Bill Porter's life took a real downturn after his tour of duty as a pilot in Vietnam. Marriage and a child gave meaning to his life, until he lost his wife to cancer, and custody of his daughter to his wife's sister after he resorted to alcoholism...

Treasure Hunt

Reviewed by Annie Haws © 2007

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2007

Title of Book: Treasure Hunt
Author: J.H. Bogran
Publisher: Chippewa Publishing
ISBN Number: 1-933400-16-1
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Rating: Strong Content
Length: Novel
Release Date: September 2oo6
Author's Website: J.H. Bogran's website

Bill Porter's life took a real downturn after his tour of duty as a pilot in Vietnam. Marriage and a child gave meaning to his life, until he lost his wife to cancer, and custody of his daughter to his wife's sister after he resorted to alcoholism. He also lost his pilot's license and job. Now he has focused on a daring but criminal exploit: to hijack a jet bound from Dallas to Miami and demand $5 million ransom. He doesn't intend to keep the plane, but instead to let it land in Miami. When he successfully collects the money, he plans to abduct daughter Jamie and head for his late wife's homeland, in a Central American mountain range between Honduras and Nicaragua.

Bill manages to escape Miami Airport with an unplanned $8, but his luck still runs bad. His Central American partner betrays him to the authorities in order to find Bill's funds, and Bill must turn himself in to the American Embassy to save his life. A twenty-year prison stretch goes poorly, and he turns to cellmate Jack Davis with the story of his funds, and his daughter. When Davis is released, he determines to find the money, and to kidnap daughter Jamie. Meanwhile, Bill contacts, via the Internet, an anonymous master thief known only as the Falcon, to find his funds.

J. H. Bogran's debut novel Treasure Hunt is one of the fastest-paced thrillers this reviewer can remember reading. It is a literal page-turner, an unstoppable plot that speeds the reader through like riding a freight train. Characters who elicit the reader's sympathy, including the "villain," deepen the story. The plot convolutions keep the interest level piqued. Treasure Hunt earns its place on the reader's Keeper Shelf just for the sheer pleasure of rereading it.

Rating: 5 cats

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To find out more about how to purchase Treasure Hunt visit J.H. Bogran's website.