The Fire Theft

by Mark Graham

In the year 313 B.C., the great Persian city of Karmin-Yar was destroyed by an immense earthquake that reshaped the coast of the Black Sea. Buried in the wreckage was a century's worth of Persian gold. More than two thousand years later, the ruins of Karmin-Yar are discovered by an American archeologist, Stephen Kaine. After five years, Kaine's tenure at the Karmin-Yar site is terminated under suspicious circumstances, and he is sent home packing. Six months later, a ferry boat sinks in the frigid waters off the coast of Dover, England. On board is Kaine's daughter, Angela. In an opening scene of gripping suspense, the scuba-diving Kaine manages to rescue Angela. He also discovers that the sinking was no accident, and that its consequences would reach to Karmin-Yar itself. In his third novel, Mark Graham fashions a thrilling adventure that moves like the wind from England to Istanbul, from the shores of the Black Sea to the mountains of Asia Minor to the Fire Temple of Karmin-Yar, where Kaine discovers that the Persian gold is being looted and exchanged in the poppy fields of Turkey for what will become heroin. Throughout the novel Kaine finds himself the object of a deadly cat-and-mouse game involving Scotland Yard, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, ruthless heroin dealers, and the beautiful, enigmatic adventuress Jaymin Bartel, who may or may not be the enemy.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Author and artist Mark Graham lives in Denver, CO with his wife.

For more, please visit MarkGraham-Art.com.

Reviews

[Star Merrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out like gangbusters, but then each encounter with the villains became too coincidental. I actually even scoffed out loud with one of them. Really? The ending was very unsatisfying. Also, too much detail about Karmin-Yar and the making of drugs.

[Yanper · Rating 2 out of 5]

a mystery involving an ancient archeological site and heroin smuggling, good as a story but with many mistakes. one that can i refer shortly, imagine English people to eat horse meat pie in the pub! horse pie? no way!

[Mark Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suspense thrill ride a must read if you like great writing and story telling.

[Michael W. Boleware · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once you accept Stephen Kaine as a modern Indiana Jones type archeologist and adventurer, you can settle down and enjoy a good action adventure thriller.