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First Contact
In the heart of the jungle lies a powerful secret.
A secret thousands die for every year.
A secret that men will kill for.
They hoped for the trip of a lifetime. Now they are minutes from death.
Mark and Melanie Bridges are lost in the world's most hostile forest. Their guides are dead. They have no shelter, no water, no hope. Then, as the shadows lengthen, they stumble on the wreck of a crashed helicopter. The pilot and passenger are bones, their doomed mission to this remote and dangerous land, uncertain. But the skeletons have left behind both good and bad: vital supplies to keep the pair alive. And a mystery that threatens to kill them.
Soon nowhere is safe. Not even the civilisation they left behind. And as the clues unfold, so begin the lies, the blackmail, the kidnapping and murder. Because Mark and Melanie's secret is far bigger than they ever imagined. Bigger too than the jungle that hides it, and the ruthless killers who pursue it. It is a secret that commands the power of life and death. A secret that will change the world forever.
A secret thousands die for every year.
A secret that men will kill for.
They hoped for the trip of a lifetime. Now they are minutes from death.
Mark and Melanie Bridges are lost in the world's most hostile forest. Their guides are dead. They have no shelter, no water, no hope. Then, as the shadows lengthen, they stumble on the wreck of a crashed helicopter. The pilot and passenger are bones, their doomed mission to this remote and dangerous land, uncertain. But the skeletons have left behind both good and bad: vital supplies to keep the pair alive. And a mystery that threatens to kill them.
Soon nowhere is safe. Not even the civilisation they left behind. And as the clues unfold, so begin the lies, the blackmail, the kidnapping and murder. Because Mark and Melanie's secret is far bigger than they ever imagined. Bigger too than the jungle that hides it, and the ruthless killers who pursue it. It is a secret that commands the power of life and death. A secret that will change the world forever.
- GenresAdventure
496 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 10, 2016
A great adventure story reminiscent of the books by Desmond Bagley.
What if a cure for malaria could be formulated from a fungus that grows underground in the unchartered regions of Papua-New-Guinea? Pharmaceutical companies would pay millions for it, but what if their prospecting would denude the rainforest and destroy the ancient tribes who live there? Would you still sell details of its whereabouts, or would you allow this bio-diverse environment and its inhabitants to remain undisturbed? That is the conundrum that lies beneath this exciting adventure tale.
When Mark Bridges and his sister are lost in Papua-New-Guinea after their guide is murdered in an inter-tribal argument, they stumble across a crashed helicopter. A briefcase is trapped inside, still chained to a skeleton’s wrist. Unable to free it, they leave it behind, but its discovery returns to haunt them when the newspaper report of their subsequent rescue mentions the wreckage. Bridges suddenly finds himself the target of an ex-CIA mercenary and a psychopathic Australian, who both know the history of the lost helicopter, and both badly want that briefcase. And they are no strangers to violence.
When the Australian kidnaps Bridge’s sister and threatens to kill her unless Bridges returns to Papua-New-Guinea to recover the case, Bridges reluctantly agrees. But the ex-CIA mercenary had bought details of the helicopter’s location from Bridges’ sister before she disappeared, and has already hired what he needs to find it. Can Bridges successfully retrace his steps through the rainforest and get to the crash-site first?
A good book with a strong pull to make you read on. Occasionally, Woodrow dumps blocks of facts into the story – normally about locations, but sometimes about the history of malaria itself – and these destroy the narrative flow. However, these are sufficiently infrequent that they did little to derail my enjoyment.
One thing I didn’t like is that (in my opinion) Woodrow too often puts the f-word into the mouth of Bridges’ sister. I guess this is an attempt to show her character, but it came across as unnecessary and jarred as a consequence.
Overall, though, this is an excellent and highly recommended book. It has tension, adrenalin-pumping adventure, an element of love interest, and teaches us about the ancient rainforests and their tribes – what more can one ask from a good read?
What if a cure for malaria could be formulated from a fungus that grows underground in the unchartered regions of Papua-New-Guinea? Pharmaceutical companies would pay millions for it, but what if their prospecting would denude the rainforest and destroy the ancient tribes who live there? Would you still sell details of its whereabouts, or would you allow this bio-diverse environment and its inhabitants to remain undisturbed? That is the conundrum that lies beneath this exciting adventure tale.
When Mark Bridges and his sister are lost in Papua-New-Guinea after their guide is murdered in an inter-tribal argument, they stumble across a crashed helicopter. A briefcase is trapped inside, still chained to a skeleton’s wrist. Unable to free it, they leave it behind, but its discovery returns to haunt them when the newspaper report of their subsequent rescue mentions the wreckage. Bridges suddenly finds himself the target of an ex-CIA mercenary and a psychopathic Australian, who both know the history of the lost helicopter, and both badly want that briefcase. And they are no strangers to violence.
When the Australian kidnaps Bridge’s sister and threatens to kill her unless Bridges returns to Papua-New-Guinea to recover the case, Bridges reluctantly agrees. But the ex-CIA mercenary had bought details of the helicopter’s location from Bridges’ sister before she disappeared, and has already hired what he needs to find it. Can Bridges successfully retrace his steps through the rainforest and get to the crash-site first?
A good book with a strong pull to make you read on. Occasionally, Woodrow dumps blocks of facts into the story – normally about locations, but sometimes about the history of malaria itself – and these destroy the narrative flow. However, these are sufficiently infrequent that they did little to derail my enjoyment.
One thing I didn’t like is that (in my opinion) Woodrow too often puts the f-word into the mouth of Bridges’ sister. I guess this is an attempt to show her character, but it came across as unnecessary and jarred as a consequence.
Overall, though, this is an excellent and highly recommended book. It has tension, adrenalin-pumping adventure, an element of love interest, and teaches us about the ancient rainforests and their tribes – what more can one ask from a good read?
August 19, 2016
2.5 stars. Plot is ok but it lacks energy. Book needs editing of too many parts not pertinent to the story, which slow down the pace.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews