Dourado

Dane Maddock #2

by David Wood

A sunken treasure. An ancient Biblical artifact. A mystery as old as humankind. On January 25, 1829, the Portuguese brig Dourado sank off the coast of Indonesia, losing its cargo of priceless treasures from the Holy Land. One of these lost relics holds the key to an ancient mystery. But someone does not want this treasure to come to light. When her father is mysteriously murdered while searching for the Dourado, Kaylin Maxwell hires treasure hunter and former Navy Seal Dane Maddock and his partner Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake, to locate the Dourado, and recover a lost Biblical artifact, the truth behind which could shake the foundations of the church, and call into question the fundamentally held truths of human existence. Join Dane and Bones on a perilous adventure that carries them from the depths of the Pacific to ancient cities of stone as they unravel the mystery of the Dourado.

Genres: Thriller, Adventure, Fiction, Action, Mystery, Audiobook, Ebooks

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2004

About the author

David Wood is the USA Today bestselling author of the Dane Maddock Adventures and many other titles and series. He also writes Science Fiction under the pen name Finn Gray and fantasy as David Debord. He is also a book reviewer, podcaster, and a member of International Thriller Writers and The Horror Writers Association. David and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at www.davidwoodweb.com.

Reviews

[David Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will try to write a longer review later. This was a fun read, but to me, it seemed like a Dirk Pitt "lite" story. Mainly because it seemed to me to be missing something. More details maybe, or more action and better character development. Like a snack that does not fill you up. 3 stars is best this story merits from me. I have read many Dirk Pitt, Jack West, and Philip Mercer stories and they all seemed to satisfy me, this just left me still hungry. Still, I read this book as part of a 4-story collection I picked up for $0.99, so I will give the next story a shot. But now I know what to expect and will be ready for that. Heck, I sometimes like to watch "B" cheapie action movies (straight to DVD) so why not with e-books as well?

[Freda Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1829 a Portuguese brig, the Dourado sunk just off the coast of Indonesia, carrying priceless artifacts. Though the ship was salvaged many many years later, a certain piece of cargo was lost - or was it? Dane Maddock and his SEAL buddies have retired and become archaeologists. Their SEAL commander is murdered and his daughter seeks out Maddock to enlist his help on a project her father was involved in. Needless to say, his death wasn't from natural causes and it is up to Maddock to solve one of the most ancient biblical stories in the bible. David and Goliath, but someone ('The Church') doesn't want the truth revealed.

This story, though fictional was shocking. Just imagine that the bible is nothing more than an exaggeration of true but sugar coated tales of people (or not) roaming the world and discovering things. Ordinary men and women who's DNA is derived from something more 'out of this world'. Leaning more toward the scientific level of my imagination, I can see how some things very well could be plausible about the bible and our DNA, and let's get real. Where did we really come from? How did the human race evolve? Who are our ancestors, and how far back can we go to find out? My mother went as far back as 100 years. How much of the truth about our world, including our people is under guard, deep within the recesses of churches, the White House, Private Museums, and underground?

James Rollins is still my favorite though, hands down. David Wood's novels are imaginative and creative with a few great twists that make it thought provoking. This series definitely has my attention!

[J.F. Penn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full video review here: http://mysterythriller.tv/dourado-by-...

I like prologues in thrillers and this one opens with a shipwreck – the Dourado is destroyed and the precious cargo goes down with it. Then we skip to the present day and the action starts.

The main character is Dane Maddock who is similar to Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, a strong but wounded scuba diving marine archaeologist.
We meet Dane in an opening fight scene where he and his crew take on Caribbean pirates – we see that they can fight and take lives. On return to port, Kaylin, the daughter of a military colleague finds them and asks them to help her with a shipwreck. Of course she is beautiful, but I don’t mind cliches in action-adventure, fast moving plots! I did like the character of Bones, who is set up as a sidekick but actually has some of the best lines in the book.

So the characters are set up for the mystery – what’s in the shipwreck? They start with a stolen diary, and then find hints of the story of David and Goliath. It turns out that the treasure is the sword of Goliath, but what does that really mean? No spoilers but it was definitely a surprise to me when we find out who Goliath really was and how the sword came to be out there in the world, and what is contained deep in the earth.

There are lots of fight scenes, some good locations including Petra in Jordan which is an amazing place and very atmospheric for the climax. I like quest stories with biblical overtones so the hunt for Goliath’s sword and tomb interests me. I actually think the book should have been called Goliath or something similar as the Dourado hardly features. Recommended if you like action-adventure books.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 4 out of 5]

I acquired this book after reading some reviews and was pleasantly rewarded. David wood has an engaging style and his characters are fun, likeable people I want to visit again. Dane Maddock has everything I look for in an adventure hero, and his sidekick Bones stands out as much more than just a sidekick.

Their adventure begins when an old friend is murdered and they agree to assist the man’s daughter in finding his killers. This also puts them on the trail of a shocking Biblical relic, and in the sights of some very dangerous men. They also dodge danger every step of the way as they hop the globe on their quest.

I’m always on the lookout for a new adventure writer, and most of them disappoint me, but not David Wood. This book was pure, fast-action fun from beginning to end, and I will definitely read others by this author.

[Estevam (Impish Reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 50%, for now, this one is a pretty big disappointment if I ever saw one. The characters are extremely formulaic. The plot although interesting is predictable. I don't like any of the characters or care for their forced relationship, especially between the main character and his romantic interest.
I think I gave this book a fair chance and it did not impress me, so I would not recommend this one.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve gone with 3 stars because this was quite a quick and fun read but it just wasn’t as good as I needed it to be unfortunately. Having read much stronger examples in this genre by authors like Will Adams, David Gibbins and Clive Cussler this felt like it was lacking something - it just needed to be more rounded, in both background details and character development. If I was comparing it to a film it would only be a “B” movie. Actually, to be honest what it most reminded me of was the fourth Indiana jones film with the crystal skull aliens which just didn’t hit the same level as the trilogy that preceded it. It also has a lot of annoying little editing mistakes, which I haven’t knocked a star off for like I would usually because I can respect this appears to be a self published work so has not had as much rigorous editing, but it’s still off putting for readers. It still delivers a nice amount of action and would be a good quick fix to get you out of a reading slump and now I know what to expect I will still read the others in the series I picked up.

[Trevor Denning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a shameless Clive Cussler copy/paste? Well, almost. We've got a pair of professional divers who get into archeology themed adventures. While I wish Wood had done something a little different with his heroes, I appreciate the magical, spiritual elements.

Indiana Jones already found the Ark of the Covenant, but that leaves plenty of other biblical artifacts for others. Dane Maddock also has a sour attitude about God, which gives him much needed wounds and texture.

I could go into the plot, but by this point you already know how this is going to play out. Religious fanatic bad guys, sexy women, mysterious old men, gunfights and explosions fill the pages. Still, it's inoffensive to the faithfully religious and not a bad way to kill some time.

[Caotico09 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to give this one a chance, i really did. But the third time i tried to pick it up and only got through 1 more page before rolling my eyes, i had to DNF it.

Sequence of events in the first twenty pages of book:

- Shipwreck.
- Protagonist being an idiot.
- Protagonist dramatically saving both a woman AND a dog.
- Protagonist attacked by a shark.
- Protagonist attacking six pirates (who have AK47s) with a fire extinguisher.
- Protagonist dramatically subduing remaining pirates (one whose gun clicked on empty) using his hands and a knife.
- One of the attackers then falls overboard only to be dramatically eaten by the before mention shark.
- Cue cheesy conversation.

Phew. That was dramatic. Very reminiscent of one of those pointless action flicks with The Rock that have no meaning whatsoever. The only thing missing is the extremely hot dumb damsel in distress. The book has to get better right? Lets turn to chapter two.

- Standing on the pier was a beautiful blonde with curves in all the right places.
- Cue more cheesy conversation.


*groans* Smh. The dialogue is not just bad. It is terrible. Stay far far away.

[Phillip Berrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I listen to Thrillercast (Google it!), a podcast on writing action thrillers presented by the author and Australian writer Alan Baxter, and I wanted to see what Mister Wood's writing was like. This is not my normal type of book and to tell the truth I wasn't expecting a lot, but despite some continuity issues I have to admit it was a page turner.

This is the first in the Dane Maddock series. He's an ex-navy SEAL who has gone into the treasure hunting business with some of his ex-military buddies. Lots left unsaid about why the still young Maddock and his friends are no longer in the forces, so I can see there is going to be a lot of character development in this series for those who like such things.

[Debbie West]

suspenseful!! This book kept me on my toes the whole time. I couldn't wait to get to the next scene. I enjoyed seeing Dane's & Bones' characters play out, as well as Kaylin's. The story line was great, a little weird in the end, hard to believe. But it's fiction..not to be believed but written to be believable jn context. And it was that! I became lost in the caves' tunnels, but that didn't last too long. All in a I enjoyed this story tremendously and look forward to reading more of the Dane Maddix adventures. He's a SEAL Indiana Jones with a Cherokee sidekick! I have Cherokee ancestors so I definitely liked reading about Bones! Can't wait to read another book!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Length much better

The longer length of this book allows the author to develop both plot and characters much better. I also enjoy action novels such as these that are not full of profanity.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somwhat rough around the edges, but Interesting for the most part, and definitely a fast read. If you are a fan of James Rollins or Dan Brown, you might want to give this a shot - just be aware that it is fairly violent at times, though it is in context, and not overly excessive. 3.5 stars.

[Sandra Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Interesting characters and storyline. Author did a great deal of research in history and religion. Can't say that I agree with some of it, but it makes for an interesting story.

[Ted Tayler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Lacked that vital spark for me I'm afraid"

Despite there being no lack of content in this action adventure, and the writing being of a pretty good standard, somehow I was never gripped with any enthusiasm to eagerly turn the pages.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great action adventure! I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of James Rollins and Clive Cussler. This is a classy series.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

poorly written.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, uhhhh... I'm not even sure what to say about this book. It's... weird? But in a good way, I think. It's not what I expected... like, at all. When I saw the title and the blurb, I expected it to be... dull. Not bad, just... not my thing. But I wanted to try it anyway because... well, reasons. I expected some ludicrous conspiracy theories involving the church, some minor thriller elements and a whole lot of boring technicalities that tried to hype up the revelations as huge but, in reality, would mean very little to the common folks of the world. Essentially, a Dan Brown novel.

Don't get me wrong, all of that is in the book. Well, except that last part. The Church (capitalized because evil) is 100% behind the conspiracy and they will stop at nothing to stop our brave protagonists from revealing to the world the secret that the Dourado has been hiding all these years.

And to be fair, the Church was probably in the right to hide this secret because the consequences of this revelation are huge. Like, HUUUUUUUUUUUGE! When the author started to hint at the answer to the mystery, the plot completely veers into crazy town and I'm pretty sure of what program series the author had been watching before writing this.

I absolutely adored this book through and through. It starts out a bit slow, covering pretty typical grounds for a conspiracy-laden book with a few wafts of Indiana Jones mixed in. Then, as the mystery deepens and they gradually solve the riddles, it goes bonkers bananas and becomes that much better for it. I can't really begin to describe just how gloriously gripping this book, all I can say is that once I hit a certain point, it became impossible to put down and I pretty much tore through it in a few hours.
It's not a particularly long book but despite its humble beginnings, it's edited really well and I noticed very few mistakes. The chapters are also quite short so if you're looking for something to read in short bursts, it's perfect.
My one complaint is that the book felt quite meandering near the middle. The plot isn't as cohesive there as it needed to be and chapters felt forced into the plot for no better reason than to add some action sequences. It didn't really heighten the stakes that much, it felt more like they were just taking an obnoxiously long way from A to B instead of the shortest, most direct route.

But I'm still giving it five stars because, holy hell, I haven't enjoyed this book this much in a long time. One of the reasons I picked it up is because it's a huge universe of books. I think there's something like 30 books set in the same universe now, following a multitude of characters? But what this book revealed about that world only made me that much more excited to read what else the characters would get up to. How on Earth this hasn't been made into a movie yet is utterly beyond me.

It almost made me buy the sequel immediately, which is against my personal rules, but I will persevere... at least until the next paycheck.

[Joe Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2nd in the Dane Maddock adventure series promises a lot and essentially delivers a direct-to-video Dirk Pitt or Indiana Jones tale. It's popcorn fun without a lot of depth and for what that means, it's not a bad read at all.

Globe-trotting deep diving treasure hunter, Dane Maddock, is persuaded to help the daughter of a deceased commanding officer locate the last artifact her dear, dead dad was hunting down: The sword of Goliath. Yeah, that big dude from the Bible.

He's aided by Uriah "Bones" Bonebrake and a few other dudes you will only remember as "Nerdy guy", "Black guy", and "Other guy". Bones gets all the best lines and it's clear that author David Wood loves the sarcastic butt-kicker as much as his readers will. Hard to say who is the greater star, but I'd give the edge to Bones over Dane; he's just more fun to hang around.

The plot moves at a lightning pace, with car chases and shootouts nearly every chapter, aside from a few more plodding scenes that feel like they were added for word count boosting. Our heroes are chased by a secretive order that will literally commit murder to stop them from finding the lost sword. And we get plenty of lite conspiracy/religious overtones that run the gamut from aliens to the struggle between God and Lucifer.

None of it really means anything other than spectacle and that's okay, because author David Wood is good at spectacle. We get some very good action setpieces enroute to a climax that feels visually epic, even if it lacks any real depth.

That's the biggest flaw with this adventure. Everything aside from the immediate circle around our heroes is only hastily painted. The bad guys? Paper thin with a main villain who has a grand total of two scenes. The other side characters? Forgettabouthem...because they have almost no bearing on the plot.

But I still had fun with Dourado. It's a goofy, action-filled blockbuster with a breakneck pace and likable heroes. Good escapist fun.

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways this reminds me of the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Clusser with the hidden treasure, the biblical aritifact, the ladies man hero and the unflappable sidekick but somehow it is so much more and I really enjoyed it. I think that is because I really like the characters Maddock and Bones, who with there witty camaraderie and NAVY skills make it a real adventure and has you wondering about the history or stories you think you know. Plus it is packed with action to keep you listening, the religious side did get a bit long winded but was a good and an unusual explanation for the world . This is the second book I have listened too and while not as good as the first book I started with (Contest) it is defiantly a series I will be keeping a close eye on.
When an old friend is murdered his daughter turns to Maddock and Bones, as the only two people she can trust to help finish the job he started. A ship wreck has them hunting in graveyards for hidden treasure and to explains mysteries from the past. But someone doesn't want the secret to come out and have already killed to keep it secret. Can Maddock and Bones find the answers?
I liked the narrator. He uses different voices for the characters and even when so far as to use sound effects as well. A great performance.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining action adventure novel.

A little Dirk Pitt, a little Indiana Jones, a bit of Reacher--this has good bones. It's more pulp fiction than bestseller, but I like it fine that way.

The main characters, Dane Maddock and his SEAL friend Bones, take on a mystery presented by the daughter of an old Navy friend. Her late father had clues leading to an old shipwreck supposed to contain an artifact that went missing about 200 years earlier. Other people are searching for it and want to stop Maddock from finding it. The search takes them underwater, to old libraries, and to Petra, with unknown enemies dogging them the whole way.

It has brisk pace and is filled with exciting action. The prose can be a bit jagged, which is all that kept me from giving it a 5, but it's a fun 4. There's a bit underground that got a little repetitious, but then it rocked again. I can't remember if I got this signed at Comicon in Phoenix or at the Doc Savage convention I visited once, but either way, I liked it better than Doc Savage. The copy I bought has 3 other short-ish novels in it, and I'm hyped to read them. And the guy has a huge catalog, so I'm pretty hopeful after this introduction.

Not to oversell. It's just a solid, entertaining action story (with some cool fantasy stuff at the end) intended to be gulped in a short time. Recommended for that kind of reader.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Dourado” follows in Dirk Pitt’s footsteps and does a fairly good job of it – it's not Cliver Cussler on his best day, but it’s not at his worst either. There are more than a few similarities to Indiana Jones in terms of the setting.
The saying ‘go big or go home’ certainly applies here – when the dust settles at the end (and there is a lot of dust) the hero, troubled Dane Maddock, is forced to admit the probability that God exists.
Two centuries back a French explorer was returning home with a cargo of relics from Jordan. The ship, Dourado, sank and the antiquities disappeared.
But when Dirk and his crew find the wreck it is practically empty and the debris field reveals nothing of importance.
It takes a bit of plot jiggery-pokery, coincidence and serendipity for Dane, who has by now acquired a beautiful female helper, to find an historic artefact that, all agree, shouldn’t exist.
The hunt for answers persists and leads to a deadly confrontation between the forces of good and evil.
It’s enjoyable nonsense which uses fast pacing to paper over the deep cracks inherent in the book.
3 Stars.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Formulaic, full of cliches, and becomes increasingly extreme, ending up in Crystal Skulls territory.

Renegade priest finds artifact whose existence could shatter the Church, loses it in a shipwreck, leaves clues to its whereabouts. Centuries later, a team of treasure hunters, who all happen to be ex-SEALs, and who also happen to be world-class archaeologists, world-class linguists and world-class cryptographers, and can hack into any computer in the world (and also apparently have limitless funds), are contacted by the drop-dead gorgeous daughter of their former commander (who also, coincidentally, happens to have been a world-class archaeologist, etc, etc), and they go off round the world seeking the artifact in lots of famous places, whilst being chased by a secret yet ruthless faction of the church whose sole purpose appears to be to prevent this artifact from surfacing.

It's also plagued by irritating editing mistakes, such as referring to a gun as a ".9mm" - which would be kinda like shooting rice at people.

That said, it's a fun, fast read if you like this kind of thing - which, as it happens, I do. It delivers exactly what you expect, it's undemanding, and it's entertaining.

[Nate Granzow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, fun read. Maddock's the quintessential superhero thriller protagonist, with background as a Navy SEAL and ruggedly handsome features the (rather flat) love interest can't help but swoon over. The storyline is pretty out there, and there's no shortage of deus ex machina at work, but in the spirit of suspending one's disbelief, it was still entertaining. The endearing, snarky relationship between Maddock and his partner, Bones, is probably the most redeeming element of the story—reminiscent of Cussler's Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino. Overall, a solid start to the series. I'd be willing to give Maddock and company another go.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dane Maddock, along with his partner Uriah Bonebrake and crew Willis Sanders, Matt Barnaby and Corey Dean, search and dive for sunken treasure with his ship the Sea Foam. When in port for repairs, they are hired by the late General Maxwell’s daughter, Kaylin to help her find the shipwreck her father spent his life looking for: the Dourado.

Very interesting theory on the meaning of the angels fall from grace.

Footnote: 1) The stability of the clues is awfully risky. So many things could have gone wrong. Like what if the books have been separated or destroyed?

Fave scenes: Jimmy’s info, the statue trick, the police in the cemetery and meeting Atiq.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of high points (lots of action, great plot and backstory, great base characters (Maddock and Bones)), but also had some low points (the spiritual/mystical part towards the end, some predictability in what was going to happen). Overall, though, the high points outweigh the low points, making this an excellent read, especially for a series debut. I am looking forward to Dane Maddock's next adventure with his buddy, Bones!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would make a great movie. It's like a cross between Indiana Jones and the Davinci Code. I just loved all the suspense and action in this book, as well as the mystery clues. The characters were well developed and the humor between Dane Maddox and Bones was enjoyable. Just discovered this author and can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series. David Wood is right up there with my favorite author James Rollins.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to great in parts. A bit too silly in other parts such as a theory of space men coming to earth or angels from god. I can understand a nation of giant creatures such as Goliath but I suspend my belief on some of the other possibilities. Think our main character, Dane, might have suffered concussion in one of his fights.

[Jason Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read

This was my first foray into action/adventure. Love these type of movies but never tried it in book form.
I must admit that it took me a little to get into it, but once I did it was a fun little read. I enjoyed the biblical focus of this - reminding me very much of Indiana Jones Last Crusade.
I found this a light read and a good diversion.

[Mark Giordano · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Clive Cussler then this is right up your alley. It's a good story, plenty entertaining but a little on the short side. As a result, the artifact hunters seem to get lucky quite a bit in finding their clues so quickly. Still an entertaining read and I'll check out more stories with the Dane Maddock character in them.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast paced read with lots of adventure. Not a lot of depth and a bit far fetched, however enjoyable so I probably will read this author and series again. It reminded me of Sean Ellis and Clive Cussler.