Flow Like Water

Eric Bakker is determined to find his parents. In the previous novel, Hit the Ground Running, (Eric knew that something was terribly wrong when his parents invoked their family’s go-into-hiding phrase and his older brother Michael also went missing. With Michael now found, the brothers realize that other members of their parents’ research team are also missing and that the project they were working on was highly secret. They soon discover that this is because the project involved the study of an ancient race, the People Under the Mountain. These people are immortal since they discovered the secret to eternal life many centuries ago. John Williams is one of these immortals. He worked alongside the Bakkers as well as continuing on his quest to find his wife Ada, someone from whom he became separated many centuries ago. Williams’ help is invaluable as is that of the others who’ve joined in the search. The one thing they all have in common is that they have also lost someone. Angel’s father, who is part of the research team, is missing, and Tess, whose father purportedly died in a plane crash in Russia, is now off on her own search as there is a strong indication that there has been a cover-up by Interpol. Lakey and her twin brother Seth, two classmates of Tess and Eric’s, are along again for the ride, bringing their technology wizardry and computer hacking skills to aid the group on their desperate search.

The search is seriously hampered by the Vidi, a group of undead whose only quest is to kill the People Under the Mountain and all who are associated with them. The teens recover one of the lost texts associated with the ancient ritual for achieving eternal life. This ancient book leads them to a Roman Catholic brother who is home on leave from a study sabbatical in Rome. The conspiracy theme ramps up as they follow Brother JP back to Rome and into the Vatican where Eric needs to use his parkour skills and Michael his military training to reveal secrets that have been kept for centuries. One of these secrets is Ada, John Williams’ wife whom they successfully liberate from her century’s long confinement in the very depths of the holy city.

The group continue the race to follow a breadcrumb trail of leads that takes them on a journey to Sicily. Here, with John and Ada’s help, they are able to rescue their parents and other researchers, saving them just in time from an inevitable death in a fiery explosion. John is severely wounded, and, in order to save him, Ada insists they must travel to their homeland in Norway for him to be healed.

Intertwined in this high paced pursuit is Tess’ search for her father in Switzerland. Her personal hunt is facilitated by many supportive locals, but when she stumbles upon a man who at first glance looks very much like her father, only questions remain.

Flow Like Water is an exciting sequel to Hit the Ground Running, and the fast-paced action that readers enjoyed in the first story continues. In this novel, much of the story centers around Rome, the Vatican in particular. Mature readers will enjoy the detail of the city and culture as well as the links to history that are peppered throughout.

Author Mark Burley has developed his charterers even further in this novel, and, in particular Eric who now is struggling with his tendency to act and speak before he thinks, often alienating his friends and possibly jeopardizing their chance of success. The ending for both Eric’s and Tess’ threads in this story indicates that the adventure will continue in book three.