Fire in the Mountain by AJ Aberford

  

Fire in the Mountain  

By AJ Aberford

 

SUMMARY:

A colleague in need
Superintendent George Zammit is persuaded to go to Sicily to investigate the disappearance of his superior’s niece.
There, George discovers a city overshadowed by the mighty Mount Etna, a huge volcano perilously close to a major eruption that would have disastrous consequences around the world.

The magic of the volcano
George finds the volcano not only provides unlimited energy, but has long been worshipped by an ancient and mysterious cult, which believes it has the power of renewal and rebirth. Strange priests and monks wander the volcano’s flanks and the old volcanic tunnels, risking the wrath of Mother Etna to keep its secrets safe.

Unlimited power, unlimited wealth
The dark forces of organised crime have captured the green energy of the volcano and grown rich on the profits. Others have noticed this deep source of wealth, and they gather to plot and scheme to take a share of their own. Rival organisations play their cards, leaving George trapped between the warring factions.

George enters a world beyond his control
In his quest to find the missing girl, George, and his unlikely allies, find themselves caught between the forces of nature, superstition and organised crime. It is time for a hero to step forward and risk all to take on all these competing threats. Can it be George? And how does he learn an important lesson about trust and loss?

 

TERRI’S REVIEW:

The fourth of six books featuring Maltese police superintendent George Zammit pits the protagonist against not only an erupting volcano but a multi-pronged Sicilian crime syndicate. 

Zammit is persuaded to go to Catania, Sicily, to investigate the disappearance of his superior's niece, a passionate environmentalist who was last seen protesting against the fracking that occurs at the volcano. 

Zammit arrives just as Mt. Etna is coming to life in a blaze of heat and fury. For some of the inhabitants of the island, this causes concern for a disastrous major explosion. For others - a cult that worships the volcano - it is an opportunity to become closer to its mystic powers. For still others, this is a boon since its unlimited supply of energy grants Catania the opportunity to become world-renowned as the first city to have a net-zero-carbon impact. It also grants those who harness the energy tremendous power and wealth. 

In his quest to find the missing woman, Zammit and his unlikely allies find themselves caught between the volcano’s forces, superstition, and a vast organised crime network. Will George be the one to take on and conquer these competing threats? And still make it back to Malta in one piece for his daughter’s wedding?

This is a read that grabs you immediately and pulls you along at a gripping pace. Mr Aberford deftly weaves together the disparate elements that make up the many threads of the plot. Multiple characters appear in several facets of the story - often with different roles depending on the subterfuge they are implementing. Though they change loyalties often with each of these roles, they are so vividly drawn that one does not lose track of who is who. At times, a new loyalty is such a surprise that it makes the reader gasp. Zammit himself is a particularly appealing character. He comes across as Joe Everyguy: a bit reluctant to get into tangles, a bit pudgy from eating too many pastries, a bit henpecked by his wife. Yet his intelligence and resourcefulness are readily evident, making him not only endearingly human but competent enough to believe he can get the job done. 

Adding to the suspense of finding missing persons, the consequences of double-dealing, and uncovering illegal activity is the volcano itself. Mr. Aberford knows and shares enough about volcanography that as the threat of an eruption escalates, so does the tension. It is one of those books that one begins by reading a few chapters at a go, then soon needs to stay up all night to read the next chapter…and the next.

If his book is any indication, this is a series worthy of exploring every instalment. 

  

 

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

AJ Aberford has enjoyed a varied career, having been both a corporate and banking lawyer, owning and running a private investment company and founding a leading Yorkshire craft brewery. Changing direction again, he is now the author of the Inspector George Zammit crime and thriller series.

AJ Aberford keeps his house in Yorkshire, UK, but lives primarily in Malta, which is the inspiration for the Inspector George Zammit series. Upon moving there, he soon became enthralled by the culture and history of the island that acts as a bridge between Europe and North Africa.

Malta’s position at the sharp end of the migrant crisis, as well as the rapid growth of its commercial and offshore financial sectors, provides a rich backdrop for his writing. The culture, politics and geography of the southern Mediterranean continually throw up surprises in this fascinating part of the world; nothing is ever what it seems, with the lines between right and wrong often blurred and twisted.

AJ Aberford is married and has two grown-up sons, as well as grandchildren. He is a keen cook, an adventurous traveller, a cyclist and is currently writing the sixth book in the Inspector George Zammit series.

 

BOOK BLURB:

Published by Hobeck Books (March 2023)

 

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:

Bodies in the Water

Bullets in the Sand

Hawk at the Crossroads

The Last Bird of Paradise

The Car Horn Revolution