Ascent

Peak Marcello is back in the third installment of the Peak series by award-winning author Roland Smith. Unlike the previous novels, most of the action this time takes place in a heavily forested part of Myanmar where he is joined by friends Alessia and Ethan who hope to reach and summit Hkakabo Razi which may be the tallest mountain in southeast Asia; no one is sure, but Peak hopes to measure it with GPS when they reach the top. On their journey, they encounter physical obstacles such as fallen bridges, dangerous wildlife, as well as a lunatic. They also meet up with some old friends along the way. The pace is quick and, although the book is mostly set in the jungle, there’s still plenty of death-defying action on the icy slopes of Hkakabo Razi. A surprise visitor makes for an interesting ending. Fans of the series will not be disappointed though it is not necessary to read the other two books to enjoy this third novel in the series as the author supplies important details from the other books as needed.