The Lost Island: A Gideon Crew Novel    by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2014 (2014) Hardcover, CD, e-Book    Reviewed by Bob Walch At the outset I must say that I was looking forward to reading this book and following the next adventure of Gideon Crew. The indomitable master thief and sometimes scientist is given a task by the mysterious Eli Glinn that will take him to an island off the coast of South America where he will encounter an unbelievable creature. Accompanying Gideon on this mind boggling outing is Amy Amiko, a woman as well versed in the Greek classics as she is proficient with a variety of weapons. At the heart of this journey is an ancient map that will take this duo to the location where they will find a special elixir called remedium which has amazing healing properties. You won't get too far into this novel before you realize that this quest is closely linked to the homeward journey of Odysseus and his ordeal at the hands of the Cyclops. Although the thriller begins well, it quickly descends into a scenario that really defies belief. I was tempted to set the book aside but was curious how this ridiculous story was going to end so I muddled on through to the lackluster conclusion. Needless to say, I was disappointed in this Crew caper and will think twice before I waste time reading another one. Fiction of this nature demands that the reader play the game and not require a plot that is totally plausible. That is all well and good but The Lost Island asks too much. Not only is this total malarkey, but I think the authors owe Homer an apology for bastardizing his epic poem. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews