BOOK REVIEW: SATAN’S GOLD
AUTHOR: MICHAEL HINZ
REVIEWED BY: BETTY HORAK
If books were rated
like fine restaurants Michael Hinz’s book Satan’s Gold would have four stars
behind the title. And another four after the author’s name.
The book is fantastic!
Being an avid
reader, and having read all kinds of literature, ancient and modern,
non-fiction and fiction, adventure, murder, westerns, romances—written by every
author you can name, this book is the best balance book I have had the pleasure
of reading. By balance, I mean that there is the right amount of excitement,
adventure, description, dialogue, mayhem and romance. The book never has an
extra word—whether text or dialogue that does not move the story forward. An
exciting plot that carries the reader on, turning each page with anticipation
and expectation, with is well satisfied throughout the book.
The characters are
not only believable, but the hero and heroine and the other “good guys” are
actually likable, and they are introduced by the author in a manner that makes
you know them, and as the book progresses you know them better. The “bad guys”
are just that, and through the main character’s eyes, you can see they are
shells of people with nothing but greed, cruelty and immature mentality. The
dialogue is fast moving, yet you don’t feel that it is pushed. It contributes
to the overall plot, and each piece of dialogue is important in moving the plot
forward. There is tension, there is violence, there is murder, there is
mystery, there is everything a book needs and Hinz has presented it in its best form.
A master in the use
of words, whether description of nature, which is necessary in the movement of
the book, or in the vivid feelings of the characters, Hinz has proved to be a master in all fields.
This book is
recommended above any Steven King, John Saul, James Patterson or John Gresham
novel on the market. It is very well written, but leaves out the tiresome “more
is better” so prevalent in today’s best sellers. Most best selling authors or
their agents work under the concept of “more violence, more bloody gore, more
psychopathic morbid behavior, more foul language (from even the lovely leading
lady) and more explicit sex (which ends up getting a little boring, unless you
are a pre-teen just finding out about the subject). Not so in Hinz’s book. Here again is the perfect balance. He has all
the things in these best sellers, but in a perfect balance, which makes you
wish the story would go on for another twenty chapters.
Throw into this
perfect mixture, the spice of the true history of Cortez and his conquering of
the Aztec nation and some of the truths of the Aztecs way of life, giving a lesson
in history with such a flavor that makes the reader want to learn more, giving
the book added interest and again balances out the action. Wonderful!
Hinz
also introduces a character that is the odd man of the story. Although you do
not like him, you—like the lead character, learn to tolerate him. Hinz uses this character in a cleaver ending, which leaves
you with a chuckle, wishing for more as you close the back cover of the book.
& Self-Publishers
Page revised 10/29/06 BSC
©2006
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