Golden Eagles

by Robert Mitchell

Are the iron chests, chests filled with Golden Eagles – gold coins issued by the United States of America in the 1930’s and coveted the world over for their rarity – still on board the USS President Coolidge as she lies in her watery grave off the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu? Or were they removed soon after she sank in October 1942?

Three people set sail from Townville, Australia, to seek those eagles out, to dive, to cut and force their way deep into the bowels of that once mighty passenger liner, but are they alone?

Their yacht, the Belle, is tracked to the island by others determined to hijack the coins, regardless of the cost.

The Coolidge lay quiet beneath the waves, and at peace.

But that peace would never again be the same.

369 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2013

About the author

Robert Mitchell spent his early years in Melbourne, Australia where he graduated from Melbourne University with degrees in Law and Arts. Moving to Suva, Fiji, in 1969, he spent the next twelve years practising law, with a mid-term break of two years when he and his wife, May, acquired a one-third interest in a marine salvage company. Robert acted as company manager, diver, and assistant salvage master in a number of marine salvages in the South Pacific. The experience he gained during those two years has been used to great advantage in several of his novels. In 1981 he returned to Australia and continued practising law. In 1988 his novel The Lucinda Legacy was a prize-winner in the Australia-wide Bicentennial Novel Competition. In 2000, he and his family moved to Brisbane, where he retired. In 2003, he and May ventured to China, where they taught English to high school and college students for two years. They travelled extensively throughout China during this time, their experiences reflected in his two latest novels. Robert now spends his time writing - for the pleasure it gives to others.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of a LONG Tale, with a Bunch of Stupidity and Drinking, But Otherwise Interesting

The 3 main characters in this book were a tight-knit group, and it’s surprising how much alcohol they consumed while actively SCUBA diving to rather deep depths. (Mixing the 2 hobbies is not recommended!)

This was a good Treasure-Hunting story, and The Author leaves it ‘til near the end to tell The Reader whether or not they succeeded.

Interestingly, though, The Author thought it important to put the 3 main characters in immediate danger near the beginning of the book — then change the time-frame for the rest of the story — and, actually, never getting back to the initial suspense! I wonder what THAT was about?

There are good guys (and gals), bad guys, and several incompetent souls throughout this book — with the ‘Good Guys’ being intermixed in how they should be viewed by The Reader. But, I highly recommend you go read this book and enjoy the story.