Secrets of a Mayan Moon

By Paty Jager

This is the first book of an Action-adventure series about a female anthropologist who specializes in Native American cultures. Mature audiences will like the action, adventure, and romance.

Child prodigy and now Doctor of Anthropology, Isabella Mumphrey, is about to lose her job at the university. In the world of publish or perish, her mentor’s request for her assistance on a dig is just the opportunity she’s been seeking. If she can decipher an ancient stone table-and she can-she’ll keep her department. She heads to Guatemala, but drug trafficking bad guys, artifact thieves, and her infatuation for her handsome guide wreak havoc on her scholarly intentions.

DEA agent Tino Kosta, is out to avenge the deaths of his family. He’s deep undercover as a jaguar tracker and sometimes jungle guide, but the appearance of a beautiful, brainy anthropologist heats his Latin blood taking him on a dangerous detour that could leave them both casualties of the jungle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: May 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9780983594369

Paty Jager

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 51 novels, 8 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Reviews for Secrets of a Mayan Moon

[miriammartin-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I won this as a goodreads first-read giveaway. This was a page turner! It is a suspensful romance that takes place in the exotic jungles of Guatemala. It kept me wanting to read more. It was nice to see the protaganist as an extremely intelligent female who is always ready for anything!

[katsmiao · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was really a joy to read.

Isabella is a kind of dorky female Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider cross.
The story is great, full of mystery, adventure, action and love. Mix in some betrayal and some eye opening surprised, and you have yourself a great old time reading this book.

[maggiejaimeson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been a fan of Paty Jager's work for some time, beginning with her Westerns. When she moved on to the Spirit Trilogy I wasn't sure she could pull it off, but I found them to be even better than the Westerns. The depth that she explored was excellent. Now comes a paranormal mystery and suspense exploring the Mayans through the character of an anthropologist.

This book combines the best of three genre's, a paranormal, mystery, and romantic suspense. I love the character of Isabella Mumphrey, and the uneasy relationship she as with Tino is perfectly executed. I'm truly happy to see this is the beginning of what promises to be many books with Isabella Mumphrey adventures.

Look out Indiana Jones, there is a woman vying to take your place.

[soireadthisbooktoday · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love books that utilize archeology as the basis for their story line. The history, the intelligence, the people. It is all captivating. Even more so when a book, though it may be fiction, is based upon good, solid scientific knowledge.

Paty Jager has put in the study, with Secrets of a Mayan Moon, that is required to make a spectacular modern archeological novel. Set in the jungles of Guatemala, Jager weaves Mayan history with the modern problems of drug runners and the looting of historical sites for profit.

Isabella Mumphrey is a genius. She has worked harder than anyone else in her field, battered by others jealous of her brilliance and dedication to her studies of Mayan history. Desperate for funding for her studies, due to be cut from her university, she jumps at the chance to take her first field trip out of the country, and save her work. Lured to Guatemala by her mentor and old family friend, she travels far into the jungle with a guide, supposedly sent by her mentor. Little does she know, things are not as they seem. Not only is the jungle dark and deep, but also the truth of her ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ is darker than she could have ever imagined.

There is a realistic tone to the book, with just a bit of mysticism and a thread of romance. Neither the mysticism nor the romance was overdone, which I appreciated. Too many novels seem to lean heavily on the romance bits to cover for a lack of writing skills. With this first Isabella Mumphrey book, I am happy to say that this was not the case. The point was the story, and a grand adventure it was. There are multiple layers to Secrets of a Mayan Moon. The archeology, of course, as well as the drugs, the looting, and the mystery of why Isabella is truly there. But there is also the truth of who Isabella, herself, really is. IS she who she has always thought? And why have her parents never loved her? All in all, a very well developed and enjoyable book. I had never read any of Paty Jager's work before, so this book was quite an enjoyable surprise. You may see her other works at GoodReads. Ms. Jager writes a great deal of "Petticoat Western" style romance books, so if that is your thing, I would recommend those to you also. That genre isn't to my taste, and makes me wonder why Ms. Jager decided to write these books on archeological adventure - but I am certainly glad that she did!

I received this book for review, but have already bought the next book, Secrets of an Aztec Temple. I greatly look forward to reading it.

Highly recommended!

[rhonda1111 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 STARSI hope this is along series of books. The ending opens it up perfectly. Can't wait for the next adventure of Isabella Mumphrey.Secrets of a Mayan Moon keeps your attention. Never sure what will happen next to Isaella. Will she be a woman in distress or kick butt.The plot has lots of twists and turns that you don't expect and some you do figure out. It combines a heroine who is a genius but naïve. Who is not used to taking care of herself out of the U.S. Too being afraid to go anywhere without her vest. Too welding a big strong knife.Tino Kosta is a DEA Agent that is undercover as the guide to take Isabella out to the Mayan dig she is to help translate tablet.He is attracted to Isabella right away and plans to worry only about his job gets side tract.Isabella gets off the plane and gets robbed right in the airport. The thief wants her to give him her box that holds her vest and filled with everything she needs to survive in emergency. The thief has a big knife and threatens her. She accidently knocks her box and the knife to the ground. The box opens and instead of her vest it has been switched full of passports. The thief grabs the box and takes off leaving the knife. Isabella picks up the knife.Right of way the action starts and doesn't let up. Their is a lot going on at the dig and she is not sure who to trust. Who switched her box? Why are their drug runners up around the dig. Why does Tino talk one way and then another way when its just the two of them in perfect English. Why did her mentor bring her down to help translate the Mayan tablets? I like Isabella and it was fun to read her adventure. It was fun to see all the ways she used her vest and all her supplies.I was given this ebook and in exchange was asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.Published March 27th 2013 by Windtree Press 272 page ISBN; 0983594376