Came across this outstanding mystery book quite by accident--what an ACCIDENT--it knocked me to the floor with its powerful intrigue. I couldn't put it down. It is read as an action novel balanced with sex. No way a tax attorney wrote this novel. EXCELLENT

Just read "Into the Deep--The Haven". It's masterful. In my opinion, better than Grafton or Cornwall.

I agree with the reader from So.California, this book is a wonderful find. And such a delicious meal of a mystery--good till the last bite! I rarely read a book twice, but this one I enjoyed reading again--I got different things out of it the second time. I've vacationed in the Cayman Islands so I relished the author's description of Seven Mile beach.

As a teacher of seventh and eighth grade students, I found this book to be a fantastic choice for them. It will hold their attention and make them want to read more about the MacGregor family. The action starts out immediately and does not let up. It lends itself well to venturing into other areas like science and geography for an interdisciplinary unit. Since the main characters are both a boy and a girl, both boys and girls will be able to relate easily to this book. I can't wait until my students have a chance to read this book and others by Richard Trout.

It's not often that I read books that are primarily for young adults but I'm so glad I received a copy of Cayman Gold: Lost Treasure of Devils Grotto by Richard Trout. This is the first book of a series that Richard is doing for LangMarc Publishing in San Antonio, Texas.

He started the book with historical information about lost treasure ships from 1622. Then delves into this family visiting the Cayman Islands. I had heard about these islands before but had no idea where they were. Now I know.

I'm not a skin-diver but this book really caught my interest. Richard took three young people and put them right in the middle of a mystery underwater. As he wrote and as I read I could feel myself swimming with scuba gear right along with the kids. He described their adventure to a tee and kept me on the edge of my seat.

From his description of the reef, diving equipment, mini-subs, and hurricanes-it's obvious that Richard knows what he's talking about. AND he even threw in a little romance.

This is a must read book! Its not only a good story but also has a glossary of new words for young adults as well as a suggested activities list. I highly recommend Cayman Gold and look forward to reading Richard's second book Elephant Tears: Mask of the Elephant.

This was a wonderful book! As I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be mainly a historical book, and not real fiction. (No, I did not read the back of the book. I was in a hurry, so I grabbed it.) But then I realized that except for the introduction the whole book is fiction (Thank goodness!) One thing that I liked about this book though is that it could happen, it could very well happen. The series is about three kids who are traveling around the world with their father who is taking a year off from his job as a college professor to construct a book about endangered animals. In Cayman Gold they encounter criminals who have discovered gold in the Caymans and are destroying the beautiful reef in order to get it. But then Chris, the oldest, and a girl he meets, get in the way, and are kidnapped. What happens next? Will his family save him? Find out, when you read the book! You won't regret it! Main Characters:

Jack MacGregor: A college professor who is traveling the world to write a book on animals; The father.

Mavis MacGregor: The mother.

Chris MacGregor: The oldest of the three children. Is left in charge of his two younger siblings.

Heather MacGregor: The second oldest of the three.

Ryan MacGregor: The youngest of the three children.

Natalie: The girl that Chris meets in a photo shop. She likes him a lot, and he likes her.

Leo: The dockman who the children like a lot. Knows a lot about the island.

Turner: A bank owner and the criminal in charge of finding the treasure.

Mr. X: Turner's "partner" in crime.

There are those Publishers who know how to produce Guide Books for Divers and those Divers who are able to provide the goods. Aqua Quest and Cancelmo are an excellent combination.

"Diving Cayman Islands" measures 10" x 7" and is another guide in the medium size format favoured by Aqua Quest. These particular publishers set high standards in terms of quality of information and standard of photography and this book is a worthy addition to the series.

The book is clearly laid out with chapters on the islands, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, an overview of the diving, specific dive sites and marine life. The first chapter begins with a précis of the country's history followed by details of the present day. This is followed by a map and all that essential information such as climate currency, dress, electricity, entry/exit requirements, getting, there, medical, language, time, water, postal - and, if I have forgotten something, this book did not.

The overview of Diving includes all the relevant information the diver needs to know including; boat diving, conservation, dive operators on the 3 Cayman islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman), regulations, equipment, safety, shore diving and more.

As one might expect, the specific dive sites are then divided into those 3 islands with a chapter dedicated to each. These commence with a map of each island with all the relevant sites numbered and displayed on that map before each site is finally described with an adequate narrative and relevant depth. It was nice to see the Russian Frigate off Cayman Brac being featured in a guide book - without this outstanding dive site being allowed to take over and dominate the entire work. The book then concludes with a chapter on Marine Life and an Appendix containing Emergency Information.

This is a well-rounded book with everything supported by some pretty stunning and imaginative photography. For anyone considering a trip to this corner of the Caribbean - this is the only book you will require.

NM

I aquired this book just prior to a trip to the Caymans. The general information about the islands was thorough and very helpful. The details about each island - people, geography,accomadations, dive sites, etc. assisted me in making a decision on which island to visit. I ended up in Little Cayman where the diving was spectacular! We also enjoyed a day of diving on Cayman Brac. I had the book on our dive boat and I have to say it was thoroughly enjoyed by many divers. Some would reference the dive site before we reached it and others enjoyed reading the reviews after taking the plunge. All the dive site info was thorough and accurate. The photographs are excellent. I would highly recommend this book to anyone planning a trip to the Caymans or anyone who enjoys beautiful underwater photos.

If these delectable guides' plentiful pix don't get you drooling to explore, you need to get your salivary glands checked. The text is also noteworthy

One of the best travel book series, with attention to detail, plus numerous color photographs and fine maps. Lots of instructions regarding practical travel matters. (Travel Books
Review)

This Cayman photography book is the most beautiful book published on the Cayman Islands. Not only have the photographers captured the beauty of these islands, they have also captured the beauty of the Cayman people by publishing their small biographies. I have been to the Cayman Islands and I love having this book as a wonderful memory of my trip.

We downloaded this book and took it with us on our laptop. The authors cover each part of the island individually. There are maps, recommendations for lodging, eating, diving and snorkeling. They give you a broad overview of what to expect on your trip, what to take with you, reference materials for doctors and banking, etc. Basically, everything you need to know. Combine this with the weekly entertainment magazines available on the islands and you'll know more than some locals.

It was very useful to finally have access to the current Cayman company and trust legislation. There are lots of summaries of the law available, but the full text of the actual statutes has not been generally available until this book. Now a tax planner can make his own decisions as to what is the best structure, and what legal options exist, and then ask a Cayman firm to implement the decision, instead of relying on high-priced advice from local firms, who often don't convey all of the details that a tax planner prefers to read for himself.

This is the absolutely best Cayman Island Dive Guide I have read and seen. It gives great details all of the best dive sites to visit. Has excellent detail on where to exactly go, water depths, plant and aquatic life in certain areas... An absolute must for the Cayman diving enthusiast.

Lawson has continued with the attention to detail that he began in the 1st Edition with the best guide to dives sites for the Caymans.

Very logical layout... format is easy to read and particularly interesting to follow...

There are books that might do a good job of describing a particular site or two, but this book is the most comprehensive I've found.

Pirates, naval warfare, ship wrecks and sunken treasure...this book has it all !

While archeology (even the marine variety) can be a dry subject, Roger C. Smith does an excellent and workmanlike job of extensively documenting the maritime history of the Cayman Islands.

As the son, grandson and nephew of a long line of Cayman Island mariners (my ancestors were among the first permanent settlers) I found the documentation of many of the stories told by my elders to be fascinating.

Today the Islands are best known as a tourist destination and a major player in the world of off-shore banking.

This was not always the case. In the distant through relatively recent past the Cayman Islands were a significant supplier of manpower to the regional and even the world maritime industry.

Mr. Smith documents the maritime evolution of the Cayman Islands with extensive research in the Islands and Europe.

Coupling the research with detailed field work and an ability to write in an informative and entertaning fashion results in a GREAT READ.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in maritime history, pirates, treasure or the Cayman Islands.