Picking up after the conclusion of Severed Threads, treasure hunters and on-again, off-again lovers Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen are contracted to dive for treasures in the seas surrounding Japan by a mysterious benefactor. Their employer turns out to be Shinzo, a Buddhist monk with mystical powers. What begins as a routine treasure hunt immediately takes unexpected turns as old family grudges, debts, and a menacing yakuza boss all enter the picture. Even the treasure turns out to contain no ordinary artifacts, as Chase, Rachel, and fellow adventurer Yuki Ota must trek through a dangerous burial temple to retrieve three priceless swords in order to stop an evil force that threatens to destroy all of Japan. With danger, romance, and the supernatural around every turn, this unlikely team will have to risk everything in order to find a treasure worth fighting for.
Turning each page in this book, it's hard not to imagine the glossy, high-budget film that is begging to be made. The setting of modern Japan is exotic and jumps off the page whether in the form of the demure geishas or the twisted honor of the yakuza. Ample time is given to character development before embarking on the thrilling adventure in search of treasure, but that doesn't mean that the book is slow to start. Almost immediately, readers are treated to action and double-crosses in the seedy underbelly of the land of the rising sun. With plenty of all the elements we come to expect from an action blockbuster, this title is satisfying and entertaining from start to finish, and it hopefully lays the groundwork for further books to come in this series.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review