Rare Earth

Back Cover

Marc Royce stares out of the helicopter, a sense of foreboding rising with the volcanic cloud. Below, the Rift Valley slashes across Africa like a scar. Decades of conflicts, droughts, and natural disasters have left their mark.

Dispatched to audit a relief organization, Royce is thrust into the squalor and chaos of Kenyan refugee camps. But his true mission focuses on the area's reserves of once-obscure minerals now indispensable to high-tech industries. These strategic elements - called rare earths - have inflamed tensions on the world's stage and stoked tribal rivalries. As Royce prepares to report back to Washington, he seizes on a bold and risky venture for restoring justice to this troubled land.

Review

Marc Royce is an agent for the State Department and does undercover covert operations when needed.  Last time it was the Middle East, and this time he is being sent to the heart of Africa to look into a relief organization.  The only problem is that he doesn’t know what he is looking for.  There is something about the organization that is raising red flags, and it is up to him to pinpoint what it is.

Against the backdrop of an erupting volcano, Marc navigates the politics of a ravaged land to find the truth.  From corruption within an aid organization, to displaced villagers, Marc handles everything thrown at him with a clear, level-headed, if not a bit unorthodox, approach. 

This novel had all the great elements: action, conspiracy, adventure, and slight touch of romance encapsulated by strong characters and a well-developed storyline.  It was a multi-layered novel, as the conspiracy kept getting deeper and deeper.  The action scenes were fabulous to read, and probably my favourite parts of the novel.

All in all, it was a great book!  It is actually book two in a series, the first being Lion of Babylon.  That is one book I will be checking out very soon!

Book Trailer

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.