"Hell's Gate: Nazis in the Amazon and (redacted)" Topic

Just finished a new novel, Hell's Gate by Bill Schutt and J.R. Finch. Set during the latter days of World War II, it is a mix of Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. There are no dinosaurs, but there is another prehistoric animal which is one of the more interesting monsters I've seen in literature for a long time. I don't want to give it away, but if you google the co-author Bill Schutt, you will be able to guess the creature.

I'm planning a full review on my blog, but my feelings about the novel are mixed. The first half of the novel is pretty good, but the second half is a mess, with the central character and the monsters taking a backseat to a crazy plot straight out of an early James Bond film. Imagine if you took the first half of Jaws and then swiped the rest of the movie with the second half of The Spy Who Loved Me, then ended with Jaws showing up at the very end to remind you that, oh yeah, this is a killer shark movie. That's Hell's Gate.

Not sure this is a buy, but maybe a checkout from the local library if you are in the mood for Nazis, monsters, and jungle adventure. There were things I liked about the novel – I just wished the authors realized their central monsters where interesting enough to sustain the plot. Frankly, the Nazis weren't needed. But there is enough I like to suggest you at least give the book a try if you are looking for some light summer reading.

Man writes novella.

Someone says "this is too short to sell as a full book".

Man writes more stuff and buys a shoe horn.

Thanks for the heads up!

John T