Lost Prince

by Gregory Gourlay

Garrick Connolly, young American war veteran, struggling with his experiences from Afghanistan, learns of the “legend of the cave,” the final resting place of the Lost Prince, during a visit to Peru. For centuries, sealed up inside a cliff face in one of the deepest canyons on earth, the mummified remains of Yahuar Huaccac, priest of the Incas, young man of noble birth, has stood lonely vigil over the gleaming antiquities from an Incan temple.

Through the towering Andes Mountains, Garrick follows the clues left behind by Yahuar Huaccac and unlocks the ancient mystery.

Author's note: “There is an actual 'legend of the cave' in an Andean valley I am very familiar with. A cave in a soaring cliff face is sealed up with a black stone. I don't know what is inside.”

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2016

About the author

The author, now retired, claims to have misspent his youthful years wandering the globe in vagabond, gypsy fashion. "I had a severe case of wanderlust," he says. This first hand knowledge of far off places and foreign cultures serves as material for the books he writes. His suspenseful adventure stories will have a special appeal to those readers, like himself, who prefer their escapism set in an exotic locale and back-grounded by an open sky. He enjoys the outdoors of Canada's Niagara region where he lives, and reads and writes.

Reviews

[John Dizon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Prince by Gregory Gourlay is a suspenseful, well-crafted tale of romance and betrayal set in the Andes Mountains and the mountain villages of Peru. Garrick Connolly is an Afghanistan War veteran helping his uncle manage his tourist trade in Arequipa. He makes the acquaintance of Roxana Carpio, an archaeology student doing research in the area. Together with fellow American and local miner Andrew Slade, the threesome travel deep into the mountains in search of a fabled Incan temple. Only the rumor of priceless artifacts turn the two men against one another, and Roxana finds herself in the middle of a deadly contest as the novel reaches its climax.

Gourlay also narrates the fall of the Incan Empire as one of its priests, Yahuar Huaccac, survives the onslaught of the Spanish Conquistadors and watches the erosion of Incan civilization as a result. It is an intriguing subplot that is interwoven into the main storyline without breaking pace or taking away from the action. The difference between the glory days of the Incas and the ignorance and poverty of modern Peru is underscored, and the darkness in men’s hearts that create such tragedies is manifested by the treachery between Garrick and Slade. For readers of exotic adventure tales and those looking for a fast-paced suspense novel, Lost Prince by Gregory Gourlay is one you won’t want to miss.

[Bonnye Reed]

RPP Special 99

[Russell Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Prince is the kind of book that you don’t want to finish reading; you just want it go on and on. The plot is masterfully told with excellent characterization – it’s just a great entertaining adventure read.
The story mostly takes place in South America, where I happen to live. The author brilliantly portrays the action and the scenes in vivid detail, showing that Gregory Gourlay has experienced countries such as Peru and Bolivia, and knows what he is writing about.
This is the kind of book that should be made into a film because of the action, the adventure, the suspense, and the way the past and present are woven together, such as the journey into the lost civilization of the Incas. This book is a real page-turner and I recommend it to anyone who loves action and adventure stories.

[Shane Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Prince is a story of war and its consequences, impacts that in some ways have changed very little over the centuries. The tale focuses on Garrick Connolly, veteran of Afghanistan, as he copes with the lingering trauma of combat. Taking a chance opportunity to join a trip to Peru for a change of environment, Garrick finds himself walking paths once marched by other warriors nearly five centuries earlier, their sundered paths heading toward an unlikely intersection.

This book is well-written in a crisp, visual style. The main characters are accessible and entertaining, painted with realism that quickly grants them depth. Equal parts historical fiction, adventure, and drama, Lost Prince delivers across multiple genres. My only criticism, which is itself a testament to the quality of the writing: I wish it had been longer. This book is worth the read.

[Mike Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

Lost Prince

by Greg Gourlay

Yet another foray into the mysterious reaches of foreign lands guided by the inspired writing of Gregory Gourlay. With his previous work, Kindred Passage, we absorbed his vivid story of Africa and now, in Lost Prince, it is the Andes. Inca gold, Spanish armor and a contemporary adventure overlaid with one set over four hundred years before. A civilization conquered in colonial greed and the story within a story of the modern-day search for Inca gold and the truth. Again, Gourlay has written a brilliant novel filled with soaring landscapes, glaring bad guys and heroes vulnerable to their own doubts. Action and adventure, deceit, love, suspense and history rolled into a fast-paced fictional feast for the mind. More Gregory, more.

[Martha Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Gregory Gourlay that I have read and it equals the African epic masterpiece, Kindred Passage.

Lost Prince opens with a page-turning, intense combat scene set in Afghanistan. In the midst of the action, we meet Garrick Connolly. Conolly’s war experiences are key in the development of his character.

Supporting characters and plot points are masterfully introduced – including the gritty Slade with a “machine gunner’s eyes,” as well as “leading lady” Roxana Capio – a California transplant with an intriguing back story. As those who have traveled abroad know, an instant friendship can occur when living in a foreign country simply based on the commonality of one’s native language or citizenship. A series of truly believable “chance meetings” act as a springboard for life changing adventure.

Just as the author did with Kindred Passage, Lost Prince transports the reader to another part of the world using vivid details. This time it is South America. The descriptions of the settings, cultures and the authentic dialogue (including “mangled Spanish”) simply would not be possible without an incredible amount of historical research combined with first hand experience of the region. Another similarity is how brilliantly different time periods are portrayed. The sub-plot featuring an impeccable described journey into the lost civilization of the Incas makes Lost Prince a double achievement in storytelling. Reminiscent of Jean M. Auel’s “Clan of the Cave Bear,” this primitive civilization is brought to life in painstaking detail.

Past, present, legend and modern reality are interwoven to create a story with an “Indiana Jones” level of suspense, mystery and adventure. This is an adventure reader’s ticket to experience an Andes adventure complete with Incan history, lost treasure and an ageless theme. Another masterpiece that is brilliantly done. Bravo!

[J.A. Kalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Prince is a fast-paced roller-coaster adventure ride. The story is set, for the most part, in Peru.
It has it all: treasure-hunting adventure, history, danger, ancient mystery, suspense, intrigue, dreamlike setting, well-developed characters. It’s an edge-of-your seat plunge into an exotic land and its culture. Besides, there is a literary quality to the book that you don’t usually find in most thrillers or action/adventure novels.
Gregory Gourlay is a gifted writer with a wonderful descriptive writing style and an amazing attention to detail. He does a great job at bringing the exotic locations and characters to life. His vivid descriptions of places draw you in, make you feel there, put you in the middle of the action. You can almost hear, feel and smell the places. He successfully weaves historic events into the story. Also the characters are credible and very real. You feel like you know them. What’s more, his writing brings out emotions. You want the good guy to win and the bad one to get punished.
Lost Prince definitely falls into the ‘once you start reading, you can’t put it down’ category. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure and thrills.

[Tove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having travelled to both Argentina and Puru, this book perked my interest. I think the author presented a very good book, much of which had to be based upon personal experiences. I always like character development within novels like this and find ones I can associate with. Garrick, Slade, the grisly Ollanta, and Roxana were all well done. Roxana was my favorite as I thought she was smart beyond her years. She was also a tough and he did a good job making her a complex character. One minute she could be shameful and hurtful, and then turn around and be very kind. I loved the quote “women most love to help men that are hurt”. The details presented in the book were excellent and he kept my interest throughout the novel. It had enough romance as well to keep it intriguing. It has all the twists and turns needed for a great escapade in storytelling. I can recommend this book to any reader that enjoys a detailed adventurous novel.

[Gregory Didaleusky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Prince by Gregory Gourlay is a great read full of twist and turns with an unexpected ending. The author integrated the story of Yahuar Huaccac, a priest of the Incas, and his determination to hide the treasures of his people during the Spaniard invasion of Peru with the quest of Garrick Connolly, an Afghanistan war veteran, to uncover the hidden spot of the Incas valuable treasure. He enlisted Roxana Carpio, an attractive archaeology student and Andrew Slade, an American and local miner to assist him on his search for the hidden treasure. I recommend this book for the readers of history and suspense. Reviewed by Greg Didaleusky.

[251 Things To Do · Rating 5 out of 5]

From being lost, finding ground, adventure, discoveries, battling hardships, this novel has it all. Very much a “man novel”, all strong male complex protagonists who wind through life’s turmoil.

I felt like I could see through the eyes of the main character, the impacts, psychological changes experienced by war. Gourlay must have known somebody personally or he himself experienced the war against the “Taliban”.

The historical description of the events between the Incas and Spanish is excellent. Mashing modern day veterans of war with historical treasure hunts and legends create this unique masterpiece.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the author's previous novel, and this story did not disappoint. It is just the kind of book you would like to read after a day of hard work. It takes you to places you might never consider. The level of detail is impressive, the author has clearly done a lot of research in the field. Combining a smart plot with suspense and intrigue works wonders. The plot moves quickly keeping you reading to see what happens next. I found this book to be highly entertaining.