I must begin this review by saying that I am not easily impressed by a book. I read quite a bit and have read works by some great authors. Among those works, I can say without reservation that Stan’s Leap by Tom Duerig is one the best adventure, action, fiction novels that I have ever read.  

One of the marks of good fiction is realism. The story and characters need to be believable. Tom Deurig accomplished this in Stan’s Leap. A group of strangers stuck on an island with very limited resources may actually behave and interact with each other like the people in Tom’s book. The characters were described with just enough detail to make them interesting.

Stan’s Leap has a little bit of everything. There is adventure, action, romance, drama, mystery, murder, deception, and more. The story starts out fast and never slows down. I found it very difficult to put the book down.

Rather than take a chance at giving away some of the twists and surprises in the book, I am including some excerpts from the plot description that Amazon.com has:

“What would you do if you found yourself stranded in Paradise? Newlyweds Jenny and Stan are eager to travel before they begin building their family. After seeing an intriguing ad in a travel magazine, Jenny arranges a vacation to a remote Pacific island. The advertisement promises a completely authentic Polynesian experience … Led by the zealous Kimo and his beautiful partner Nani, Henderson Island first appears as idyllic as hoped… Several days after arriving, however, an unusual storm disrupts their routine. And when the weekly flight back to civilization fails to arrive, tempers flare and deep rifts among the guests are formed… As days extend into weeks and months, Jenny, Stan and the other vacationers are left searching for explanations, rescue, and finally a new reality.”

Stan’s Leap does have some coarse language and some adult scenes. The coarse language is thrown in as part of dialogue and seems to fit the disposition of the characters. The adult scenes that are described are done so tastefully. The author gave the minimum details necessary to convey what was happening.

Overall, an excellent book that is well worth reading. I highly recommend it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: 5 STARS, action, adventure, fiction, mystery, thriller