The Mayan Conspiracy [Paperback]

REVIEWER'S NOTE: This a reproduction of a review I wrote of 'Black Rain', the original US title of Graham Brown's 'The Mayan Conspiracy'. Apart from the title change and the fact that the follow-up novel will be apparently be called Doomsday when its published in the UK in 2012, rather than Black Sun, all other details are correct.

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Sometimes I buy a book on a whim based purely on the back cover blurb. I don't read any reviews beforehand and I will never have heard of the author before. In some cases theses whims turn out to be a mistake; in others they lead to me being pleasantly surprised. Picking up Black Rain at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. was one of those whims that turned out okay.

Don't get me wrong; Graham Brown's book is not a work of literary genius. Its a pulpy, 500 page airport thriller, nothing more. It is however, a very enjoyable example of that particular genre.

Falling squarely into the sub-genre of pseudo-scientific thrillers as popularised by the likes of James Rollins and Lincoln Child, the set up of Black Rain is a familiar one. You have the team of military men and scientists on a mission to the Amazon in search of a mythical object. You have hidden conspiracies involving shady government agencies and power mad idustrialists. You have a strong, beautiful and capable female lead matched with a handsome but unconventional and enigmatic male hero. There are monsters. There is the uncovering of the horrific and world changing truth behind various ancient myths. There is bags and bags of action. In other words Black Rain leaves no cliche or genre stereotype unused.

It uses them however, in a very entertaining fashion. The mythological elements, based on real elements of the Mayan culture, are interesting and although given a fantastical twist remain vaguely plausible. The action,and there is lots of both the being stalked by monsters type and mano-a-mano gun battles type, is well handled across the board. Danielle and Hawker (a forgivably stupid name for the male hero) are appealing leads and Brown sensibly avoids injecting any heavy romantic angle into an already crowded narrative, even if mutual attraction is heavily hinted at. The mystery and conspiracy angles, although hardly original, aren't too convoluted or implausible. The story as a whole remains exciting and compelling throughout and not all the revelations are blatantly obvious.

There are weaknesses of course, beyond its slightly derivative nature. Characterisation is about as deep as a puddle, with no-one being more than a 'type' or the sum of their background, but its no less than you would expect with this sort of novel. The author also handles some of the exposition in a rather clunky manner, with various chunks of historical fact being delivered in one-go by different characters at different times, disrupting the flow of the plot in the process. This is always a potential pitfall with this sort of book but a more experienced may have been able to integrate the factual stuff more smoothly or have known how to reduce the sheer volume of information included without confusing the reader.

Despite these minor problems Graham Brown seems like a thriller author with promise, with Black Rain easily matching some of James Rollins earlier novels (and some his weaker later ones too). There is a sequel on the way, Black Sun: A Thriller, and a promising sneak peak was included at the end of the edition of Black Rain that I picked up. Its now on my wish list and if its as good or better than its predecessor then it will be a must read.

When the seasons change, my attitude towards books tends to shift slightly. During the months that we laughably call the great British Summer I enjoy a bit of what I like to call beach reading. What is beach reading you may ask? Well, I suppose the best way to describe it is books, that tend to fall into the category thriller, that don't require much in the way of emotional investment. Now that is not to say that they are bad books, far from it. They offer the literary equivalent of a summer blockbuster, or a thrill ride. You enjoy the experience, and can happily immerse yourself in the action for a couple of hours, and then walk away feeling entertained. Not a life changing read but some satisfying fun.

In Mayan Conspiracy, a small group of mercenaries and government contractors are sent into the heart of the Amazon to locate an ancient city and confirms rumors of an artifact that maybe the key to the world's future. Meanwhile in the United States a political game of cat and mouse begins between key players in the race to claim ownership of the artifact.

The two parallel narrative strands work quite well, but personally I would have liked to have known a bit more of what was going on in Washington. The political elements in the novel are as enthralling as the action unfolding in the rainforest.

The character of Danielle Laidlaw is a highlight. She is a strong natural leader, and as things go from bad to worse she proves her mettle time and time again. She is responsible for the group and will stop at nothing to get them home in one piece. Her strength and resolve shine through. It was great to see her get as involved in the action as her male contemporaries

Hawker is the other main character, but he remains a bit of a mystery throughout. In his past, he has worked with the CIA but the reader doesn't learn much more than that. There is a sequel called Black Sun due in the future so I hope Hawker will return and more of his past will be revealed. I think he has real potential as an action hero.

The action is fast paced as the group moves from one perilous situation to another. The Amazonian backdrop adds a nice claustrophobic feel. The jungle canopy only allows around a tenth of the sun's light to reach ground level so there are plenty of dark shadows where predators can lurk.

The Mayan Conspiracy by Graham Brown is a good example of beach reading. I would certainly recommend considering this as a suitable purchase for your holidays this year. If you read the likes of Matthew Reilly, James Rollins or Clive Cussler, then you should give this a go. I certainly enjoyed this debut and I'll look forward to reading Mr Brown's next novel.

I have very little patience with books.
For me, a good book gets you intrigued from the first few pages and keeps that pace throughout.
Numerous times, I have found myself shouting 'get on with it' as yet another pointless piece of character history is revealed, sub plots are brought up, and long, drawn out narrative is used to explain or set a scene.

I felt a few 'get on with it' feelings starting to rise for around the first 100 odd pages of this book but could tell something was building so stuck with it. And I'm glad I did. The story picks up, focuses and flies through a great story.

The story centres around a mysterious CIA agent gathering a team to investigate a Mayan city deep in the Amazon. The characters have enough depth to believe in them and develop well through the book.
Once past the initial setup of the team and arriving in the Amazon, the book doesn't let up on pace and keeps you turning pages.

As with all books of this genre, you need to suspend some disbelief as the story progresses.

Great book - If you've enjoyed James Rollins, you won't be disappointed.