Mammoth Island

Grant Coleman Adventures #5

by Russell James

As paleontologist Grant Coleman waits to board a plane for a much-needed Hawaiian vacation, thugs knock him out and kidnap him. He awakens on a cargo aircraft in flight to find he’s an unwilling member of an expedition to a secret Arctic location called Mammoth Island.

Unscrupulous fossil dealer Angelo Destro has assembled the expedition to steal the fruits of a Russian oligarch’s labors The oligarch’s scientists have resurrected extinct wooly mammoths at the island’s laboratory. But from the moment the plane lands, the plan goes to pieces. The lab’s scientists are missing, the compound is a shamble, and it looks like something enormous has crushed the perimeter fence.

Even worse, Destro isn’t the only one after this prehistoric prize. Before Grant and the others solve the destroyed lab’s mysteries, Russian soldiers arrive. Destro’s group is forced to flee into the surrounding forests, where killer mammoths lurk, ready to hunt more human prey.

Trapped between the twin tips of Russian bayonets and mammoth tusks, who among them will survive and escape Mammoth Island?

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, Action, Thriller, Monsters

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2021

About the author

Russell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.

After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight.

His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”

He has published the novels DARK INSPIRATION, SACRIFICE, BLACK MAGIC and DARK VENGEANCE, the compilations OUT OF TIME and TALES FROM BEYOND, as well as numerous short stories. He founded the Minnows Literary Group.

He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.

Drop by the website to kill some time with some short stories.

Reviews

[Hunter Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down my favorite book by Russell James. Talk about a wild ride! This is a shining example of the best of Severed Press delivers to its readers.

[Catherine Cavendish · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this latest monster adventure, our hero is kidnapped and whisked off to a remote island with its own micro-climate, somewhere in the Arctic where he finds himself thrust into a world where Russian scientists have managed to resurrect long-extinct woolly mammoths and, as if that wasn't enough, they didn't stop with the mammoths. Not only that, this is no mere scientific experiment.

This story, as with the previous Grant Coleman adventures, contains plenty of humour, banter, action and suspense. It demands that you read it, and leaves you with a satisfied smile on your face when you've finished. Coleman is always getting himself into scrapes reminiscent of Conan Doyle (The Lost World) and Indiana Jones. I feel sure there is more to come from this roving paleontologist with an uncanny knack of getting himself into the kind of danger no overweight, unfit scientist should ever contemplate. Looking forward to it!

[Sudasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly couldn't begin to pinpoint what I love about this series so much, because honestly, there isn't much character development with Grant (or any of the other side characters). But yo, I devoured these five books in less than 2 months, and that is a record for me! I can't wait for more crazy adventures with Dr. Grant Coleman!

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another epic tale featuring our snarky Professor, who always has a witty comeback ready—except in those critical moments where his survival is on the line, which happens more often than not in his life-or-death adventures.

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me some Grant Coleman. Not sure if it's because he's an unfit, sarcastic, unwitting hero, or that I just like the adventures he gets into. Imagine getting kidnapped and put on a desolate island with mammoths and then things go sideways, and upside down. It works. Good stuff once again. I am always up for a new escapade with him and hope that I will be able to read something new again soon.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I've enjoyed the hell out of the Grant Coleman books. From Monsters in the Clouds up to Mammoth Island, these are FUN and SUPER enjoyable. This may be my favorite in the series yet, unless Dr. Coleman has another adventure. I'd love to see that happen, Russell...hint, hint.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant Coleman again finds himself in the wrong place and plunged into another brush with previously thought extinct animals. The race begins to get out alive, nice twist at the end. These are fun and light hearted adventures with a likeable leading character.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the whole series until now, i had SO MUCH fun.

I'm honest, at first iwas a bit meh about the mammoth-theme, because I'm not the biggest fan of those monster. They are just big wooly elephants, dinosaurs and shit are just cooler. But i need to say, this mammoths were terryfying, it was SO good, the monsters in this book were all very cool and very gory and brutal, so it surprised me in this aspect.

Grant shone again.
His banter was so perfect. I love him, also I would shot his mouth for the backlash he gives everyone, but i still love him - also i love that hes older and not fit, and that he wants to make sport after 5 horror adventures, but never does it. Relatable.

And the banter, OH THE BANTER.
The banter between him and Destro (one of the villains) filled my heart with glee. I love this so much (also I ship them so much, but whatever).
And the banter with Deborah? Even fucking better. I love her sidejabs that Grant is fat, because he is, and i love shes making fun of it, and i love that grant gives replys to that. Something you're not allowed in new books, because everyone is offended about making jokes about bodies *eye roll*, so i loved that.

Also Deborah?
She is my woman. Oh you have no idea, how much i loved her. I want to read more about woman like that. I hattttted that stupid evironmentalist from book 2+3, so I was miffy about another one. But Deborah, boi. She's not afraid to speak her mind, shes fit and sporty, she doesn't give a fuck about other men, she is even the boss of a small company AND she knows about technic shit. HOW COOL IS THAT?????

The plottwist at the end was great, so yeah - i could give it a star less, because I miss more bromance bantering like with Mike (from book 4), but Deborah was such so good, that there was just nothing bad about this book.

Only sad thing is, that all the bad guys ALWAYS die in the book they are introduced. I would love to see some sort of ... long term villain banter with Grant *shrug* but thats nitpicky.

Oh AND, another great plus point. In the afterword we get some science information about the original "templates" for the mammoths and other things happening in the book. Pluspluspoint for giving us metres and kilos too, because most american author just ignore that :D and as an european im just "Wow, no fucking idea what an inch or shit is.)

So yes, i can't wait to read the next book!

[Crystal Fenerty · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this series

Always and enjoyable read, Russell James’s book are fun fast reads that I recommend to others to read. Though some of his books do have errors, this book seems to be free of them. Definitely looking forwards to the next book in this series.

[Janis Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. I love Grant's sarcasm. Makes me laugh every time.

[Norm S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Grant Coleman is in trouble again. On his way to a tropical vacation in Hawaii he is kidnapped and heads to the Arctic instead. Where more monsters await him.

[Dave Boffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking read from Russel James! I particularly liked the constant twists and turns within this particular novel, I also love that there are always subtle differences to the creatures we tend to know to give them a difference to the typical version of that creature.

Onto book 6 where I think some time in the water might be coming

[Ollie or Jean Sudduth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easy to drop into and come back later and eventually finish it that’s what I like about his books their exciting and when it gets too much I back off for abit catch my breath and pick it up again!

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

close call this time

It seems this time Grant is having to face off with Wooly Mammoths. There was just one little problem these mammoths are bigger, smarter, and a little psycho. The action is fast paced. Grant is just the darling of the group trying to stay alive in Mammoth Island. The numbers against Grant and company seem to get bigger around every corner. First there are the mammoths. Then there is a group of Russian special forces soldier show . Then there are saber-toothed tigers showing up to eat everybody. Don't forget the giant beavers. So Grant is not having a very good time of it. Everything and everybody seems to want to kill him . So it is a very close call in the action packed story.

[William Newbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer mammoths!!

This was an entertaining book. Grant was very sarcastic and I was surprised sometimes … though not much lol. I called who survived at the end. So many genetic experiments on one island!

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the adventures of Dr Grant Coleman, a Paleontologist who writes fictional novels to report his discoveries and crazy adventures. Otherwise no one would believe it if he were to actually publish them in a documentary nonfiction manner. This is my first book by Russell James but it definitely will not be my last.

This book reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie with its fast pacing and incredible happenings. There are also some very nasty villains. I thoroughly enjoyed this book along with the creative imagination of the author. The reader never knew what was going to occur next. The suspense was marvelous, the tension as taunt as a bowstring from scene to scene. I am eager to read some more adventures of the professor Dr. Coleman

[james mccarney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menacing

I only gave this particular book three stars because I couldn't find one character I liked in the whole book. Not even Dr Grant Coleman who I normally like. He's usually kind of funny but way too much wisecracking in this book. Everything that came out of his mouth was snarky even in the face of death. I liked the creatures but this book didn't do it for me like the other books in the series. Idk what adventure is next for the Paleontologist but maybe he needs a little rest. I do like the author and will try his other books. I especially like his afterwards section at the end where he explains certain things. That's a nice touch.

[Watson Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet

When I first started this book, I wasn't expecting much. Mammoths I thought, they might as well be up against giant teddy bears. But the mammoths in this book are monsters , real killing machines. Great read.

[pattie corbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story board very familiar but that's ok

It's not a chick book but I can only take so much of that. But what about the eggs?Who do the debts belong to?

[Scooby2]

DNF

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

Grant thought a trip to Hawaii a great idea until at, the airport he is kidnapped and ends up in a frozen island with mammoths and what else.

[Matt Kimery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Russell at a con and he said these books were pretty much stand alone and did not need to read in any order. So I picked up this one as the first to read.

Overall the story moves along well and doesn't drag. So I read through it quickly and was very entertained. It has Grant be a snarky, sarcastic (and unwilling) hero. He hasn't got the physical means to be a hero, but he makes up for it by giving everything he can.

The story is basically a Russian Oligarc found an island in the artic that is gethermally (is that a word?) heated, so he tries to bring back ancient species (Mammoths). As you can guess it goes wrong and Grant and some others get pulled into it and have to survive and escape.

I personally enjoyed the afterward where the author takes the time to explain how he made educated guesses and research to determine how the Mammoths would behave, etc.

[Dennis Plante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lazy, Fat, No Talent Hero

I will quit reading the series after this book. The author made the MC, Grant, worse after each book. He was fatter, slower, more scared, less aware, and more self depreciating in subsequent books. This type of writing gets irritating, and the MC gets less likable as time goes on also. All the story lines are the same in each book. It was easy reading, but it got pretty boring with each book.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you didn’t figure it out yet: Dr Coleman is overweight and finds himself in terrible situations often. You’d think he’d learn.

3.7 🌟