The Presence : A Novel

From School Library JournalYA?Dr. Katharine Sundquist is hired to work on a short term archaeology project in beautiful Maui. It seems to be an ideal situation for her and her 16-year-old son, Michael, who suffers from asthma as well as the recent death of his father. She soon learns, however, that all is not well in paradise. There is a restricted wing in her high-tech laboratory where secret deliveries arrive at midnight and she discovers that deadly medical experiments are being performed. Then Michael and three friends sneak into a dive shop and help themselves to some equipment. During their night dive, they come upon a contaminated area in the ocean. Back on land, they find that their lungs cannot tolerate oxygen and they can survive only by breathing poisonous fumes. One by one, the boys are killed or simply vanish. When Michael is the only one left alive, Katharine must act quickly to save him. YAs will be engrossed in the computer search for DNA codes, the strange prehistoric or not so prehistoric bones that Katharine unearths, and a mysterious underwater geode from outer space. There is enough adventure and suspense in this thriller to capture the interest of even the most reluctant readers.?Katherine Fitch, Lake Braddock Middle School, Burke, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalSaul, who recently took a cue from Stephen King with the release of a serialized novel, The Blackstone Chronicles, here tells of a young archaeologist's encounter with horror in Hawaii.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. "Enough smoothly crafted suspense to keep readers turning pages long after dark."-- The Seattle TimesBeyond the sparkling Hawiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, and anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Halekala, Maui.Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.Then, with the sudden, unexpected death of Michael's friend, a disturbing truth the corporation that is funding Katherine's dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined--an investment in medical terror. And her son may be part of their hideous grand plan. . . ."A suspenseful thriller . . . provocative . . . Nicely done, indeed."-- Kirkus Reviews"Classic Saul . . . A potent brew."-- Publishers Weekly “Enough smoothly crafted suspense to keep readers turning pages long after dark.”—The Seattle TimesBeyond the sparkling Hawiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, and anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Halekala, Maui.Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.Then, with the sudden, unexpected death of Michael's friend, a disturbing truth dawns: the corporation that is funding Katherine's dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined—an investment in medical terror. And her son may be part of their hideous grand plan.... “A suspenseful thriller... provocative... Nicely done, indeed.”—Kirkus Reviews“Classic Saul... A potent brew.”—Publishers Weekly Beyond the Hawaiian beaches, evil awaits 16-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Maui. Then, with the sudden, unexplained death of Michael's friend, a disturbing truth dawns: the corporation that is funding Katharine's dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined, an investment in medical terror. Beyond the sparkling Hawaiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Haleakala, Maui. Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come. Beyond the sparkling Hawaiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Haleakala, Maui.

Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.

On the ocean floor off Hawaii, a new form of plant life is emerging, its seed sent from a planet which no longer exists. The plant, which is giving off gases that could wipe out humanity, is discovered by an archeologist during a dive with her son