Unrestricted Access (#953) is a collection of short stories by James Rollins, one of my favorite thriller authors. Most have been in print elsewhere prior to this collection, but since I hadn't seen any of them before, I didn't care. Except for a story told from a dog's point of view (Rollins is a veterinarian by training.) the characters are all familiar from the author's novels. Many are prequels to his best-selling Sigma Force novels, so if you are a fan, it's not hard to get into these short stories.
I have to admit that my favorite among them turned out to be a short story called Ghost Ship. In the opening scene, the characters ride horseback across a remote beach in Northern Australia, watching a large saltwater crocodile make its way from the Daintree Rainforest across the sands to the open waters of the ocean. I've been on that beach with its fabulous view of Cape Tribulation, so named by Captain Cook when his ship ran aground on a reef there. However, the small group I was with was on foot, and I was praying that we wouldn't come across a crocodile on the beach! Not for us some luxury hotel in Port Douglas with hot stone massages in its spa, as Seichan yearns for here. No, we stayed in an eco-lodge in our own little tree house surrounded by thousands of bats right in the rainforest itself. It was truly unforgettable.
Anyway, it was great to have Unrestricted Access during a busy season since it was easy to pick up and put down as I had the time. Always entertaining.
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