Victor Emriche decides to take a cruise of the southeastern Fiji Island for a fantastic price. But what he'll find on that journey will be the tale of a lifetime!

The story Victor narrates begins with some unexpected, out-of-control weather and an ignorant, mutinous group of passengers whose rebellion produces disastrous results. For now the adventurous travelers are marooned on one of those islands. Instead of banding together, they violently argue and wind up separating. Victor is then left alone, the others naively believing he'd hold up the rest!

But Victor is far from helpless. He meets an able, feisty woman, Jenny Pierce. Later they are joined by Hugo Blockman, an aerospace executive. Both possess the skills and knowledge, it seems, to form a perfect surviving trio!

Slowly but surely, they find a fully supplied residence that is eventually recognized as a place from an early battle or one now a hiding place for smugglers. There are limits to anything, though, and their supplies are sought by those who earlier abandoned Victor.

Squabbles turn ugly. A strange near-death experience reveals the purpose of living. Psychic warnings and encouragement temper flaring emotions and illogical reasoning. An ancient tale of creating a Tulpa or sin-eater, according to Tibetan mysticism, is told in between making their base camp a fortified, defensive site with secret traps and more! Can one create a Tulpa without realizing it? What would such a being do in this situation and why?

How many will survive? How does one explain the number of people exceeding the original passenger list? Why do several stories told by some of the characters simply not pan out after discovery in the post-survival period? Where do reality and the supernatural blend and separate?

This is Robert Bonson's best novel yet! Highly credible characters confound, annoy, and please each other and the reader. The mysterious plot gets increasingly tense with time and the rapid turning of pages. Intrigue and trust in these solid characters will fascinate the reader to the very last page! What's more - you will find yourself thinking about what it really takes to survive a reality show that's more than just an evening's entertainment!

Congratulations, Robert Bonson! You've done it again, bigger and better yet!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal - April 11, 2006

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