Pacific Loot is a surprisingly good adventure novel in the unusual setting of Rabaul, New Guinea-- one of the world's most beautiful but little-known places. As volume one of Nic Richards' series GOLD OF THE GENERALS, it gets off to a good start by taking us from the familar surroundings of Manila to the volcanic cone of Rabaul, where the Japanese Imperial Army hid weapons and war looted gold in a swiss cheese of caves and tunnels. Richards builds an entertaining and suspenseful plot around a group of odd-ball characters involved in the hunt for 'black gold' in the literary tradition of Alistair McLean's GUNS OF NAVARONNE and WHERE EAGLES DARE. Happily, this is not just another secret agent rip-off. The characters are highly original loose cannons, their dialogue rich with regional accents that Richards captures nicely. And the climax is suitably suspenseful and explosive. STERLING SEAGRAVE author of GOLD WARRIORS and THE YAMATO DYNASTY