Lawrence W. Gold, M.D. has done it again. This is the third book he has written that I have read; this one is every bit as good as the other two! Dr. Gold used his medical knowledge and his knowledge of sailing to bring us one of the most thrilling high seas adventure stories I personally have ever read. It starts out normally enough--a family, the Reiss family (Andy, Jesse, Rachel and their Dog) has been sailing around for about five years and have finally decided that maybe it is time to go live on dry land again. They set sail towards the Florida coast. Meanwhile 2 homegrown American terrorists are plotting to avenge their father's death--with the help of a Middle Eastern country. And a scientist in one of the Middle Eastern countries is out to avenge the death of his son.
As they are sailing they notice a boat adrift in the open ocean. Andy boards her and rescues two teen age Americans who are very close to death. Andy leaves a note on the boat and ultimately calls the US Coast Guard to let them know. Being a doctor (and his wife a nurse)-they revive the two young people only to discover that they have helped 2 terrorists. (ALWAYS listen to your dog-they really do know people best!). The doctor, who is also an infectious disease specialist realizes that the 2 young people have small pox, a disease that everyone thought had been erased from the face of the earth.
Meanwhile, back on dry land, both the Cubans and the Americans are trying to figure out what is going on and of course blaming each other and attempting not to let the other country know so as avert confrontation between the two countries. The political intrigue is totally believable (at least to me) and will have you shaking your head in wonder.
Then the worst happens--Hurricane Agnes--and I sometimes wondered as I read whether the boat would ever make it to land--thankfully, no help from politicos--it did. The Reiss' were put into isolation and a cure was sought.
The ending of this book still has me shivering and honestly slightly frightened--no I'm not giving this away--I will say that you should definitely read this book-I read it from cover to cover in one sitting!!
About the Book: (from the back of the book)
Danger at sea is not new to the Reiss family, and while the sea can be unpredictable, nobody could have foreseen what they'd face trying to get home.
After five years at sea, Andy, Jesse, and twelve year old Rachel decide to head back to Florida. While they've handled most of what nature could throw at them, now, they face the unexpected.
Off the coast of Cuba, they come upon a battered sailboat adrift. The two young Americans abaord, Ryan, and Nicole are near death. Andy, a physician and Jesse, a nurse, revive them only to discover that they've rescued two homegrown terrorists intent on infecting Miami with a deadly virus.
While Andy and his family struggle to get home, they now face multiple obstacles: the terrorists, the disease, the Cuban Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, The Department of Homeland Security, the Oval Office, and Hurricane Agnes.
Deadly Passage reveals senseless terrorism for what it is. We experience nature's violence, cringe at mindless political intrigue, and celebrate a family's courage, and pray for them as they face impossible odds. The denouement is unexpected and chilling.
This book can be purchased at Amazon
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About the Author: (from the back of the book)
Dr. Gold practiced internal medicine and nephrology (diseases of the kidney) in Berkeley, California for twenty-three years. He was an active participant in the hospital’s quality assurance program. Dr. Gold served as chief of the department of internal medical and family practice.
After retiring, Dr. Gold set sail with his wife, Doris and their cat, Funina. They cruised Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean on a Sparkman and Sparkman cutter. They sold the sailboat and cruised Florida, the Bahamas, the United States East Coast and Canada on a Nordic Tug.
They are back on land in spectacular Grass Valley, California.
You can visit Dr. Gold here:
http://www.lawrencegoldmd.com
or on his blog where you can see the other books (NOVELS) he's written:
http://drgoldsfiction.blogspot.com/