When I look at my Amazon page for The Code Hunters and see one book frequently bought by the readers who bought The Code Hunters, I pay attention. One of those books is The Doomsday Testament by James Douglas. I had to read it.
What I found was a decent adventure, with a commonly done premise inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Full disclosure: Readers mention Indiana Jones comparisons to my books as well.) But what I really enjoyed was the writing. It delves into a location and takes you there with rich prose. When the hero of the story finds his beloved grandfather at the bottom of steps to the basement, a fall that happened several days earlier, his description of the scene and of his grandfather’s contorted body were excellent.
Douglas’ hero is an art expert named Jamie Saintclair. (His grandfather was named Sinclair. It’s a twist that makes Jamie’s departed mother more interesting. So, we have a hero who is hardly a superman, but more of an everyman. That’s a good reason for the reader to better identify with the man.
Note to my American fans, James Douglas is Scottish and the book uses the conventions of an publisher in the UK. Not to worry. You get used to different spelling and single quote marks quickly. From time to time, it becomes apparent the writer may not be familiar with the US. He has a character with a ma in ‘Pittsburg.’ I believe he means ‘Pittsburgh.’
Bottom line: If you want a very well written adventure book, The Doomsday Testament is for you.
