Book Blurb:
“In Vengeance of the Vanished Ones, don’t miss this trip into Baja where mining interests and the need to preserve sacred rock paintings clash violently. Move over, Indiana Jones!” –Warren C. Easley, author of the Cal Claxton Mysteries
Discovering the meaning of the mysterious, ancient rock art of Baja has obsessed archaeologist Marcos Andersson for decades. While investigating the macabre death of Davis Pearce on site, Marcos suspects it's connected to the rock art, but before he can prove it, he gets dragged into the spirit world where Davis languishes. He happens to meet psychiatrist-psychic Susan Cohen who guides Marcos to some understanding of the art as they explore more sites, pile up deaths, encounter vengeful spirits, and fall in love. It's complicated by local schemes to profit off the mineral deposits accompanying the rock art sites and the secrets both Marcos and Susan keep from each other.
Vengeance of the Vanished Ones, Book One, is a fictional action-adventure based on an existing archaeological mystery and real archaeologists. Lee Orlich Bertram leaves readers begging for Book Two as Marcos struggles at every twist and turn to find the meaning of the rock art and his life.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/Btvce
Author Bio:
American novelist and poet Lee Orlich Bertram hails originally from Los Angeles coming from a family with deep roots in the former Yugoslavia and Germany. She currently makes her home on the beautiful Palouse in Moscow, Idaho. Lee earned her BA, MA, and PhD from the University of California, Irvine and her JD from the University of Idaho.
Lee began her professional life originally in K-12 education, holding positions from teacher to superintendent of schools. She moved to Idaho to attend law school and set up her law practice in the states of Idaho and Washington. She still practices law while writing and for the last several years has taught business law and the law of international trade at Washington State University.
Since her earliest years, Lee has been a prolific writer. Encouraged by her family, who nurtured her flair for the dramatic, she developed a large collection of poems, short stories, and the beginnings of novels. Her debut book of poems, "Insistence, Persistence, and Resistance", released in June 2024, reflects the impact of people and events on her life loaded with deep emotion and personal details. Best-selling author, Mary Ellen Bramwell, has described the work as "A lyrical feast for the mind and heart." Lee's first novel in a new series, "Vengeance of the Vanished Ones -- Book One", is due for release in November 2024. This novel is an action-packed, archaeological mystery designed to keep readers engaged, surprised, and wondering what comes next.
When Lee is not writing or practicing law, she enjoys playing piano, sitting on boards of directors, reading, cooking, and studying archaeology and Egyptology, a lifelong pursuit. She is well-traveled, multilingual, and enjoys the beauty of the Palouse region with her husband of many years, Dr. Jack Hill, and their fur and feather children.
Editorial Review:
Central America and Mexico have always intrigued this reviewer. For those with a similar interest – either actual or yet to be realized – the pages of “Vengeance of the Vanished Ones” by Lee Orlich Bertram beckon. Dr Marcos Andersson is an archaeologist, and, on the surface, appears to be studying ancient Maya ruins in Guatemala with his guide, Oscar Williams. In reality, Marcos has been shoulder tapped by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to assist with disabling a local airfield that is a hub for running contraband and connected with the drugs trade. But these plans are derailed when the two men are arrested by guerrillas, and imprisoned.
“In a ramshackle, Army transport DC-3 miles above the magnificent, Guatemalan rainforest, the idea dawned on archaeologist Dr. Marcos Andersson—he should not equate looking with seeing. Immersed in thoughts about the enigmatic meaning of the mysterious, ancient cave paintings of Baja California, he craned his neck to peer through a bulged window at the landscape below. He softly grumbled, “Oh, what the hell.” The meaning had eluded him for over two decades. Perhaps Baja would reveal yet new answers this time when Marcos concluded his business in Guatemala. Sitting back, he was fairly bolstered by the thought in a few more days he would rejoin Susan there.”
The action-packed plot takes off quickly, merging exotic destinations with hints of Marcos’s life in the United States of America. There are also suspense and supernatural elements to the storyline, with a mysterious voicemail message and the unexpected death of a friend leading Marcos to investigate further. This modern day tragedy propels Marcos to visit Baja California, Mexico, where he realizes that his acquaintance Susan has secrets of her own. She has psychic abilities, adding a further spiritual dimension to the storyline.
““The term atlatl is derived from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. However, it’s a term universally applied to these types of throwing sticks. I read in a diary from one of the Spanish missionaries that the natives here had used them, which bears out these pictographic representations. However, I have yet to discover or see any physical, archaeological evidence of their existence here in Baja, other than the pictographs. It’s my dream to dig one up for scientific closure, but so far, I’ve only found projectile points of the appropriate size normally used as tips for atlatl darts, the points being larger than arrowheads and smaller than spear points.””
Bertram has written a story with many different facets. Marcos is a widower; Susan piques his interest but he struggles to move on from the death of his wife. The wonder of archaeology is a constant in the narrative, with historical facts and discoveries referenced throughout. The author’s love for the area shines, particularly when describing the sounds of the jungle, the towns of Baja California, and the Sea of Cortez.
There is a strong emphasis on ancient customs within the plot – Susan’s reflection on these, and on other spiritual concepts, tests Marcos who prefers hard archaeological data. Although the book is set in the present day, the characters are delving into ancient history, discussing it, and studying it (including, in particular, cave art). Away from the focus on history, there are graphic references to a dead body, and the way it is treated by Marcos and Susan may be confronting for some readers.
The first few chapters of the book could arguably be structured differently, where the immediacy of action scenes give way to a description of earlier events which then create the main storyline. But overall this is a fascinating and detailed read, and any structural issues are smoothed out quickly as the central mystery of the narrative develops.
“At last, he found the carretera heading north. Mile after mile, they ground sluggishly through the desert, passing the occasional cardόn or stand cacti with pitaya fruit. The fruit from those stalky cacti had provided sustenance to the aboriginals. Some isolated ranches existed in the area, and scrawny cattle grazed with chollas stuck to their noses. At an old well, they stopped to sip some of its cool, refreshing water from the depths of the earth. They wet their bandanas and wound them back around their necks.”
“Vengeance of the Vanished Ones” by Lee Orlich Bertram is an absorbing and unexpected journey into the history of Central America and Mexico, including the Maya civilization, spiritual caves, and spellbinding rock art. Those who have visited or want to visit the region will enjoy the author’s descriptive language and the many locations that Marcos and Susan visit. The inclusion of ancient customs and archaeology makes this modern day mystery a trip into the past.
*****
“Vengeance of the Vanished Ones” by Lee Orlich Bertram receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
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