Author Description
The scientific charge of The Hot Zone and the epic thrill of Jurassic Park converge in Minutes to Burn -- an exhilarating new eco-thriller about a team of scientists and Navy SEALs stranded on an island in the Galápagos and fighting to survive an evolutionary catastrophe.The year is 2007. Through widening holes of ozone depletion, the tropical sun burns human skin to a crisp. Powerful earthquakes and monstrous hurricanes wrack South America, exploding Ecuador's already anarchic instability.Cameron Kates, a hard-hitting Navy SEAL hiding the secret of her early pregnancy, gets pulled begrudgingly into a mission with her husband, Justin. Along with a ragtag squad of soldiers, ordered on the babysitting mission against their will, she must escort Dr. Rex Williams, a renowned ecotectonicist, to the chaotic continent. Rex is forced to brave the extreme and unprecedented dangers of such an expedition for one reason alone -- so he can position critical seismic equipment on Sangre de Dios, a desolate and depopulated island in Galápagos. Others have recently vanished from the island without a trace.Cameron's platoonmates -- a crackpot demolition expert, a chief who wears her brawn over her considerable intelligence, an unhinged lieutenant recovering from a personal tragedy -- are an erratic but expert crew. Yet ultimately it is the newcomer, William Savage, a brooding Vietnam vet with raging warrior instincts, from whom Cameron must learn when the straightforward mission escalates into a battle for survival.In the forest of the island awaits a scientific phenomenon the likes of which man has never witnessed. As the stunned scientists and soldiers furiously unravel the threads of the ecological mystery they've encountered, they discover that they're trapped within a lethal, predatory battle where only the fittest survive. And the fate of the world is hanging in the balance.A riveting and spine-tingling thriller, Minutes to Burn takes you on a terrifying, unforgettable expediti
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
A routine scientific expedition to a remote island in the Galápagos transforms into a desperate struggle for survival against an unprecedented evolutionary threat.
Cameron Kates, a Navy SEAL concealing a pregnancy, joins a team tasked with escorting ecotectonicist Dr. Rex Williams to the island of Sangre de Dios. The mission, intended to be a simple equipment installation, is complicated by the volatile personalities of her squad and the presence of a mysterious Vietnam veteran named William Savage. As the group encounters a lethal biological phenomenon, they must navigate the island's treacherous terrain and the predatory forces that threaten to eliminate them. The narrative follows the team as they attempt to decipher the ecological mystery while facing physical and psychological exhaustion.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- High-stakes survival scenario in an isolated, hostile environment
- Ensemble cast featuring military personnel and scientific experts
- Integration of environmental themes and evolutionary biology
- Focus on tactical combat and team dynamics under pressure
- Exploration of hidden personal secrets amidst professional duties
- Pacing driven by escalating external threats and environmental instability
- Contrast between scientific inquiry and raw survival instincts
- Atmospheric tension built through the isolation of the Galápagos setting
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers frequently highlight the fast-paced nature of the narrative and the author's ability to maintain tension throughout the survival sequences. Discussion often centers on the blend of military procedural elements with speculative biological threats, which creates a distinct atmosphere for the reader. Critics note that the character dynamics within the squad provide a necessary anchor for the more extreme scientific plot points. Many readers appreciate the focus on the physical constraints of the island environment as a primary antagonist. The book is generally regarded as a representative example of the eco-thriller genre, emphasizing action and environmental stakes.
Page Count:
414
Publication Date:
2001-07-24
ISBN-10:
0060010517
ISBN-13:
9780060010515
Science Fiction
Adventure
Thriller
Science Fiction
Eco-Thriller
Military
Survival