An American climber in the Himalayas stumbles on a shipment of backpack nuclear weapons headed into Tibet for use against China. Pursued by spy agencies and other killers across Asia, North Africa, Europe and the United States, he is captured then rescued by a beautiful young woman with whom he forms a deadly liaison. They escape, are captured and escape again, death always at their heels. A … terrifying international manhunt and stunning love story, Tibetan Cross was a European best-seller. CRITICAL PRAISE for TIBETAN CROSS: . “Intense and unforgettable.” FORT LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL “Grips the reader from the very first chapter until the climactic ending.” UPI “Almost impossible to put down.” I LOVE A MYSTERY “A tautly written study of one man’s descent into living hell.” SPOKANE CHRONICLE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH “Murderous intensity.” “A chilling story of escape and pursuit.” TACOMA NEWS-TRIBUNE “An astonishing thriller.” SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER “Grips the reader from the opening chapter and never lets go.” MIAMI HERALD AUTHOR NOTE: My books are based largely on my own experiences, often in remote, dangerous, and war-torn situations. I try to place readers in the midst of these experiences, so they can feel the truth of them and integrate them into their own memories and their own understanding of the joys, perils, and mysteries of life.
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This was a book read while I was vacationing and although not the most uplifting of subjects, I found it interesting and a quick read. Unfortunately, the subject of evading an international man hunt conducted by the clandestine services of multiple nations is not uplifting as it apparently results in multiple deaths, and lots of pain for the endeavor. I really enjoyed the author’s descriptive language used to convey the nature of the location of the plot action, whether the remote Himalayan reaches or overpopulated city slums his writing lets you see the location. As a result I would recommend this book to others, who I hope would enjoy it as much as I.
Tibetan Cross by author Mike Bond is a non-stop action thriller! The timeline is in the mid 1970’s and Sam, Alex, and Paul previously were soldiers who fought side-by-side during the Viet Nam war. They are on a hiking adventure together in the Himalayas and are offered $12,000 to help guide a group who claim to be traveling across Nepal with a destination of Mustang to write travel stories and for photography opportunities.
Sam begins to feel suspicious and is very watchful of the men and the porters. He senses a fear among some of the men and the pushing to meet a schedule has been relentless. When crossing a treacherous ravine one of the pack animals stumbles and part of the cargo and equipment falls into the water with the pony. The crate breaks open and Sam sees rifles there in the water. Alex calls for Sam and tells him he has seen a detonator for a nuclear bomb in one of the broken crates. As Sam and Alex are warning some of the Tibetan porters to flee, a shot rings out and Alex is hit, murdered! Paul and Sam split up to escape and are on the run for their lives. Now starts the story of the hunted and the hunters across the mountain wilderness, to Europe, and back to Montana. Was the CIA responsible for allowing artillery to be packed across Nepal in order to hit the Chinese? Sam learns he can trust no one and Paul is late for the meeting at the rendezvous point. Has Paul been captured, is he dead?
This story did make me feel exhausted as I read it due to the fast pace, the violence, and the physical injuries Sam and the other cast of characters endured. No one can be trusted, so you are never able to let your guard down while catching a breath.
The reader should be aware the writing style will reflect the thoughts and actions of the characters. As I’ve experienced, when hiking in high altitudes you do not talk in complete sentences in order to conserve energy and breath. So, you may want to realize this writing style is adding another layer of dimension to the story. If these guys who are tired, hungry, and cold were to speak in proper grammatical English, that would be absurd. Also, be aware this is a story of treachery and brutality among men who have a primal need to survive and also primal habits, urges, and they act accordingly. *Strong Language and Mature Themes*
Tibetan Cross
A novel by Mike Bond.
For Sam, Paul and Alex, three expatriate Americans living and climbing in Nepal, jobs don’t grow on trees. So, when the chance to make a lot of money quickly comes to them, they can’t pass up the opportunity. They know the job is sketchy and doesn’t add up, but $12,000 is a lot of money in 1973. Supposedly they are to guide two photographers into the hinterlands bordering Chinese occupied Tibet, but, when an accident on the trail reveals the dark secret nature of the mission their lives take a chaotic turn. Alex is murdered, and Sam and Paul have to run for their lives. The covert agency running the mission and their Tibetan allies pursue them, killing anyone with whom they may have spoken. But blood begets blood and Sam will have vengeance for the innocent lives the agency has taken.
As thrillers go, “Tibetan Cross” is overclocked, turbocharged, and fuel injected with nitro methane. The descriptions are vivid, the violence graphic and the sex shamelessly incandescent. The hero, Sam Cohen, personifies violence, and endurance. The language the author uses is both beautiful and pitiless. All the major characters are fully rounded and well imagined. There is not one page that does not jar the reader with the beauty of nature, the mayhem of the moment, the gritty poverty of the human condition, or all three at once. I heartily recommend this adrenaline-soaked story to lovers of such prose. If you are not one of us, well, you were warned, weren‘t you?
A digital copy of this novel was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for this review.