Book Review: The Medusa Stone

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

[4 stars]

The Medusa Stone Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Jack B. DuBrul
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth Adventure Espionage
Series: Philip Mercer # 3
Onyx, Apr 2000, $6.99, 464 pp.

After his adventures and romance in Alaska and Hawaii, mining engineer Dr. Philip Mercer is bored writing reports in DC. He mentions his lethargy to his eighty-year old drinking buddy Harry White. Undersecretary of State for African Affairs Prescott Hyde tries to hire Philip to locate a large diamond mine in the dangerous Northern Eritea. In spite of showing pictures taken from the Medusa satellite that crashed a decade ago, neither Prescott nor partner Selome Nagast convince Philip that a lode as large as that in South Africa has gone undetected.

Philip’s mind is changed when a group of Mid-eastern terrorists abduct Harry, threatening to kill him if the mining engineer fails to find the mine in six weeks. Philip races to Africa to begin to search for a needle that might not exist in a haystack overrun by terrorists, outlaws, and deadly land mines. Philip quickly realizes that a second group is also interested in obtaining the diamond mine. Both groups share the goal that Philip must die.

With novels like CHARON’S LANDING, VULCAN’S FORGE, and now THE MEDUSA STONE, Jack DuBrul is proving he is one of the leaders of adventurous intrigue novels. The story line of his latest thriller continually ebbs and flows, but each new spurt builds the tension even further until the audience realizes that this is a one sitting novel in spite of its size. Philip is a fabulous lead character and the support cast brings to life Eritea and some questionable activities in the Mediterranean area. However, in hindsight what makes Mr. DuBrul’s novel a strong candidate for adventure book of the year is the brilliant infusion of Eritea, its people and customs woven into a dramatic plot.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner