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Riddle of the Sands (Fathom's Five #2)

by Geoffrey Knight (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 150 ratings · 37 reviews

The clock is ticking Blackmailed by Jake's nemesis - the vengeful Pierre Perron - Professor Fathom's team of five horny gay adventurers is sent on a seemingly impossible mission to uncover the legendary Riddle of the Sands in order to save one of their own from a rare and deadly poison. But what is the Riddle of the Sands? Where are the long-lost clues and hidden maps that...more

ebook, 183 pages

Published September 17th 2009 by Cleis Press

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Jul 28, 2011 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, action-crime-suspense

I don't think there's something quite like this in m/m books. This series is so full of action, it makes your head spin. The writing might seem clipped sometimes, but it's the way of the author to render what's happening as if it were on the silver screen. It's really like watching a movie and everything is amplified and a little bit over the top. There's never a dull moment and it's enjoyable and exciting.

The five main characters are sexy, smart, sensitive. And hot. There wasn't enough Luca for...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Matthew Lang rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, adventure

If you take this book for what it is--a lighthearted (and hard cocked) romp through not-particularly-factual Egypt (and for those wanting factual accuracy, I would posit that goes out the window with a giant venus flytrap--although, props for a giant venus flytrap), The Riddle of the Sands is a fast paced action movie that bypasses things like "What do crocodiles living in a buried pyramid eat?" and "Shouldn't giant maggots either starve without a food source or grow into giant flies that died w...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Librarian Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, I have to say that I really did think this was a fun, hawt & smexy, lighthearted adventure book, with an imaginative plot and sexy&adorable characters.

I have to say this because during my first conversation with Geoffrey about his books at the Gay Romance Lit retreat in New Orleans, any praise of the book would have sounded like frantic tapdancing to cover for the appalling (and, ok, hopefully amusing) faux pas I made. I saw the descriptions for The Cross of Sins, and thought the...more First, I have to say that I really did think this was a fun, hawt & smexy, lighthearted adventure book, with an imaginative plot and sexy&adorable characters.

I have to say this because during my first conversation with Geoffrey about his books at the Gay Romance Lit retreat in New Orleans, any praise of the book would have sounded like frantic tapdancing to cover for the appalling (and, ok, hopefully amusing) faux pas I made. I saw the descriptions for The Cross of Sins, and thought the "Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code" reference reminded me of a book I had given to a friend going on a gay cruise to the Greek Islands. I was looking for the perfect "beach read/boy bait" book to leave on his lounge chair when he went to get a drink or something, and this seemed perfect...

I had pulled it from the LGBT Center library I volunteer with, and the hawt picture on the front, plus the "Eat your heart out, 007, these boys get their men in more ways than one!" in the upper left corner of the cover looked promising, but the promo blurb on the back (superimposed over a closer picture of the cover boy's six-pack) sealed the deal. It wasn't actually the book description (which is available next to the cover picture here on GoodReads) but a reviewer's comments, in a larger font, in gold, that made me think this might be a good signal to a potential hottie hook-up that my friend was reading something fun & sexy. "Take a blind Indiana Jones with a gang of young and horny homo sidekicks, mix in a dash of the Mummy's muscles, add a brace of loathsome (but sometimes sexy) evildoers, and swoosh the daredevil action from a desolate Siberian prison to steamy South American rain forests to hot Egyptian desert sands. That's the erotic essence of Knight's high octane, thrill-a-page romp, a rousing, arousing adventure for queer boys-at-heart men."

Seriously? "young & horny homo sidekicks"?

It sounded delightfully fun and a bit cheesy - perfect for a Gay Greek Cruise! And it totally got the desired results for my friend (or so he said) and he said he read most of it and it was actually pretty good (considering the over-the-top descriptions on the cover). I read it through kind of quickly - and this was over a year ago, and remembered it as fun, with a kind of crazy, improbably international book with something about a sinking pyramid.

Alas, in my efforts to assure Geoffrey that he seemed WAY too cool to write something that was described as a "romp" with "hot and horny homo sidekicks", I said some awful things about this 'book that I kind of remembered', (as in "oh, I'm sure you would NEVER write something that cheesy") and was SOOOO sure it could not have been his book...

Until he pulled a copy from a box under the table and showed me the cover.

Geoffrey was a total gentleman about my red-faced, stammering apology...and later signed a copy for me to take back and give to the guy who was looking for a sexy vacation read. Now that I think about it, the whole thing was his fault. Yep. His fault.(less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Jimmy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of M/M Erotica & Adventure

Recommended to Jimmy by: InsightOutBookClub.com

Shelves: ebook, gay-erotica

I really liked this book! It was fun, adventurous, with lots of action and danger, and just the right amount of erotica without taking away from the story. I’m looking forward to reading the first book, ‘Fathom’s Five’ and the following books in this series. This is a great fast-read book that was a lot of fun.
With a unique combination of hunky men, Professor Fathom’s group of skilled and clever adventurers are forced into a situation that will bring them together from around the world to the s...more

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May 04, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes? And worms and maggots and crocodiles, oh my! But wait, there’s more! No, let me just put it this way: when you enter the The Riddle of the Sands, just prepare yourself for a non-stop, action packed, danger-filled thrill ride of a story that will propel you through time, introduce you to some truly frightening creatures, send you travelling over several continents, and entertain you with a faction of felonious offenders as Professor Maximilian Fathom’s five sup...more Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes? And worms and maggots and crocodiles, oh my! But wait, there’s more! No, let me just put it this way: when you enter the The Riddle of the Sands, just prepare yourself for a non-stop, action packed, danger-filled thrill ride of a story that will propel you through time, introduce you to some truly frightening creatures, send you travelling over several continents, and entertain you with a faction of felonious offenders as Professor Maximilian Fathom’s five super-heroic, super-sexy treasure hunters take you back in history to ancient Egypt and a secret long buried, a son’s secret that a father had once tried to erase from history, but one that could not be buried because love always finds a way to endure.

At the end of The Cross of Sins, Jake Stone’s nemesis, Pierre Perron, instigated a sinister plan to blackmail Jake into do his bidding; a plan that endangers the life of someone Jake cares for very much, a plan that sends the men on a race against the clock in an effort to avoid tragedy. The manipulation is central to this installment of the Fathom’s Five saga, jetting the men to the continents of Africa and South America in search of ancient treasure and a rare flower found only in the Amazon Rain Forest; both journeys mean to accomplish a singular purpose—saving a life. It is an epic quest that will uncover a hidden tomb and a forbidden love in the deserts of Egypt, a tragic story, over four-thousand years old, which must be revealed to the world to honor one man’s sacrifice to spend eternity with the man he loved.

Alfred Hitchcock once said that a good story was like life, with the dull parts taken out—let me tell you, point blank, there is nothing dull about these books, but the life in them is the beauty of the Fathom’s Five series. While these characters participate in some very uncommon adventures and their lives would never be described as anything approaching the mundane, the journeys are led by a group of men who are entirely relatable, men who are courageous and strong, but who don’t win every battle they fight. I said before that they’re super-heroic, but they are not infallible. Their challenges and successes come from the fact that they fight for a noble purpose, for the right to be heard and accepted for who they are. They care for and protect one another; they’re intelligent and capable, and they share a life together that bonds them and makes them family. Their adventures bring the reader along to the very brink, then pull us from the edge of the cliff just in time, and oh, my poor, overburdened heart! The plots are presented in a dynamic and expressive way—the prose is rich in detail, the stories rife with intrigue, action, and conflict; that, along with the readers own imagination can make these books come alive and play like a movie in the mind.

The storylines have been layered together in a way that keeps me turning pages in search of clues and answers. The opening of The Riddle of the Sands finds the Professor, Shane, and a newly introduced character, Daniel West, in a prison in the frozen wastelands of Siberia where they not only encounter one of the most prolific serial killers in history, but also meet a man who is in search of treasure, a character I’m hoping to see more of in the series very soon—I think he has a tale that needs to be told.

Top2BottomReviews (less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Jennifer Lavoie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, crime, gay, historical, person-library, lgbt, mystery

I usually like to read series in order, however when I bought this book I didn't know it was the second in a series. I also couldn't find the first book in a bookstore, and rather than wait to order the first, I figured I would just read it anyway.

Though there are a lot of characters that are likely introduced and discussed in the first book, after a few chapters I didn't have a hard time distinguishing one from the other.

I thought the action was fast-paced and thrilling. I found myself often...more I usually like to read series in order, however when I bought this book I didn't know it was the second in a series. I also couldn't find the first book in a bookstore, and rather than wait to order the first, I figured I would just read it anyway.

Though there are a lot of characters that are likely introduced and discussed in the first book, after a few chapters I didn't have a hard time distinguishing one from the other.

I thought the action was fast-paced and thrilling. I found myself often scanning ahead of myself because I couldn't keep up with the reading at certain points because of how action-packed it was!

Will was an interesting character. I would like to know more about him, but I felt that his past came to light in this book as compared to other characters. Clearly he has a bad relationship with his father that does not seem to be mended despite events in this book.

Luca is an enigma. Who is he searching for? Why?

Shane is interesting and I would like to know more about his background.

Daniel... is he going to be added to Fathom's Five now? Or is he just remaining in the background or disappearing all together?

And Eden was fascinating. He fell for what seemed like an obvious trap to me, which made him a little more human than the others seemed a times.

Finally, Jake and Sammy. What exactly IS their relationship? What, besides being similar, does Jake take Sammy in? And why would Perron target him?

It was interesting, and I wish a little more had been divulged.

The ONLY issue I had with the book was very small but it irked me nevertheless. At one point, Sam and the Professor are locked in a library. Professor takes a book off the shelf - Hemingway - and makes a comment about something Hemingway said at then reverses it to suit his needs before chucking the book at Sam's head.

How the hell did he know it was a Hemingway book he had grabbed if he is blind? I can even accept him hitting Sam in the head over knowing the author of the book. Unless it was in braille or the name was very distinctly written on the side... I don't know. Just one little thing but it stuck with me the entire book. (less)

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Mar 09, 2011 Lady*M rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, m-m-romance

When I bought this book, I realized that I remember practically nothing from the first book, which I read only a few months ago. Now, when I finished this one, the events from it have already started to fade from my memory. Which pretty much sums up what is wrong with these books. They are forgettable.

Oh, the non-stop action holds your attention. But that is exactly the problem - there is no respite from the action and no time for character development. The guys are sexy, adventurous and gay -...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Jason Huffman-black rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, box-set-challenge, apr-mm-challenge, adventure

I love the fast paced 'Indiana Jones' type action of these books. These books are exciting and sexy. A must read! The only error I found was that the alligators in Egypt turned into crocodiles in the next chapter. :)

Actually, I am changing my rating because as the author pointed out, there are alligators in the amazon and crocs in the Nile and I believe I got them mixed up. This book was worth a 5 star. :)

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May 04, 2011 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes? And worms and maggots and crocodiles, oh my! But wait, there’s more! No, let me just put it this way: when you enter the The Riddle of the Sands, just prepare yourself for a non-stop, action packed, danger-filled thrill ride of a story that will propel you through time, introduce you to some truly frightening creatures, send you travelling over several continents, and entertain you with a faction of felonious offenders as Professor Maximilian Fathom’s five sup...more Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes? And worms and maggots and crocodiles, oh my! But wait, there’s more! No, let me just put it this way: when you enter the The Riddle of the Sands, just prepare yourself for a non-stop, action packed, danger-filled thrill ride of a story that will propel you through time, introduce you to some truly frightening creatures, send you travelling over several continents, and entertain you with a faction of felonious offenders as Professor Maximilian Fathom’s five super-heroic, super-sexy treasure hunters take you back in history to ancient Egypt and a secret long buried, a son’s secret that a father had once tried to erase from history, but one that could not be buried because love always finds a way to endure.

At the end of The Cross of Sins, Jake Stone’s nemesis, Pierre Perron, instigated a sinister plan to blackmail Jake into do his bidding; a plan that endangers the life of someone Jake cares for very much, a plan that sends the men on a race against the clock in an effort to avoid tragedy. The manipulation is central to this installment of the Fathom’s Five saga, jetting the men to the continents of Africa and South America in search of ancient treasure and a rare flower found only in the Amazon Rain Forest; both journeys mean to accomplish a singular purpose—saving a life. It is an epic quest that will uncover a hidden tomb and a forbidden love in the deserts of Egypt, a tragic story, over four-thousand years old, which must be revealed to the world to honor one man’s sacrifice to spend eternity with the man he loved.

Alfred Hitchcock once said that a good story was like life, with the dull parts taken out—let me tell you, point blank, there is nothing dull about these books, but the life in them is the beauty of the Fathom’s Five series. While these characters participate in some very uncommon adventures and their lives would never be described as anything approaching the mundane, the journeys are led by a group of men who are entirely relatable, men who are courageous and strong, but who don’t win every battle they fight. I said before that they’re super-heroic, but they are not infallible. Their challenges and successes come from the fact that they fight for a noble purpose, for the right to be heard and accepted for who they are. They care for and protect one another; they’re intelligent and capable, and they share a life together that bonds them and makes them family. Their adventures bring the reader along to the very brink, then pull us from the edge of the cliff just in time, and oh, my poor, overburdened heart! The plots are presented in a dynamic and expressive way—the prose is rich in detail, the stories rife with intrigue, action, and conflict; that, along with the readers own imagination can make these books come alive and play like a movie in the mind.

The storylines have been layered together in a way that keeps me turning pages in search of clues and answers. The opening of The Riddle of the Sands finds the Professor, Shane, and a newly introduced character, Daniel West, in a prison in the frozen wastelands of Siberia where they not only encounter one of the most prolific serial killers in history, but also meet a man who is in search of treasure, a character I’m hoping to see more of in the series very soon—I think he has a tale that needs to be told.

Reviewed By: Lisa(less)

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Nov 29, 2009 Jeff Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 04, 2010 Shell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Geoffrey Knight's second book in the Fathom's Five Series, Riddle in the Sand, is in my opinion, even better than the first. If I could have rated this book higher than a five, I would have!

Once again the five heroes embark on a exhilarating, sometimes down right scandalous, couldn't put down, page turning adventure! This time, the five are in search of a lost pyramid that hasn't been seen in centuries and the clock is ticking! They have five days to locate the lost pyramid or Sammy, a 18 year o...more

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Jan 17, 2010 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unfortunately, this is a very misleading summary. Riddle of the Sands is actually a sequel, which is essential to knowing and understanding the characters and dynamics of this book, but nowhere is that actually stated. You MUST read the previous book to gain an understanding of the large cast and their purpose. I haven’t read the previous book unfortunately due to the misleading and erroneous blurb which doesn’t state anywhere this is actually a sequel and thus my enjoyment is proportionally les...more Unfortunately, this is a very misleading summary. Riddle of the Sands is actually a sequel, which is essential to knowing and understanding the characters and dynamics of this book, but nowhere is that actually stated. You MUST read the previous book to gain an understanding of the large cast and their purpose. I haven’t read the previous book unfortunately due to the misleading and erroneous blurb which doesn’t state anywhere this is actually a sequel and thus my enjoyment is proportionally less than perhaps others who might have read the first book. However, even so, for those looking for an empty but action filled story this might suit.

The book opens with a “professor” and Shane going to a Russian prison to talk to a prisoner about some mysterious key. While they are there, a dramatic and explosive prison break occurs and the heroes are running for their lives. From there, that thread is completely dropped because some guy named Jake has a friend who’s just been hit with a poison dart and to get the antidote, a bunch of men must come together and find a hidden pyramid that no one believes actually exists. Along the way are improbable and highly entertaining antics and some hot sex.

Sound ridiculous? It pretty much is but at the same time it still manages to be easy to read, fast, and engaging. The action starts from the beginning and simply doesn’t stop as more characters are introduced, shuffled around, and given more action. Globe trotting, this large cast is on the ultimate search for a hidden pyramid of an ignored gay son of an ancient priest but along the way there are the evil type henchmen, museum raiding, pits of snakes, mummified bodies, and rampant naked sex. The back of the book proclaims “HOT GAY TOMB RAIDERS” and certainly does its best to deliver on that premise. The plot takes the non-stop action of classic adventure movies and adds in a bunch of gorgeous gay men who have seemingly indiscriminate sex while chasing their answers.

While this is enjoyable, it is almost empty and forgettable. Part of the problem is that there is zero characterization. The book starts with action and that is the whole purpose. There is no characterization, no introduction to the various men, no explanation of who these men are, how they relate to each other and several plot points are simply dropped and ignored. Everyone is running around trying to save Sam, but the book never explains who exactly Sam is. Is he Jake’s lover? Adopted son? He seems to be a runaway Jake took in but there is no further explanation. Additionally, there is a rather large number of people in the book with no differentiation on who is more important than others and with no information about how they’re all working together, where they get the money to go globe trotting, if they have lives outside of this, if they have lovers, if they are lovers amongst themselves, and what each does. I’m guessing the story presumes the reader has all this information from the first book. So anyone just picking up this edition won’t get the benefit of knowing the characters and how they fit into a larger scheme.

For those that have read the first book or simply don’t especially care about characterization, the book provides non-stop action and entertainment, mixed with several naked scenes. The men are all gorgeous, gay, and hung like horses so they get naked quite a bit. They also run up against evil henchmen often as well as numerous obstacles from random people. This makes for an entertaining, lightning fast read that feels very movie like with the over the top antics and action. If you can suspend disbelief and just enjoy the ride, it’s a pretty fun and sexy book. There is a sense of repetitive prose and word choice that runs long in some places but the narrative jumps from person to person in a big cast so this keeps the pace moving quickly.

Without the background of knowing who these men are, the book definitely suffers and is ultimately forgettable. However, the entertainment factor is enough that I’ll likely read the first book so I can continue with the series. If the first book doesn’t offer any characterization, this is not a series I’d continue. It’s too chaotic and frantic without additional information. For those that have read the first book and are looking for a purely action filled thrill, definitely pick this up. Everyone else should start with the first book.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, this was a hot read! I loved every second of it, but did not know it was a second book until I saw it listed for a giveaway. Now I will be buying the first! I did notice another one out but I thought it was the second. Just shows I am not doing enough research! I loved the characters, their love for one another and the riddle they had to solve to save one of their own. They are willing to do anything to save their friend, even risk death themselves. I read this in one night because I just c...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Hector Himeros rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, this novel sounds like gay Indiana Jones. Other than being gay, this novel features several main gay characters. The plot is nice, full of actions, although - like all other action stories, it's predictable (good guys win, bad guys lose).

The sex is nice but I wish it had been longer :) I read somewhere online (the author's blog I think) that someone wrote like "Finally, porn story with plot". While I agree the plot part, I don't agree with the porn part coz it's simply not erotic enoug...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Mickie Ashling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read The Riddle of the Sands before I discovered it was book two in a series. I don't think I missed out on anything crucial since this was easy to follow, and nothing was inexplicable, although a lot of it was unbelievable:) However, I did enjoy it! It was a roller coaster ride that was part Indiana Jones and part Fear Factor. The creepy crawlies were grotesque, but I have to admit I was sucked right into the moment, and couldn't stop reading even if I was grimacing the entire time. I enjoyed...more

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Aug 15, 2010 ElaineY rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm, sequel-or-prequel-true

3.5 stars. More of the same, breathless, breakneck-speed action as the first book, Cross of Sins. This time, it's the Indiana Joneses meet The Mummy and National Treasure. If there's any complaint I have about the Fathom Five books is that they read too much like a movie script. This means it doesn't leave any room for time with the characters, to get to know them. They are constantly moving, on the run, in a chase whilst I prefer to stop for awhile, as far as my books are concerned, to get to k...more 3.5 stars. More of the same, breathless, breakneck-speed action as the first book, Cross of Sins. This time, it's the Indiana Joneses meet The Mummy and National Treasure. If there's any complaint I have about the Fathom Five books is that they read too much like a movie script. This means it doesn't leave any room for time with the characters, to get to know them. They are constantly moving, on the run, in a chase whilst I prefer to stop for awhile, as far as my books are concerned, to get to know the main characters. I want to look into their heads and hearts but the FF books don't give me that.

While I found RotS is quick read, I did find difficulty following all the action sequences as in they were hard to picture. Or perhaps I'm just lazy and prefer the movie guys to do it for me and all I need to do is sit back with my popcorn. The scenes also switch very quickly from one group of guys doing their thing to the other guy/guys doing theirs in another part of the world and while I had no trouble with this, there were a few scenes that pulled me out of the story. Like Eden Santiago when he was trying to escape from his captor, Alexander Thorne and Gael, Thorne's assistant. Eden's hands are tied yet he is able to catch Gael's knife which is thrown in the air by a kick, then throws said knife right in the center of Gael's chest! Even if his hands were tied in front of him (unlikely!), it's still very difficult to catch the knife by the hilt then throw it dead center at your target.

So again, I had to tell myself to approach these books as a movie script where realism is put on hold. If you can do that, you'll enjoy the FF books.

In RotS, we also see the introduction of a new character, Daniel West, foreign correspondent for the London Town Crier, who joins the gang on their quest to locate the Lost Pyramid of Imhotep and who is immediately involved with Shane. We also get a glimpse of Jake's feelings for Sam which, in the first book, was nothing more than a brotherly concern for the young guy. We'll see what happens in the next book because Knight said this romance "becomes very evident in
THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON GOD".(less)

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Apr 21, 2010 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: knight-geoffrey, print, favourite, m-m, keeper

Geoffrey Knight not only did it again with The Riddle of the Sands , he totally blew the series out of the water... or rather, the sands. *grin*

After I finished The Cross of Sins I didn't see how it would be possible for Geoff to ratchet up not only the tension and action, but to add another steamy and crazy-fun layer of story. But he did it, and he did it marvellously!

As to which of the five of Fathom's Five I like the best, let me just say... "I don't know!"

But I think Jake Stone's leading...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Tam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

Woohoo, look at that, it’s not a short. I finished this on the bus back to the airport Wednesday. The Fathom’s Five boys are back, this time searching for a lost pyramid in Egypt in exchange for the antidote to a poison their old nemesis shot into Jake’s young homeless friend. The story focuses on Jake as he races to try and save Sam and then some about Shane and a British reporter Daniel he meets and who tags along with them and also Will and his father have some face-time as his diplomat fathe...more

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Nov 01, 2009 Elisa Ramblings added it · review of another edition

First of all, strange events in the publishing industry I'm not aware of, made that the first book in the series was out with Starbook Press, and this second with Cleis Press. True, it's not necessary to read The Cross of Sins to understand and enjoy The Riddle of the Sands, but without it you loose one of the most interesting aspect of this novel, the fact that it's the quintessence of all the gay fantasies, and probably the result of a lively imagination fed with lot and lot of adventures movi...more First of all, strange events in the publishing industry I'm not aware of, made that the first book in the series was out with Starbook Press, and this second with Cleis Press. True, it's not necessary to read The Cross of Sins to understand and enjoy The Riddle of the Sands, but without it you loose one of the most interesting aspect of this novel, the fact that it's the quintessence of all the gay fantasies, and probably the result of a lively imagination fed with lot and lot of adventures movies and books. There is one for every taste in the Fathom's Five: you like them careless and friendly, like a homemade dish? Shane, the Western modern cowboy is your man. You like them exotic and fascinating, like an ethnic speciality? Eden, brazilian doctor is ready for you. Young and fast, like burger and fries, but served in a china plate? Will, the son of an American ambassador and part time history student, part time pro football player is on the drive through. Traditional and just with that spicy taste? Luca, Italian dongiovanni and former art model, ready to please. And last but not least, you like coffe and donuts? Jake, half mercenary half good hearted man, is always a right choice. All right, now I'm hungry, and Geoffrey Knight's novel is the only one that can satisfy all those fancy ideas.

It's useless that I summarize the story, first since I can't do that without giving to much details and risking to spoil the story, and second since, truth be told, the story is classic, like all the adventure books of the last 100 years, there is something to find, there are the good boys who are always first on the place, and there are the bad boys who always follow closely. The good boys are doing that not for money, but for a bigger and worthier reason, and the bad boys are only interested in finding a treasure. What I probably liked best in this second book is that the adventure seemed more innocuous, there were less dead bodies around, and probably there were also more funny moments. I liked very much Will's scenes with his estranged father, and was very interesting in the apparently sweet love story between Jake and Sam, even if, actually, since it is soo sweet (meaning that without sex or anything sexual at all), I didn't understand if Jake has a fatherly interest in Sam or something more personal. My favorite from the previous book, Luca, has only a secondary role here, but I think the author is thinking at something special for him, and I had the strong impression that, the author himself, through the words of Professor Fathom, let the reader know that Luca is also his favorite. Eden and Shane have their own little story going, and it's Shane's turn to have a little sexy story on the side, as Eden had in the previous book; they are important supporting role, and the author is always kind with them, but they have not yet achieved the upper level like Will, Jake and Luca.

The Riddle of the Sands is a surprisingly easy and fast book to read, I thought to have just started it and when I realized that I was more than half the book away. For me it's a compliment, it means that I was so sucked into the story, that I lost track of the time.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1573443662/?...(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Yte rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dropped

Audiobook.
Horrible horrible narration.
I simply couldn't get in to the story because of the terrible narration. The actor chose to read the entire story with bedroom voice which was totally unsuitable for an adventure book. The recording quality was bad. Also, the attempt to make the reading sound like performance by adding a female voice was uncalled for. Dropped around chapter 4. Waste of money.
The story itself was very stupid, but again, I didn't advance too far with it.

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May 25, 2010 amelia cavendish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, erotica, gay-male, books-2010, fiction

Take a team of gay young Indiana's, lead by a blind Professor, endanger one of their lives and give them a seemingly impossible task to save the day, sums up this mile a minute romp nicely.

I enjoyed this, the sex scenes were amazingly hot and the characters very likeable. The moralising about how being gay is nothing to be ashamed of, is kind of preaching to the choir, but it still saddens me that it is necessary in this day and age.

One thing, if the Ducati featured is a sportsbike, it would hav...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, gay, action, suspense, ebook, done

Good action adventure about a group of gay adventurers rushing against time both to find an antidote to a rare poison with which one of their group has been injected and to find a lost Egyptian pyramid. Only recommended if you can suspend disbelief for a plot more over-the-top than anything from an Indiana Jones movie.

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Aug 27, 2012 Willo Font rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved it!. This was perfect for me after being bored out of my mind with the previous book. I read it in one sitting , could not put it down. It was,like a fast paced adventure movie , action packed and ,very funny at times. Will certainly reas more of these series.

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Jul 02, 2010 Don Bradshaw rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-romance, political-fiction

This book just plain sucked. The characters just popped out of no whhere just when the author needed them. I did not read book one and will not. I'm all for the sex and fantasy but this book was just too unbelievable for me.

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Nov 30, 2009 Ingrid rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

Another roller-coaster read. This had a bit more space for character development and such things though. Up to part 3.

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Apr 11, 2010 Valerie Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Simply fun. Nothing to deep. The author did a good job building that 'Indiana Jones' feel.

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Nov 11, 2011 Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thepinkroom

This book had a better flow than the first Fathom Five book, but I still wasn't in love with this book.

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Jul 01, 2011 Snowtulip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

Not as strong as the first, but still a high paced action read!

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Mar 12, 2010 Dina marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, mystery, adventure

A Fathom's Five Adventure 2

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Mar 25, 2011 DeWanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-read

Can't wait for the next one.

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The Riddle of the Sands audiobook	1	5	Feb 19, 2012 09:39am

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Romance > M M Romance

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About Geoffrey Knight

From palace-hopping across the Rajasthan Desert to sleeping in train stations in Bulgaria, from spinning prayer-wheels in Kathmandu to exploring the skull-gated graveyards of the indigenous Balinese tribes, Geoffrey Knight has been a traveller ever since he could scrape together enough money to buy a plane ticket. Born in Melbourne but raised and educated in countless cities and towns across Austr...more

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Riddle of the Sands (Fathom's Five #2)

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