Revenge in the Silent Tomb

Race Against Time #1

by J.J. Fortune

Stephen Lane travels to Africa with his mysterious Uncle Richard to clear a movie star framed for the murder of his stunt man

Genres: Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1983

Reviews

[Bart Gilbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When my brother and I were in our early teens during the 80's, we discovered the "Race Against Time" books by J.J. Fortune, no doubt a pseudonym for either a solitary writer, or a group of different writers - and "Revenge In The Silent Tomb" was the first of ten. My brother emailed me a while back reminding me of these, and we both decided to add these 10 books to our own collections and re-read them at the same time for fun. I just finished my re-read of this one and the memories do abound.

However, it is easy to see why I enjoyed this book in my youth, but at the same time, some parts were so silly and illogical, it felt like it was written by an 8 to 12-year-old - which is clearly its target audience. It follows the continuing adventures of a boy named Stephen Lane and his Uncle, Richard Duffy - and in this book, they are in the deserts of the Sahara, investigating the murder of a stunt man on a movie set. Uncle Richard is actually kind of a jerk, always shouting to everyone around him to "Move it!", and I was a bit surprised at the level of violence in this young readers book. Uncle Richard is kind of a MacGyver meets Indiana Jones type character, at least in this story, and Stephen is along for the ride - enthralled with his new adventures.

But, all in all, it is still an enjoyable read - it brought back a sentimentality that made me smile and is a very quick read and a nice diversion from the more serious novels out there. It gets 3 stars out of 5, mainly for being a guilty pleasure and a blast to the past. Nothing I would necessarily recommend, but if this sounds like it would be up your alley, then I think you'd enjoy it.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

An escapade to keep primary school boys (most likely) turning the pages. The action is non-stop and gratuitously gung-ho, with an alarming absence of preconsideration. Some cringeworthy Arab stereotyping is offset (arguably? partially?) by the inclusion of a highly proficient female co-adventurer.

[Rich Marx · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a blast from my past, circa 1984! On the heels of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Voyagers, this book combines elements of each. Stephen Lane and his Uncle Richard set off on numerous action-packed adventures across North Africa. Somehow, they fit in over ten escapades in one weekend, before Stephen's parents return home. Although, this book was a fun, rollicking ride, it was not quite as good as I remembered. For some reason, my teenage child did not enjoy it!

[Victor Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book written on the heels of Indiana Jones and other adventure media of the time, it’s an easy read that takes you into the world of Stephen Lane and his Uncle Richard, who happens to be an adventurer who gives Dr Jones a run for his money! Fun, a quick read with some great characters and a wonderful set up for the remaining Race Against Time series. One for 10-12 year old boys to keep them engaged.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dated af. Male fantasy about being a hero

[Hibburt Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vague memories, but the one I remember most is that of scorpions in a pit in a desert. Loved this series in my teens, even started drawing a comic based of this book. I got as far as half way through chapter two.

[Matt Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved. A good start to this series!