Marah Chase and the Fountain of Youth

May 18, 2020
Unburdened by logic or character development, Stringer’s brisk sequel to 2019’s Marah Chase and the Conqueror’s Tomb finds relic runner Marah Chase’s enthusiasm for her illicit trade beginning to wane. “I’m done,” she says. “The longer you stay in the game, the shorter the odds get on getting hurt, imprisoned, or killed.” Then sexy, red-haired Lauren Stanford, whose wealthy family owns a soft drink company, offers Chase $5,000 for an hour of her time to listen to a request: find the Fountain of Youth. Lauren wants to control and sell the healing powers of the waters. Chase soon gets on the trail of the elusive fountain, as does her longtime nemesis and fellow relic runner, August Nash, and their paths cross as they hop from New York to London and on to Glasgow. Chase and Nash eventually land in an exotic clime crawling with giant crocodiles, death clouds, menacing cherubim, zombies, and Nazi legends. The nonstop action goes hand in hand with the breezy style. Indiana Jones fans may enjoy this mishmash of tall tales and derring-do. Agent: Stacia Decker, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

Starred review from July 1, 2020

Following her discovery of the tomb of Alexander the Great, Marah Chase steals the Ark of the Covenant from another treasure hunter, August Nash. Then her partner in crime takes it from her, leaving Marah to return to New York City. Once she's home, the owner of a cola empire asks her to search for the Fountain of Youth. Marah scoffs at the request but heads to London, in search of an elusive journalist who might have stories. She knows something is off when a friend, Hass, is accosted by modern-day Nazis in the British Library. Although Marah and Hass fail in their attempt to rescue the journalist, legends and a map lead them to Tanzania and Mt. Kilimanjaro. There, under the threat of earthquakes and volcanic action, it's a race to the death for two teams with totally different goals for the world. VERDICT While this second book in the series has as much fast-paced action as its predecessor, Marah Chase and the Conqueror's Tomb, there's more depth to the story. The action-packed narrative touches on issues of cultural appropriation, identity, history, and environmental change, which featuring a variety of LGBTQ characters. Fans of Indiana Jones or the Marvel action series will appreciate this cinematic adventure.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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