Manuscript 512

by Rick Chesler

For centuries, would-be explorers have examined a document written in 1753 rumored to hold the key to locating the so-called Lost City of Z, a fortified settlement containing many treasures and built entirely of gold. Thought to be buried somewhere within the Mato Grosso region of the Amazon rainforest, the lure of the vanished riches has long proven deadly to treasure-seekers who brave the forbidding wilderness and mysterious creatures in search of it. Disgraced historian Dr. Hunter Winslow, fired from a lucrative professorship for stealing rare documents in order to gain a competitive edge over his colleagues, thinks the key to Manuscript 512 lies not in its words, but in its paper itself. The only problem is that to confirm his hypothesis means to destroy the document, something the Brazil National Library in Rio de Janeiro will never allow. But old habits die hard, and Hunter knows his way around a Special Collections room. After a brazen theft that triggers an international manhunt, the rogue historian is able to reveal the document’s secrets in a way no one else can, or ever will be able to again—by using its physical properties to reveal missing sections that had supposedly been irreversibly damaged. Armed with this new information, Hunter embarks on an expedition to the deepest Amazon to put to rest the mystery of the lost city once and for all. But while Hunter is looking for the fabled treasure, the long arm of the law is looking for him. Will they catch up to him before he can locate the treasure of a thousand lifetimes, or will he become as lost as the city he seeks?

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2018

About the author

Author of over 30 novels, Rick Chesler holds a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and can often be found diving, boating or traveling to research his next thriller idea. A former contractor for the U.S. Deptartment of Commerce and the State of Hawaii, he now lives in South Florida with his family, at the edge of the Bermuda Triangle. Visit him online at twitter.com/rickchesler, facebook.com/rickchesler, or rickchesler.com.

SERIES:
ATLANTIS GOLD: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 1)
ARK FOUND: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 2)
GOLDEN ONE An Omega Files Adventure (Book 3)
CROSS FOUND: An Omega Files Adventure (Book 4)

JURASSIC DEAD (co-authored):
Jurassic Dead
Jurassic Dead 2: Z-Volution
Jurassic Dead 3: Ctrl-Z

OUTCAST Ops:
Game of Drones (co-authored)
The Poseidon Initiative
African Firestorm (co-authored)
Red Ice (co-authored)
Watchlist (co-authored)
Shadow Gov (co-authored)

TARA SHORES THRILLERS
Wired Kingdom
kiDNApped
Solar Island

DANE MADDOCK ORIGINS (co-authored)
Splashdown
Electra
Amber
Treasure of the Dead
Dane Maddock: The Tomb

OGMIOS TEAM ORIGINS (co-authored)
Lucifer's Machine

STANDALONE NOVELS:
Edit: A Prehistoric Thriller
Manuscript 512 (releasing Fall 2018)
Hawaiian Punch (co-authored)
Uncontacted
DMZ: A Dinosaur Thriller
The Tank
The Flat: A Novel of Supernatural Horror (co-authored)
The Yeti (co-authored)
Landing Party
Sawfish
Luna
Hotel Megalodon
Blood Harbor: A Novel of Suspense

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and fun, this book explores the mystery that is Manuscript 512 while tackling the Last City of Z at the same time. More ancient wonders are covered as well, but mentioning those would border on spoiler territory. It's enough to say this book covers an clever and well-written adventure that keeps the pages flying by. Just be prepared for spiders…lots of spiders…many, many, shapes and sizes. Shiver…

[OutlawPoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book 2 days ago. I'm still imagining spiders at every turn. Seriously, last night, my ankle starting itching. Without thinking, I began to slap the invisible spider away. So thanks for that, Mr. Chesler!

In Manuscript 512, Chesler takes us deep into the heart of the jungle in the search for the Lost City of Z. And this adventure is a dangerous one - full of creepy crawlies and dangers you can't even imagine.

The book is action-packed and...squicky! Some of the scenes are absolutely gruesome and guaranteed to make you cringe!

A pure adrenaline rush of fun and very happy I read it!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manuscript 512 - a review by Rosemary Kenny

An uninspiring title, but oh what a fabulous story hides within Manuscript 512, by Rick Chesler, the worthy successor to such modern literary luminaries as Clive Cussler and Dan Brown.
The eponymous Manuscript is a map that tells of the Lost City of Z, supposedly found by explorer Percy Fawcett in the 1700s, in the mysterious and deadly depths of the Amazonian jungle. The document's stolen from Fawcett's only living relative, by employees of disgraced archeologist Dr Hunter Winslow, who plans to find the City and cash in with fame and fortune for the asking on his return. Winslow hires his pal, commercial adventure arranger Sal to go with him to South America and another man he's used before, Steve Koch, is given the actual manuscript to decipher the obscured parts, that Fawcett deliberately disguised to hide the true location of the City from others who came after him.

What hidden secrets does Koch reveal by painstaking efforts?
How will things work out for Koch and the men of Winslow's expedition?
What incredible opponents do they encounter in the jungle - and with what results?
Where do the map's co-ordinates lead the team?
When does Steve Koch arrive to reveal the hidden message in the map?
Who arrives with him? What is their purpose in doing so?

All things and all people are not as they seem and the realities of the search for the hidden City of Z and its legendary treasures may be very different from those the treasure-hunters expected. For those who return, nothing in their lives will ever be the same again!
To find out the full story (and revel in it), buy your copy of Manuscript 512 as soon as possible - then buckle up for a wild adventure like no other!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiders

Spiders galore, all shapes and sizes.

Loved the characters as they had a a trek through the Amazon Jungle looking lost treasures. Lots of obstacles to overcome.

The ending was unexpected.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

Dr. Hunter Winslow steals Manuscript 512 from the library because he believes it provides information as to the location of the Lost City of Z, which contains untold fortune. He then heads into the jungle to try to find the Lost City and what he finds is completely different than what he thought.

This is part adventure, part archeological mystery and part horror movie - and all are melded together into one fun story. Be forewarned - if you don't like creepy crawlies, in particular spiders, this is not for you. The story moves along at a good pace and the characters are well developed. The story takes several big turns - nothing that you would expect from the beginning of the story to where you end up. It kept my interest and I will certainly look for more books from this author.

I listened to this book - the narrator, David Loving, did a good job in narrating the story. He did not do voices nor really differentiate between the various characters but he did create an atmosphere of tension and at times horror with his narration that, to me, enhanced the experience of listening to this book.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manuscript 512 started out as an adventure story about an obsessed historian and ended up much differently. I enjoyed the story overall, but the narration was difficult for me to follow along with most times since I was not able to distinguish the characters by the voices given them. It was sort of one voice for everyone. That said, it didn't really detract from my overall enjoyment of the tale. I don't want to ruin it, but it gets fun at the end. At least I thought so. Don't take it too seriously and just enjoy it for the story it is.

This story was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read if you have arachnophobia

Disgraced Professor Hunter Winslow heads to Rio de Janeiro in search of academic redemption and riches. He steals a centuries-old manuscript from the Brazil National Library and has his longtime lab assistant literally deconstruct the manuscript looking for clues to the location of the legendary Lost City of Z.

This is a tale of the vast Amazonian forest and a few men trying to find riches beyond comprehension. It also tells of the measures put into place to guard that treasure.

This was a skin-crawling tale of greed, endurance and creatures from a Saturday creature feature B grade movie. Fun but creepy.

[Keith Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fictional story of a disgraced college professor who uses the information from "Manuscript 512" to try to locate the Lost City of Z, by starting at the real life Dead Horse Camp of Percy Fawcett. The story alternates between his plight in the jungle and his intern's challenge to decipher 512 back in Rio.

The novel, structured as a thriller, should work, but the characters simply did not work for me. I don't mind unsympathetic protagonists (a la Walk in Breaking Bad), but doing so is a tough row to hoe.

That said, if you're interested in the Lost City myth, the novel is worth the read.

Side note: The narration in the audio version isn't very good.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost City of Z is thought to hold untold riches for whomever finds it, and Manuscript 512 is supposed to be a map of sorts to find it. Dr. Hunter Winslow, a disgraced historian who was fired for theft of rare documents, believes all of it and is determined to find the answers. The document is housed in Rio and Winslow knows he has to steal it in order to test it, and he does just that. Armed with the knowledge hidden within the document, Winslow enters the jungle on a journey that will change his life forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It starts off as a typical adventurous read, it has an Indiana Jones feel to it, then it takes a turn and becomes something out of nightmares! I was wondering where the spider on the cover came into it!! I had shivers running down my spine at certain bits, and felt like things were crawling over me at another memorable moment, you'll know which bit when you read it!!

I liked Dr Hunter Winslow even though he isn't the most ethical man. He stole documents so other scholars couldn't read them, and so he would become the only person to turn to about them. He even goes so far as to destroy a document to get answers. He is well written and developed! All of the characters are well developed and you can't help but become involved in their story.

The plot moves at a steady pace and is easy to become lost in. I could picture the jungle and all that went on there! I was drawn into the story right from the start and it held my interest till the very end. I really hope the author intends on revisiting this world and the characters left! There are so many possibilities!!

I did find that it was hard to follow who was talking at times because David Loving didn't differentiate the characters voices enough. I felt like he just read the story and didn't perform it. He was easy enough to listen to though and read it clearly.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was a really good book--until you got to the last 15%. It went off the deep end after that and got a little weird. The discovery of the hidden city was routine and expected with some twists, but the assimilation of Winslow....C'Mon....we went from a good adventure/action/sci-fi to Lost in Space sci-fi Overall I did enjoy the book, but the ending was somewhat abrupt. Still a good read for the most part and in some ways ( based on my experience) somewhat believable.....until the last few chapters.......

[BookishDramas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rick delivers a fast paced adventure featuring disgraced historian Hunter Winslow who steals a mysterious 1753 document believed to point to the Lost City of Z. The premise is fun the Amazon setting is tangible and some twists are clever. At times the pacing feels uneven and character work could be deeper so the excitement does not always land. Fans of pulpy exploration tales will enjoy the ride while readers seeking literary depth may come away wanting more. I recommend it for casual readers.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read/listen from author Rick Chesler. An enjoyable book, a bit far-fetched at times, but never the less enjoyable. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[JEROME J KARWACKI · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed

It's as if the author blended three short stories

to make one novel. Beginning, middle and end seem unrelated. Even the prologue is not incorporated into the end. Second rate book at best.

[Duane Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

This novel was thin on plot, sloppily written, and best enjoyed if you are age 12 or inebriated. It’s been a while since I have read a novel so poorly written. At least I got it through Kindle Unlimited and didn’t pay for it. The only thing I lost was time.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick read. It's an Indiana Jones style plot and the writer keeps the plot moving throughout the novel. Hard to out down but doesn't have a lot of insight. Just a fun adventure book that is based on an actual document related to the lost city of Z.

[Sharleen Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hate spiders?

If you don't like spiders, you will have them after reading this book about the Lost City of A. It is quite an adventure

[Janina s. Asselin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, awful

Terrible story, terrible writing, awful characters. All in all a complete waste of ti.e. Could recommend this book to anyone.

[Julie Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new adventure thriller by Rick Chesler. The story revolves around a search for the lost City of Z, and there are many twists and turns throughout the book. There were some creepy creatures in this tale, and they kept the intensity level high. I thought the historical aspects were interesting and thought the character development was great.

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book thoroughly. I had read a nonfiction book about Z and that made this novel even more fun.