Eclipse of the Jaguar

By: Richard Trout
Publisher: Pelican Publishing
Publication Date: September 2011
ISBN: 978-1-5898-0872-0
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: October 22, 2011 

The MacGregor Family Adventure Series has been a favorite among readers - and this new title just makes it even more fun, entertaining and unforgettable.

This time, the MacGregor family is in the rain forest of Belize. Here, in the Mayan world back in 695 A.D., there were sacrifices made to Jaguar Paw - one of the most powerful ancient gods in all of Mayan lore. One story, however, tells of a young drummer boy and a young woman who was the daughter of a loyal servant of Jaguar Paw. During a ritual, these two got together and escaped, running through the woods and leaving their Mayan friends behind - friends who eventually met their deaths. With their would-be ‘killers’ now gone, this young duo was finally given the chance of having a life without the fear of any gods.

In present-day, Ryan MacGregor is facing his own jaguar - a cat who most certainly doesn’t want anything to do with the young man whose chasing him. Ryan’s older brother, Chris, shakes his head and rolls his eyes, trying to explain to his younger sibling that crossing paths with a jaguar Mom is not the smartest thing to do. Their sister, Heather, and Chris’s girlfriend, Natalie, are sitting in that Mayan jungle, exploring various aspects of the ancient mystical world left behind. They’re having a great deal of fun until…the adventure begins.

Looters are appearing all over the ancient landscape, searching temples, trying their best to discover…something. While out in the Caribbean, there is a yacht floating, with a man by the name of Mr. Frost aboard. Frost is not just a rich man on a vacation, this is someone who is employing the looters to find him the tomb of an ancient Mayan King - an archaeological mission that could bring Frost power and bring darkness back to the world. But Frost has other secrets - physical and mental - that make him far more dangerous than any archaeological thief, and the MacGregor’s will be the first to learn that Frost is not all he seems to be. Add to this Navy Seals, an eclipse, and detectives who are trying to figure this whole mystery out, and you have yet another MacGregor adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This beloved series is very much Indiana Jones meets The Mummy (with a little National Treasure thrown in for color). Each member of the family bring their own skills, gifts, and talents to every world they enter, and readers are always rewarded with a fast-paced, extremely fun time!

Quill Says: Hopefully the MacGregor Family will continue on their adventures far into the future! Pure entertainment that should be on the big screen!