Official Review: Plateau by Marc R. Hunter

[Prisallen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Plateau" by Marc R. Hunter.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In 1926, Pinkerton Todd was preparing to leave Belgium on a train, which was the first leg of his journey back to his home in America. He was waiting for his friend Hans to arrive to retrieve a package that Hans had left with him. Pinkerton finally observed his friend hurrying towards him. As he watched in disbelief, Hans was intercepted by two men and, upon trying to escape, was stabbed in the back. The train immediately departed from the station, and Pinkerton was confused about what to do with the package. Upon opening it, he was astonished by what he discovered.

In 1991, Dr. Michael Hartford was at a basketball game with his brother Charles and two co-workers when Charles received a message that his store had been broken into. As Michael and Charles left the arena to go see about the burglary, they were accosted in the parking garage by four men attempting to kidnap them. After managing to escape, Michael discovered that his office had been broken into, and his grandfather’s journal had been stolen. Originally, the book had been taken to work to make copies of it. While reading a copy of the journal, Michael noticed an entry about a cryptic riddle given to his grandfather by his friend Pinkerton Todd, involving the possibility of buried treasure. The more he tried to ascertain what’s going on, the more endangered Michael became.

Plateau by Marc R. Hunter is a thrilling 305-page novel listed in the C/T/M/H genre; there is also some intermixed romance for readers who enjoy love stories. The action starts promptly with Pinkerton witnessing the abduction and possible murder of his friend. Then, the story continues with one suspenseful scene after another with just enough time in between to catch one’s breath. The prose is descriptive and easy to understand. The author has thoughtfully placed several drawings of maps throughout the book, which helps with comprehending what is taking place during that part of the story.

The importance of family and friends comes through in the novel. The Hartfords are a large family, and the reader gets to know most of them during the book. Their verbal sparring and competitive nature feel realistic and can elicit smiles. Michael had to rely on his family and several friends for help during the story.

If you are seeking a book that has clues to a treasure hunt that you can try to figure out as it proceeds, I need to provide a warning: for most people, that probably won’t happen. The clues were well planned, and everything was explained in detail by the end of the book. However, the puzzle was quite mystifying, and even after it was explained, I was still uncertain about the trigonometry involved. However, the action and suspense in the book more than made up for this confusion.

I was left with a few minor questions at the end of the book. For example, why didn’t Michael consult with his grandfather about his journal since he had probably spent time trying to decipher Pinkerton’s clues in the past? My questions were probably not that significant to the story, but they bothered me and could have easily been answered.

Regrettably, I discovered too many errors to award it four stars. It could use one more round of editing. Because of the errors and the unanswered questions, Plateau achieves a rating of three out of four stars. I felt it was too well written and exciting for a two-star rating. I enthusiastically recommend it for readers who enjoy thrilling adventure novels. A few mild profanities and some violence were encountered in the story, so if readers wish to avoid these things, they should probably look elsewhere.

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Plateau
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kanchan Sharma]

A clear and candid review. I would love to check it myself.

[Peace Odii]

Ham's stabbing caught me. Crime fiction? Great!

[markodim721]

A mixture of mystery, action and romance can always count on my vote. Thanks for the good review.

[Prisallen]

A clear and candid review. I would love to check it myself.

I hope you get a chance to. I think you would enjoy it!

[Prisallen]

Ham's stabbing caught me. Crime fiction? Great!

It was a fascinating story. Thanks for reading my review and commenting!

[Prisallen]

A mixture of mystery, action and romance can always count on my vote. Thanks for the good review.

I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

[Josephe-Anne]

Oh! This story sounds kind of like National Treasure. I like treasure-hunting stories with historical aspects, so this book appeals to me.

Thank you for an excellent review!

[Prisallen]

Oh! This story sounds kind of like National Treasure. I like treasure-hunting stories with historical aspects, so this book appeals to me.

Thank you for an excellent review!

This sounds like the perfect story for you then! I hope you get a chance to read it!

[Mbrooks2518]

Seems like an intriguing story with plenty of action. Thanks for the great review!

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging thriller full of action and suspense to keep the readers' attention until the end, so I hope the author follows your recommendation about another round of editing. Thank you for your great review!

[Prisallen]

Seems like an intriguing story with plenty of action. Thanks for the great review!

It was, indeed! I appreciate you reading my review and commenting!

[Prisallen]

This seems like an engaging thriller full of action and suspense to keep the readers' attention until the end, so I hope the author follows your recommendation about another round of editing. Thank you for your great review!

I hope so too. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them!

[Rwill0988]

A book with mystery that gives the reader clues. I’m in. It’s too bad that there are so many errors but it doesn’t seem to have impacted your enjoyment of the story. Thanks for the great review!

[Prisallen]

A book with mystery that gives the reader clues. I’m in. It’s too bad that there are so many errors but it doesn’t seem to have impacted your enjoyment of the story. Thanks for the great review!

It wouldn't take much to fix the errors; there were just more than are allowed, though. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the comments!