Rare Earth by Davis Bunn

Marc Royce has worked for the State Department on a variety of clandestine assignments, most recently in Iraq. Now he is called on to investigate suspicious activities in the Horn of Africa, a region already in turmoil from decades of violence, corruption, and poverty.

Dropped into the squalor of the refugee camps, Marc confronts a stranglehold of deceit and oppression. Women and children are ravaged by hunger. Aid workers are overstretched. Government officials prevaricate. The presence of armed military contractors adds to the menace. Can anyone be trusted?

Marc's true assignment focuses on the area's reserves of scarce metals now vital to high-tech industries. Who is secretly attempting to secure a monopoly on land and mineral rights?

A tenacious Israeli medical administrator named Kitra, suffering losses of her own, reluctantly seeks Marc's help with her humanitarian efforts. Their shared faith overcomes mutual suspicions. Together, they try to forge a groundbreaking partnership between impoverished African villages and an innovative research compound near Tel Aviv.

But a shadowy group of adversaries--with agendas fueled by greed and revenge--conspires to stop them at any cost.

I've become a part of the group of "influencers" for this new book coming out July 1st by Davis Bunn.  I received this book from the publisher in hopes that I would shout about it to all of my friends and would review it on my blog.  Well, will they ever be surprised to find out that I would have done all of that even if they hadn't sent the book to me for free :)

This is the second book in the "Lion of Babylon" series that is featuring Marc Royce as the main character.  Having just saved the world in Iraq, Marc has now been asked to head over to Africa where a long dormant volcano has now erupted causing chaos in all of the surrounding lands.  Marc flies into the area that is suffering from a food and supply shortage, not only because there aren't any, but because there aren't enough guards to keep it from being a riot.  Marc's real reason for being there, though, is to find the missing brother of one of the aid workers.  This leads to uncovering a widespread conspiracy by different national groups, as well as the very mercenaries that were contracted to keep this from happening.  Can Marc come in a help out a nation that has suffered so much?  Can he find Kitra's brother in time?  HA!  Read the book!

I have enjoyed reading several of Davis Bunn's books, (especially "Elixir" as it is partially set her in North Florida where I live) and knew right away this would be another home run winner for me.  Mr. Bunn has written a character in Marc Royce that embodies the kind of man that I would like to be, the kind that I would like my son to be.  Marc is not only a special forces guru, but he is a thinker as well.  When I first "met" Marc in "Lion of Babylon", he not only was a physical force to reckon with, but he was also one who was well versed in other cultures.  These two books have introduced us to the Christian version of Indiana Jones, and I hope that we get to see more of this fine role model.

Is this a "man's book"?  You'd better believe it!  This has volcanoes exploding, beating up bullies, mercenaries and more.  This book and the first in the series are books that as I was reading them both I could just imagine a movie being made about them.  I sure hope they do, we need some great Christian role-models in the movies!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reviewers, readers and friends use those phrases to describe Davis Bunn. An internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in sixteen languages, Davis is equal parts writer, scholar, teacher, and sportsman.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Davis left for Europe at age twenty. There he first completed graduate studies in economics and finance, then began a business career that took him to over forty countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Davis came to faith at age 28, while living in Germany and running an international business advisory group. He started writing two weeks later. Since that moment, writing has remained both a passion and a calling.

Davis wrote for nine years and completed seven books before his first was accepted for publication. During that time, he continued to work full-time in his business career, travelling to two and sometimes three countries every week. His first published book, The Presence, was released in 1990 and became a national bestseller.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Warning, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm going to give away my copy of this great book, so please leave some comments so you can be entered into the drawing!  You never know, Mr. Bunn may read these comments himself :)