Written by Jack Dubrul

Combining his extensive knowledge of geology, mining and technology with relentless action sequences and exotic locales, Du Brul's latest (after River of Ruin) is 496 pages of nonstop, over-the-top adventure. Protagonist Dr. Philip Mercer, a wealthy geologist, "sometime" consultant and field agent for the times "when the worlds of science and terror collide," is charged with overseeing the installation of a temporary nuclear waste holding tank at Nevada's infamous Area 51. But after Mercer is nearly killed by assassins while on a Vegas furlough and then inexplicably saved by the stunningly beautiful Tisa Nguyen, he learns of a secret group called the Order. Headquartered in a Tibetan monastery, the Order can supposedly predict disastrous world events using an ancient machine, but a faction of the Order with sinister plans for world domination now jeopardizes the planet's survival. As Mercer barely escapes each near-death situation, well-drawn secondary characters-like his one-legged, hard-drinking 80-year-old best friend, Harry-help ground this adrenaline-drenched tale. Though not as suave as James Bond or as scrappy as Indiana Jones, smart, resilient Mercer is a savvy adventure hero for the new millennium.