The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure by Carolyn Arnold – book review

Disclosure.  This post is a review of an e-book I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I have received a free e-copy of the book The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure by bestselling author Carolyn Arnold to review. I’ve read quite a few of Carolyn’s books, but this would be only my second one featuring Matthew Connor, probably my favourite of her lead characters, so I was very much looking forward to reading it. To find out more about the author you may visit her website.

Here is the book blurb.

The beam of his flashlight bounces off the walls but does little to brighten the hidden room he just found. In the corner is a centuries-old desk. His heart hammering, he walks over to it and opens the top drawer. What he finds inside will change his future-and the world’s-forever.

For centuries, the existence of Spanish pirate José Gaspar has been relegated to legend, but archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor and his two best friends may have just found reason to believe the buccaneer truly existed. They’re in Washington, DC, to mark the opening of an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History when a mysterious stranger turns up claiming he may hold the key to the mythical pirate’s treasure and invites them to join in his quest to find it.

Rumored to have sailed and plundered the Gulf of Mexico and the Spanish Main during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Gaspar would have amassed a vast fortune. But with only the stranger’s word and a token of proof, Matthew is intrigued but not sold-until it becomes personal. There’s an interested third party, and they’re willing to kill for the pirate’s bounty.

What ensues is a globe-trotting adventure that will take Matthew and his friends across the world and back again. Danger lurks around every corner as does betrayal, suspicion, and murder. Can anyone be trusted, and will they survive long enough to find out?

This is the third title in the Matthew Connor action-adventure series and is fine as a stand-alone read.

The story has a slow start but you know there is more to come from both the blurb and prologue. Professor Mel Wolf tantalises Matthew and his friends with a tale of murder and pirates treasure. Hours later they find themselves being chased under gunfire. Matthew is now sold on the idea of finding the treasure, but first he phones Daniel to check out Mel’s credentials, although he doesn’t reveal details of the quest. They then all remove SIMs from their phones to avoid tracking before Matthew charters a plane.

Meanwhile not only is Daniel investigating, but so are the police. A stray bullet has gone through a wall and killed someone. Who can piece what together?

And once Matthew’s group reach Spain, who can they trust? More deaths follow along with plenty of twists and turns.

The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure is available on Amazon, currently priced at £11.99 in paperback or £4.03 in Kindle format. A gripping story from a brilliant author who has multiple series on the go. This would certainly make a good film.

Here are the links to my reviews of other books by Carolyn Arnold.
Remnants
Power Struggle
The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh
On the Count of Three
Shades of Justice
Exercise is Murder
Past Deeds

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