Promotional Information

An awesome thriller wrapped in the mystery of the ancient Maya. A page-turner that delivers.

About the Author

Scott Smith was educated at Dartmouth College and Columbia University. He is the author of the bestselling novel, A Simple Plan. He lives in New York.

Reviews

Smith intends to scare the bejabbers out of you, and succeeds .... Does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975.
*Stephen King*

The suspense novel of the year. This is compulsive reading. Scott Smith sets out to frighten and he succeeds brilliantly with this harrowing psychological chiller.
*Sunday Telegraph*

It's been more than a decade since Smith's impressive debut, A Simple Plan. The wait has been worth it, with this tense, dense oppressive thriller taking the reader into new dimensions of fear ... Every time you think the book has hit a high in terror, it somehow gets more unbearable.
*Guardian*

A tour de force of terror, a novel that seduces, shocks and dares you to keep reading. There's a timeless fable at work here, one that prompts thoughts of Heart of Darkness
*Washington Post*

Bloodcurdlingly horrific ... It's the contract between the familiar and the unspeakable that makes this book so harrowing.
*New York Times*

Here's a real summer vacation gone wrong. Four twentysomething Americans in Cancun impulsively decide to accompany a chance-met fellow tourist on a side trip to the jungle. They hope to find their new acquaintance's missing brother and visit an archaeological ruin, but right from the beginning, when the locals seem spooked by their hand-drawn map, it's apparent that something is seriously amiss. -VERDICT The tension escalates to a terrifying pitch as Smith (A Simple Plan) explores the way people can change when placed in terrifying situations. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Adult/High School-Two American couples just out of college head to Mexico for a sun- and tequila-filled vacation. They befriend some like-minded Greek tourists and a German man whose brother has followed an archaeologist to the site of her dig. The Americans and one of the Greeks decide to go into the jungle to help Matthias find his brother. Blissfully ignorant, they head off with minimal rations, but lots of tequila. Despite all warning signs, they continue to a desolate Mayan village whose residents seem intent on keeping them away. Once American Amy steps off the path into a patch of vines, things suddenly change. As in A Simple Plan (Knopf, 1993), Smith creates a gripping story in which each character's uncertainties and human frailties are as horrific as the actual horror around them. Though the story is told in the third person, each American spends time as a protagonist, giving readers an understanding of his or her fears and motivations. This also allows readers to second-guess the characters. The book has no chapter breaks, which echoes the long and dreadful adventure. Even though only a few days pass, it feels much longer, as the plot moves minute-by-minute through each day. The ending is highly satisfactory and perfectly tragic. Though there are some brief scenes of gore, most of the suspense is psychological, but no less frightening. Fans of everything from Jurassic Park to Lost to Stephen King will love this book.-Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Smith intends to scare the bejabbers out of you, and succeeds .... Does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975. * Stephen King *
The suspense novel of the year. This is compulsive reading. Scott Smith sets out to frighten and he succeeds brilliantly with this harrowing psychological chiller. * Sunday Telegraph *
It's been more than a decade since Smith's impressive debut, A Simple Plan. The wait has been worth it, with this tense, dense oppressive thriller taking the reader into new dimensions of fear ... Every time you think the book has hit a high in terror, it somehow gets more unbearable. * Guardian *
A tour de force of terror, a novel that seduces, shocks and dares you to keep reading. There's a timeless fable at work here, one that prompts thoughts of Heart of Darkness * Washington Post *
Bloodcurdlingly horrific ... It's the contract between the familiar and the unspeakable that makes this book so harrowing. * New York Times *