THE HIDDEN OASIS

Ploddingly paced, frustratingly contrived, and beyond implausible, this Indiana Jones knockoff sets a British Egyptologist and an American rock climber on a path toward an ancient treasure secreted in the legendary hidden oasis of the title. The pair are pursued at every turn by a psychopathic Cairo arms dealer and an American embassy official with an uncertain agenda. The heroine’s American accent gives British reader Gordon Griffin serious trouble. However, he also does his best to keep things moving and is reasonably adept in the roles of the other characters, particularly those of the sinister arms dealer and the taciturn Bedouin who provides aid to our heroes. A.B.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2010]