Rating: 
Summary: Great thriller along the lines of Cussler
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Another great one from Jack.
Review: After the excitement of the last few years Mercer finds thatthe humdrum of his work is getting too tedious. Without any warningto him and his drinking pal, Harry White, all of that is to change. The vague pictures of a failed satellite from years before set in motion intrigue that goes from Washington, DC to Italy to Israel to Africa. Drawn into the fray, by the kidnapping of Harry, Mercer fights the elements and two factions that want to use him to solve the riddle of the Medusa pictures. From the shoot out at the Washington airport to the final confrontation over the Red Sea Mercer is constantly under the gun, literally and figuratively. With the life of Harry in the balance Mercer must use all of his knowledge, expertise and hunches to find the mine. This book was a great read from start to finish. Once you start you will not want to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure on the Way to the World's Greatest Diamond Mine
Review: Before it crashed, the Medusa satellite detected an immense cache of diamonds far beneath the desert of northern Eritrea in Africa. The Americans tried to keep it secret, but word got out, and groups of unscrupulous people vowed to find the diamonds. One group sought to insure success by kidnapping the best friend of famous geologist, Philip Mercer, and bargaining the friend's life for Mercer's discovery of the diamond lode. In his quest, Mercer faces threats that come ever-faster, until he finds that the diamond mine holds a great and deadly secret. This is an enjoyable adventure that should keep you turning the pages.
Rating:
Summary: FOR TRUE ACTION ADVENTURE LOVERS...
Review: Being the first DuBrul book I've read I found it hard to put down. Be prepared to limit your attentions to family and your favourite TV programs once you start reading. The character is akin to a modern day Indiana Jones with cliffhanger action throughout and technological whiz heading in the direction of James Bond but more down to earth and believable. An excellent plot including multinational characters from Africa and the Middle East. I'd say it's the best book I've read in years - read it and you won't be disappointed!!
Rating:
Summary: Hard Rock Adventure and Suspense!
Review: Dr. Philip Mercer is back with a vengeance! The resourceful mining engineer featured in Vulcan's Forge and Charon's Landing returns for another adventure and it's one wild ride! Mercer's best friend and drinking buddy, Harry White, is kidnapped by mercenaries and if Philip ever wants to see him alive again, he must investigate the remote possibility a diamond mine in east Africa. Mercer begins a needle in the haystack search that takes him to a remote desert on the Sudan \ Eritrea border. Using stolen photographs from a top secret spy satellite code-named MEDUSA, Mercer is able to locate an old deserted mine and to his astonishment he learns there may be something more valuable than diamonds buried within. His problems are compounded when an Italian industrialist and his Sudanese army try to take over the mine in an attempt to blackmail the South African Diamond Exchange. Mercer is going to need all of his wits and mining experience to prevent a global catastrophe! Jack Du Bruhl is an excellent adventure fiction novelist. His books just keep getting better and better!
Rating:
Summary: Constant Action
Review: From the moment I started listening to the audio cassette of Jack DuBrul's new story "The Medusa Stone," I knew that I would have several hours of constant and rapt reading adventure. His novel reads like the best action adventures of such authors as Clive Cussler et al. Mercer is a hero in the same vein as Indiana Jones, and even when accomplishing the almost impossible makes the reader think that his actions are normal. In this novel, Mercer is called upon to prevent both Israeli terrorists and a meglomanical Italian industrialist from gaining access to one of the world's richest diamond mine deposits. The love scenes in the novel are quite steamy and yet the reader does not feel the voyeur. I would recommend this book and all the other novels by Dubrul for the reader looking for a new hero and an outstanding author.
Rating:
Summary: Constant Action
Review: From the moment I started listening to the audio cassette of Jack DuBrul's new story "The Medusa Stone," I knew that I would have several hours of constant and rapt reading adventure. His novel reads like the best action adventures of such authors as Clive Cussler et al. Mercer is a hero in the same vein as Indiana Jones, and even when accomplishing the almost impossible makes the reader think that his actions are normal. In this novel, Mercer is called upon to prevent both Israeli terrorists and a meglomanical Italian industrialist from gaining access to one of the world's richest diamond mine deposits. The love scenes in the novel are quite steamy and yet the reader does not feel the voyeur. I would recommend this book and all the other novels by Dubrul for the reader looking for a new hero and an outstanding author.
Rating:
Summary: THIS 3RD TIME IS GOLDEN
Review: I gave this book high mark and no doubt it was good; very good. But DuBrul character is somewhat predictable. We know he get the man and do fantastic stunts to save a freind. You just do not mess with Mercer. I suggest to all reader, take a look at his first book on the character to get the backgound stuff on Mercer. The reader can read this 3rd book on Mercer out of order and you will be fine. This is strictly action on a higher James Bond level with the roughness of Pitt from Clive Cussler. If you like adventure with the familar ending, go and get Dubrul. I await the next installment to be frank. I recommend another action book call ICE STATION; his last name is Reilly. This book was very popular in Australia. Go figure. See Ya back here Nov 2000. Tripp
Rating:
Summary: Among the Best
Review: I orginally became familiar with Jack B. Du Brul's writing through his first novel, "Vulcan's Forge". It was a fast moving, globe-trotting epic that kept me in suspense right on up to the end. His second book, "Charon's Landing", simply didn't deliver the same punch for me as did his first. While it was well written, I almost decided not to bother with another "Phillip Mercer" installment. But I did... and boy, I'm glad I did. "The Medusa Stone" is as well written as "Vulcan's Forge", has a very good plot, and moves like a good novel should. While this adventure does not take you to every corner of the globe the way "Vulcan's Forge" does, it is full of intricate little plot twists that kept me turning the pages. The characters that have survived from Du Brul's earlier novels have grown to the point that I can almost see their features and hear the inflections in their voices. Not many novelist have been able to bring me to that point. For what it's worth, I would recommend this book. I would also recomend reading the first two books from this author (yes, even "Charon's Landing") before reading this one just to get the total historical perspective. (As an afterthought - I hope Du Brul will see fit to write a "pre-squel" to give us a better picture of Mercer's involvement in the Iranian situation.)
Rating:
Summary: Among the Best
Review: I orginally became familiar with Jack B. Du Brul's writing through his first novel, "Vulcan's Forge". It was a fast moving, globe-trotting epic that kept me in suspense right on up to the end. His second book, "Charon's Landing", simply didn't deliver the same punch for me as did his first. While it was well written, I almost decided not to bother with another "Phillip Mercer" installment. But I did... and boy, I'm glad I did. "The Medusa Stone" is as well written as "Vulcan's Forge", has a very good plot, and moves like a good novel should. While this adventure does not take you to every corner of the globe the way "Vulcan's Forge" does, it is full of intricate little plot twists that kept me turning the pages. The characters that have survived from Du Brul's earlier novels have grown to the point that I can almost see their features and hear the inflections in their voices. Not many novelist have been able to bring me to that point. For what it's worth, I would recommend this book. I would also recomend reading the first two books from this author (yes, even "Charon's Landing") before reading this one just to get the total historical perspective. (As an afterthought - I hope Du Brul will see fit to write a "pre-squel" to give us a better picture of Mercer's involvement in the Iranian situation.)
| 
