#BookReview Hell's Gate by Bill Schutt

Hell's Gate by Bill Schutt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When a Japanese submarine is discovered abandoned deep in the Brazilian wilderness, a smart, adventurous, and tough zoologist must derail a catastrophic plot in Hell’s Gate.

1944. As war rages in Europe and the Pacific, Army Intel makes a shocking discovery: a 300-foot Japanese sub marooned and empty, deep in the Brazilian interior. A team of Army Rangers sent to investigate has already gone missing. Now, the military sends Captain R. J. MacCready, a quick-witted, brilliant scientific jack-of-all-trades to learn why the Japanese are there—and what they’re planning.

Parachuting deep into the heart of Central Brazil, one of the most remote regions on the planet, Mac is unexpectedly reunited with his hometown friend and fellow scientist Bob Thorne. A botanist presumed dead for years, Thorne lives peacefully with Yanni, an indigenous woman who possesses mysterious and invaluable skills. Their wisdom and expertise are nothing short of lifesaving for Mac as he sets out on a trail into the unknown.

Mac makes the arduous trek into an ancient, fog-shrouded valley hidden beneath a 2000-foot plateau, where he learns of a diabolical Axis plot to destroy the United States and its allies. But the enemy isn’t the only danger in this treacherous jungle paradise. Silently creeping from the forest, an even darker force is on the prowl, attacking at night and targeting both man and beast. Mac has to uncover the source of this emerging biological crisis and foil the enemy’s plans . . . but will he be in time to save humanity from itself?

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After I discovered that The Himalayan Codex was the sequel to this book could I hardly wait to find time to read the first book. Luckily, my audiobook service had this book so I could start listening to this (yes I had an ARC too, but it's so nice to be able to listen to a book and do other things at the same time). However, now I'm glad that I read The Himalayan Codex before this one because I would never have been interested in The Himalayan Codex after finishing Hell's Gate.

This is a typical night and day thing. I have been through it before, one book charms the pants off me, and the next one is meh. This book lacked the thrilling mystery in The Himalayan Codex, and to be perfectly honest couldn't I want for the book to be finished. I did like getting the full background to events mentioned in The Himalayan Codex, but the story in this book was just plain boring. I actually had to turn to my ebook towards the end of the book to read the ending since I kept zoning out while listening to this book.

Would I read the third book in this series if there will be one? Yes, I would, just because this story didn't appeal to me can't I deny that I enjoyed the second book and I would love to see what's next for Mac and the rest.