox I liked. The setting and the premise regarding shipwrecks too.
What really annoyed me, or who was Rebecca. She just seemed to make one mistake after another, and acted like she knew everything. So I really didn’t get the attraction Daniel saw in her. She just seemed like a spoiled brat with very rough edges. As a TV personality, it seems like she would be able to talk to people in a more appealing way, or at least make some effort.
She was very hostile all the time. I get that she’s stressed out and worried about her father and sister, but you’d think she might not attack every single person she came in contact with, and she was like that from the beginning, even before she found out about her father and sister missing. The only one she wasn’t forceful, attacking, was her family’s lawyer and Therese somewhat, although she was somewhat condescending and impatient with her too.
I just kept thinking, well I guess she must be pretty attractive because her assumed intelligence and “smarts”are not coming across and she barely seems to appreciate anyone who is trying to help her. Making stupid mistakes like when she wanted to search for them the first night and then needed to be rescued from getting caught on the reef and causing not only bodily harm to herself but also risking Daniel’s life repeatedly. With her actions at the end, I thought the Yvette was going to be another shipwreck. I just really don’t like dumb female characters I guess.
I mean, Gaille bothered me too initially, but she was at least kind and thoughtful about other people. When she first arrived on the scene, she seemed like the helpless woman in distress, always needing to be rescued by a man, and making stupid blunders like Rebecca. But in the last book, I liked her character and actions a lot better. She actually acted like the archaeologist and professional, smart person she was supposed to be. Just when I was actually starting to like her…oh well.
Eden Legacy kind of ended without completely resolving everything. Did Daniel tell her who he really was? Did Daniel explain away the two dead bodies and the gun she found? And I thought maybe the lawyer or someone would know what her mother’s secret was that had her dad treating her so terribly after her mom died.
I was just sick of Rebecca making such big mistakes and Daniel just taking it and putting up with her hostility. Yes, he lied to her, but he explained it and she lied too, which was just forgotten about. Her reckless behavior was just allowed and forgiven because of her dad and sister. I know I would be desperate too but not to the point of being rude and careless about other people. I guess I still expect people to act like basically decent human beings to each other regardless of the circumstances. Expecting a lot, I know.
Am I interested in what adventures Daniel joins in next? Definitely will read, but I just hope Rebecca isn’t so annoying if she’s in much of any future books.
What really annoyed me, or who was Rebecca. She just seemed to make one mistake after another, and acted like she knew everything. So I really didn’t get the attraction Daniel saw in her. She just seemed like a spoiled brat with very rough edges. As a TV personality, it seems like she would be able to talk to people in a more appealing way, or at least make some effort.
She was very hostile all the time. I get that she’s stressed out and worried about her father and sister, but you’d think she might not attack every single person she came in contact with, and she was like that from the beginning, even before she found out about her father and sister missing. The only one she wasn’t forceful, attacking, was her family’s lawyer and Therese somewhat, although she was somewhat condescending and impatient with her too.
I just kept thinking, well I guess she must be pretty attractive because her assumed intelligence and “smarts”are not coming across and she barely seems to appreciate anyone who is trying to help her. Making stupid mistakes like when she wanted to search for them the first night and then needed to be rescued from getting caught on the reef and causing not only bodily harm to herself but also risking Daniel’s life repeatedly. With her actions at the end, I thought the Yvette was going to be another shipwreck. I just really don’t like dumb female characters I guess.
I mean, Gaille bothered me too initially, but she was at least kind and thoughtful about other people. When she first arrived on the scene, she seemed like the helpless woman in distress, always needing to be rescued by a man, and making stupid blunders like Rebecca. But in the last book, I liked her character and actions a lot better. She actually acted like the archaeologist and professional, smart person she was supposed to be. Just when I was actually starting to like her…oh well.
Eden Legacy kind of ended without completely resolving everything. Did Daniel tell her who he really was? Did Daniel explain away the two dead bodies and the gun she found? And I thought maybe the lawyer or someone would know what her mother’s secret was that had her dad treating her so terribly after her mom died.
I was just sick of Rebecca making such big mistakes and Daniel just taking it and putting up with her hostility. Yes, he lied to her, but he explained it and she lied too, which was just forgotten about. Her reckless behavior was just allowed and forgiven because of her dad and sister. I know I would be desperate too but not to the point of being rude and careless about other people. I guess I still expect people to act like basically decent human beings to each other regardless of the circumstances. Expecting a lot, I know.
Am I interested in what adventures Daniel joins in next? Definitely will read, but I just hope Rebecca isn’t so annoying if she’s in much of any future books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
Interesting read, the Eden Legacy.
Let's see where to start. Hmmmmm
Ok why is book called the Eden Legacy.
Because it was land that was bought in Madagascar 🇲🇬 and its so pure.
Pristine view of the ocean. Eden is a nature reserve, that has been in the Kirkpatrick family for decades.
Hence, the Eden Legacy.
But the most amazing thing is, a Chinese treasure ship 🚢 has sunk in the vicinity of the Eden Nature Reserve.
This Chinese ship 🚢 hit a reef in 1424 and sunk shortly thereafter.
Its been on the sea floor since, until now.
The discovery was found by Adam & Emilia Kirkpatrick. Father & Daughter duo.
This find will be worth millions, so the Kirkpatrick's keep a tight lid on who they tell.
But they need help with the excavating, so the hire a salvage company.
But before they can get started, the father & daughter team disappeared.
Now here is where the storyline picks up.
Just thought I'd give you a little bit, enough to get you interested and asking questions.
Which of course, I'm not answering, because you already know to find out more, you got to read the book. Ha!!!
That's my time, for now.
But as always, Happy Reading 📚!!!
Ciao💋
Ps...... there is one more book 📖 called Newton's Fire 🔥 that I want to check out, & of course I'll definitely let you know what I think.....
Let's see where to start. Hmmmmm
Ok why is book called the Eden Legacy.
Because it was land that was bought in Madagascar 🇲🇬 and its so pure.
Pristine view of the ocean. Eden is a nature reserve, that has been in the Kirkpatrick family for decades.
Hence, the Eden Legacy.
But the most amazing thing is, a Chinese treasure ship 🚢 has sunk in the vicinity of the Eden Nature Reserve.
This Chinese ship 🚢 hit a reef in 1424 and sunk shortly thereafter.
Its been on the sea floor since, until now.
The discovery was found by Adam & Emilia Kirkpatrick. Father & Daughter duo.
This find will be worth millions, so the Kirkpatrick's keep a tight lid on who they tell.
But they need help with the excavating, so the hire a salvage company.
But before they can get started, the father & daughter team disappeared.
Now here is where the storyline picks up.
Just thought I'd give you a little bit, enough to get you interested and asking questions.
Which of course, I'm not answering, because you already know to find out more, you got to read the book. Ha!!!
That's my time, for now.
But as always, Happy Reading 📚!!!
Ciao💋
Ps...... there is one more book 📖 called Newton's Fire 🔥 that I want to check out, & of course I'll definitely let you know what I think.....
March 15, 2023
Samlede den her bog op et eller andet sted i Malaysia. Jeg tror efter at have læst Jo Nesbø og Songs of Achilles, har jeg fået et meget højt forventningsniveau til bøger, og den her var bare sådan lidt meh. Lidt en ligegyldig storyline, meget en råbekamp om hvem gjorde hvad i stedet for kolde hårde facts.
Var lige ved at blive god til sidst da man troede hovedpersonen måske faktisk var død, men Selfølgelig endte den i en kliché, hvor han overlevede og de levede lykkeligt til deres dages ende....wack
Var lige ved at blive god til sidst da man troede hovedpersonen måske faktisk var død, men Selfølgelig endte den i en kliché, hvor han overlevede og de levede lykkeligt til deres dages ende....wack
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2024
Another very good adventure/thriller from Will Adams featuring Daniel Knox. This time Knox is living under an assumed name hoping Illya Nergandze won't find him to revenge the death of his grandson. Knox is working for a marine salvage company off Madagascar's western shore searching for a Chinese Treasure Ship that went down in the 15th century.
I gave this story 3 stars because the action was limited to a sction of Madagascar. We learn a lot about the island nation, but it doesn't compare to the wealth of information we learned in Adams' first 3 books. I felt the action flagged midway.
I gave this story 3 stars because the action was limited to a sction of Madagascar. We learn a lot about the island nation, but it doesn't compare to the wealth of information we learned in Adams' first 3 books. I felt the action flagged midway.
October 8, 2020
Wow, wow, wow. I presume the last instalment of the Daniel Knox series. Gutted that this is the last one however I am pleased with the ending and also unlike some authors Will Adams has not run him into the ground. In these four novels together there is a beginning, a middle and an end. Well done for a superb series. If you enjoy action, history and theories then these books are for you. Start at the beginning and enjoy.
September 7, 2018
I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t quite up to the level of the previous three.
I laughed at one of the errors that slipped through the proofreading process. In one of the chapters, there is mention of how if someone sailed east from Peru, they would reach Australia! Perhaps it would be better for them to sail west to accomplish this feat.
I laughed at one of the errors that slipped through the proofreading process. In one of the chapters, there is mention of how if someone sailed east from Peru, they would reach Australia! Perhaps it would be better for them to sail west to accomplish this feat.
December 31, 2022
I was expecting a short of lame but somehow easy, quick, adventure read. It was almost there, but holy cow was the female main character the most annoying, overly sensitive, overly reactive, unthinking, idiot. The main male character was, weirdly, competent, capable, emotionally steady... Ugh. I wish to remove this book from my brain.
June 16, 2018
A fast paced adventure. Daniel Knox gets dragged into an adventure when his friend and her dad goes missing in Eden nature reserve. Can be read as a standalone even though Knox has to deal with ghost of his past. Fun and enjoyable.
July 6, 2018
Adams continues to improve as a writer. The first Daniel Knox book left me thinking, "Hmm. sort of a Dan Brown wannabe." But as I read others, he's taken a large leap. I define this as becoming a page-turner author; you don't want to put it down, and you just can't help keeping going.
June 2, 2020
Finally finished, the last couple of chapters were really good and had me hooked. But the extra stories with Boris could have been minimised or removed imo. I really don't see how they mattered. And to be honest I skipped them and didnt feel I missed any of the story.
December 28, 2022
This book was very good though I have to say I wasn't as fond of it as I was of the earlier books in the series. Its still a good conclusion to the series and I have to say that learning about Madagascar was fascinating. Overall a story that I really enjoyed.
July 20, 2025
'An adventure that will change history' - Erm, not sure about that. It was just OK, took a while to get going but I like to stick with books. There are plenty of other books in this genre that I'd recommend before this.
June 11, 2017
3.5? After the last book, this one just seemed very unnecessary and more contrived than usual.
August 28, 2018
JUST MEH
February 19, 2019
It is a good book. But, it goes too deep into the history that it is sometimes hard to keep up with it.
March 28, 2020
I quite liked the parts describing the diving for ancient Chinese treasure ships and the history of those early explorers and the story was quite good.
Read
February 20, 2022This first book i read to adams i think so that adv like dan brown sens.Still i lost at first .The end of this novel ma fav.But boris hav't had work gd in novel.Anyway i engoy it
April 25, 2020
At long last I got round to reading the 4th instalment of Daniel Knox series, the marine archaeologist.
Rather exciting if truth be told. Read til after 3am this morning and still lay awake thinking about the ending. Shocking to say the least! However a good finish and as far as I know, no more DK as it was 2010 that was written and nothing since.
Come on Will Adams...
Rather exciting if truth be told. Read til after 3am this morning and still lay awake thinking about the ending. Shocking to say the least! However a good finish and as far as I know, no more DK as it was 2010 that was written and nothing since.
Come on Will Adams...
March 25, 2025
Pretty run of the mill story, which would benefit from some knowledge of earlier books (which I didn't have). The historical premise of sunken Chinese galleons and their loss off Madagascar is the most interesting part of the story and warrants a bit more input and research.
A decent enough holiday read.
A decent enough holiday read.
January 31, 2015
Throughout the novel. the author manages to hold the suspense and bring out the tension by creating tight situations and cliff-hanger endings to chapters.He manages to concoct a heady mix in the climax, causing the reader to keep flipping till the last page. The usual cliche of the villain inexplicably denying the killing of the hero is thankfully avoided. In fact the action sequence at the climax does get our adrenaline pumping. In a beautiful moment of juxtaposition during the struggle between Daniel and Boris, the author injects irony by picturizing a knife as a silver autumn leaf.
Unfortunately, the creative talents of the author are not able to mask the plot loopholes. One major loophole would be how the severely injured Rebecca manages to glean key evidence from Mustafa's house. Another issue with the novel is that the characters are not relatable. It is difficult to feel for Rebecca’s loss as her relationship with her father and her sister is not properly fleshed out in the novel. The ending appears questionable as the reader struggles to reconcile with the decisions of the two protagonists. The author should have explained to justify the context in which these decisions were made. Aside from having unrelatable characters, the author does not bring about proper closure to the story as many characters are just forgotten along the way. For example, we do not know what happened to Mustafa or Andriama, the police officer. Despite the obvious flaws, the book is a worthwhile read for lovers of action-packed mysteries that are riddled with plot twists that keep your head spinning even after putting down the book.
Unfortunately, the creative talents of the author are not able to mask the plot loopholes. One major loophole would be how the severely injured Rebecca manages to glean key evidence from Mustafa's house. Another issue with the novel is that the characters are not relatable. It is difficult to feel for Rebecca’s loss as her relationship with her father and her sister is not properly fleshed out in the novel. The ending appears questionable as the reader struggles to reconcile with the decisions of the two protagonists. The author should have explained to justify the context in which these decisions were made. Aside from having unrelatable characters, the author does not bring about proper closure to the story as many characters are just forgotten along the way. For example, we do not know what happened to Mustafa or Andriama, the police officer. Despite the obvious flaws, the book is a worthwhile read for lovers of action-packed mysteries that are riddled with plot twists that keep your head spinning even after putting down the book.
February 23, 2018
It feels like there's a conspiracy afoot to lower my average rating on GR. Most of my recent books haven't exactly been stellar - not that I expected this one to be, but never mind ...
I'm a sucker for archaeological thrillers, so was happy to find this in the library for a quick and cheerful read. I'd read the first two in the Daniel Knox series and quite liked them, but unfortunately didn't enjoy this one as much.
In this book, marine archeologist Daniel has adopted a new identity to hide from the Georgian mobsters who murdered his fiancee. He's involved with trying to locate a wreck of a Chinese treasure ship off the coast of Madagascar when he hears that friends of his, a father and daughter, have gone missing from their nature reserve on the island. When daughter number 2, a well known TV presenter, turns up from London, the mystery behind their disappearance starts to unravel.
The characters aren't deep and often involve some eye-roll-worthy attitudes towards women, but I can forgive that in my thrillers (just) as long as the story is great. This story wasn't convincing, though- far too many pat coincidences and very little tension. The Chinese treasure fleet was interesting enough but the "this is going to change what we know about history" angle didn't live up to its hype. I'm happy to suspend disbelief and put up with some plot holes, but with this one I'm still mystified as to how various aspects of the story got from A to B, or what some of the narrative lines were expected to add. The writing felt rote and rather tired. Sorry, Will!
Madagascar made for an interesting location, though - now there's a place I'd love to visit!
I'm a sucker for archaeological thrillers, so was happy to find this in the library for a quick and cheerful read. I'd read the first two in the Daniel Knox series and quite liked them, but unfortunately didn't enjoy this one as much.
In this book, marine archeologist Daniel has adopted a new identity to hide from the Georgian mobsters who murdered his fiancee. He's involved with trying to locate a wreck of a Chinese treasure ship off the coast of Madagascar when he hears that friends of his, a father and daughter, have gone missing from their nature reserve on the island. When daughter number 2, a well known TV presenter, turns up from London, the mystery behind their disappearance starts to unravel.
The characters aren't deep and often involve some eye-roll-worthy attitudes towards women, but I can forgive that in my thrillers (just) as long as the story is great. This story wasn't convincing, though- far too many pat coincidences and very little tension. The Chinese treasure fleet was interesting enough but the "this is going to change what we know about history" angle didn't live up to its hype. I'm happy to suspend disbelief and put up with some plot holes, but with this one I'm still mystified as to how various aspects of the story got from A to B, or what some of the narrative lines were expected to add. The writing felt rote and rather tired. Sorry, Will!
Madagascar made for an interesting location, though - now there's a place I'd love to visit!
March 15, 2016
Since he left Daniel Egypt, the series lost its original flavor, and it became like any other treasure hunting novel. Adams was brave enough to kill Gaille Bonnard - Daniel Knox's fiance - in the Lost Labyrinth - and he tried to do that with Daniel in Eden but I think he has no guts to do that.
The novel is very bored, and I can accept that Daniel discovered the tomb of Alexander by coincidence, but to discover four main discoveries - Alexander's Tomb, Origin of Jesus, Labyrinth of King Minos, and Chinese treasure fleet of zheng He - by coincidence is not acceptable by any mean. Really, Will!! Are you kidding!!
There are many weakness points in the plot, for example Why did Daniel tell Rebecca the truth about himself and about his relationships with her family? Where did David run away? Knox was Egyptologist in the first appearance in Alexander Cipher, but in Eden Legacy, he became sunken archeologist. There is very big distance between Egyptology and Sunken Archeology, Mr. Adams.
The novel is very bored, and I can accept that Daniel discovered the tomb of Alexander by coincidence, but to discover four main discoveries - Alexander's Tomb, Origin of Jesus, Labyrinth of King Minos, and Chinese treasure fleet of zheng He - by coincidence is not acceptable by any mean. Really, Will!! Are you kidding!!
There are many weakness points in the plot, for example Why did Daniel tell Rebecca the truth about himself and about his relationships with her family? Where did David run away? Knox was Egyptologist in the first appearance in Alexander Cipher, but in Eden Legacy, he became sunken archeologist. There is very big distance between Egyptology and Sunken Archeology, Mr. Adams.
May 26, 2012
I am a bit torn by this book. I want to like it, but it just didn't do it for me. There were plots in there I really liked, and it finished nicely in the end, but the epilogue gave me the irrits. You'll see when you read it. Again, an airport book, it was fun, took you on an adventure, added a bit of history and mystery, but... I did however like the basis behind it, so I am pleased I have read it. I now need to go and find the previous three in the 'series'. A solid read, but if you want mental stimulation try something else.
May 13, 2011
The book was pretty good. Full of architectural knowledge. Had a good writing style of simultaneously following the path of 2 characters and merging them. It was a good build-up to the end but did not seem to satisfy. Disappointing climax I must say but a happy ending. I felt it could have been little more tingling for your senses. But I am satisfied nonetheless.!
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February 17, 2011Entertaining and exciting thriller about treasure seekers in Madagascar with Russian criminals thrown into the mix. The only criticism was the main female character was very annoying - rude, opinionated, a gambler and caused the main character to nearly die several times.
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