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Maxwell Barnes
Series · 4 books · 2022-2023

Books in series

Mayan Shadows book cover
#1

Mayan Shadows

The Crystals of Ahrum

2022

Maxwell Barnes is an archeologist and the son of an archeologist. He and his companion, friend, and brother since youth, Axel Morales, have been treasure hunting for their benefactor Myron Crabtree, in the jungles of Guatemala. This area, not coincidentally, is also rumored to be the location of the last great city of the Maya, the legendary Ahrum. When Max meets a man who appears to be a young Mayan skateboard punk, his entire world is turned upside down as he hears the true story of the city’s demise, and of the Crystal of Ahrum, lost then but supposedly capable of restoring the ancient Mayan empire. Along the way he also meets Isabel García, a Spanish beauty who is far more than meets the eye, and a man named Estrada – who could be the evilest person on the planet. Adventure, romance, and more than a little excitement all await you in book one of The Crystal of Ahrum: Mayan Shadows!
Mayan Thunder book cover
#2

Mayan Thunder

The Crystals of Ahrum

2022

When the stakes are this high, betrayal always lurks... Maxwell Barnes is on a high-stakes scavenger hunt with no end in sight. The initial discovery of the long-lost Crystal of Ahrum has spiderwebbed into a much more complex adventure, threatening his relationships, worldview...and even his life. Having dropped off the first crystal fragment to their wealthy financier, Myron Crabtree, the intrepid group, led by Max and his lifelong friend Axel Morales, sets off to investigate the sites of ancient Egypt, lured onward by tantalizing clues found in Mayan codices. Max finds himself forced to rely on others and resist his own cynical nature to obtain needed information. But will this reluctant decision to trust end with tragedy? The second book in the Maxwell Barnes Adventure Series is a high-speed adventure fringed with humor and death-defying escapades. Get it now to join the hunt...for the Crystal of Ahrum!
Mayan Tempest book cover
#3

Mayan Tempest

The Crystals of Ahrum

2023

The fate of the world hangs in the balance as Maxwell Barnes and his friends embark on a thrilling journey to uncover the final shard of the powerful Crystal of Ahrum. From the award-winning, bestselling author of the Shelby Alexander series, now comes the epic Maxwell Barnes series, archaeological adventure thrillers with a paranormal twist. The long quest for the Crystal of Ahrum has reached its climax, as the intrepid explorers—Max, Axel, Isabel, and Bembe—find themselves on the home stretch of a grueling adventure to reunite the Crystal's shards. Returning to Guatemala, Max and the gang race against a looming catastrophe, even as some prior assumptions about the mission are proven to be false. As unfamiliar players emerge, old questions are answered and new ones arise, leaving Max with the distinct feeling that something is going to go terribly wrong. Perfect escapist adventure for the armchair explorer, and for fans of James Rollins, Clive Cussler, Nick Thacker, and Ernest Dempsey. Order your copy now and join Maxwell Barnes and his friends on their journey to uncover the final shard of the crystal.
Tibetan Secrets book cover
#4

Tibetan Secrets

The Origin Scroll

2023

Back when humanity was young, many dangerous secrets lay undiscovered. Later, these secrets were written down by an old Himalayan scribe, anointed for this very purpose. His work became known as The Origin Scroll. From the award-winning, bestselling author of the Shelby Alexander series comes the epic Maxwell Barnes Adventure Thrillers. When Maxwell Barnes, treasure hunter extraordinaire, and his best friend Axel Morales were contracted by an American university to track down the legendary Origin Scroll, they looked forward to some nice, quiet treasure hunting. After all, what's in the mountains of Tibet other than wind and snow? Immediately upon landing, they begin to suspect things are much more complicated than they had expected ... and even more treacherous. But as Max delves deeper into the truth behind the Origin Scroll, he encounters a mysterious religious sect, a legendary creature, and a base camp with more closet skeletons than cans of Tibetan beer. Perfect escapist adventure for the armchair traveler, and for fans of James Rollins, Clive Cussler, Nick Thacker, and Steve Berry.

Authors

Craig Hart
Craig Hart
Author · 23 books

Craig A. Hart is a writer of thrillers. In a past life, he was also director for Northern Illinois Radio Information Service, a broadcast outreach that brought daily news and information to the visually impaired. In 2015, Kindle Press published his literary novel BECOMING MOON. NPR affiliate Northern Public Radio featured BECOMING MOON in their Winter Book Series, and it won Best Novel of Summer 2015 from Pinnacle Awards. He is also the author of the historical mystery NIGHT AT KEY WEST, which is based on true events. In 2016, he publishing SERENITY, the first book in the popular Shelby Alexander Thriller Series. Serenity alone has been downloaded over 400,000 times by eager readers. In 2022, he launched the Maxwell Barnes Adventure Thriller Series, co-written with S.J. Varengo. The award-winning first book in that series, MAYAN SHADOWS, was published on May 11, 2022. Two more books follow in that series: MAYAN THUNDER and MAYAN TEMPEST. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Craig lives in Iowa City, Iowa with his wife, sons, insane dog, and anti-social cat.

S. J. Varengo
S. J. Varengo
Author · 11 books

Scott James (S.J.) Varengo was born in 1960, in a city called New York. Two years later he formed a band called The Beatles [citation needed]. He returned to New York City to attend Fordham University (having been told it was a basketball powerhouse) before transferring to the State University of New York at Potsdam (having been told it was located in the tropics), from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History. Varengo loves to read (favorite authors include Craig A. Hart, Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien and an up-and-comer named Ernie Heming-something-or-other), listen to music (when he writes, it's usually jazz - the rest of the time it's Tasmanian flute concertos), and walk along forested trails with his wife Kim and their dog Tanner. He lives in Baldwinsville, NY, a suburb of Syracuse, known for its picturesque setting and its friendly people. He has two adult children of whom he is obnoxiously proud. His published works include a volume of short fiction, two fantasy novels, and an ever-growing list of spy/espionage novellas, which he co-writes with Craig A. Hart.

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