Raymond John proves Malta is just as mysterious and exotic as it was when Humphry Bogart did the film The Maltees Falcon. The hero, Rick is a real red-blooded American hero--intelligent, brave, knowledgable, straightforward, and clumsy but endearing in his romancing. Raymond John gives us not only a bird's eye view of Malta, but he contrasts it delightfully and realistically with Missouri through Rick's view of life and recollections. Rick has dropped all in America's heartland to come to his brother's aid who has disappeared as he hunts down a priceless work of art. But the brother was really after something much more mysterious and valuable, something that might have untold power. But Rick suspects what his brother sought is a sham, but a real danger of untold power does threaten a continent of people. The fight scenes are realistic and scary. Buy this book thriller readers and have yourselves an arm-chair adventure that sizzles like The Malteese Falcon.