The Tarantula Stone

The Tarantula Stone
Philip Caveney

The Tarantula was a diamond – a diamond as big as a man’s greed: many men would fight for it, some would kill, some would die.Martin Taggart found it, after six years’ grubbing in the steamy disease-ridden mines of Brazil.Charles Caine claimed it – he had sponsored Taggart and that was the deal.Paolo Estavez coveted it, and flew Caine and his entourage deep into the Mato Grosso to seek it out.But Helen could sense its evil power.It will lead them all into danger: hostile country, wild animals, hunger, thirst – many of them will perish. And when Caine sets his mafia-like organisation in brutal pursuit, there will be a breath-taking final confrontation.

The Tarantula Stone

Philip Caveney

Copyright (#ulink_39759f99-95dc-5501-9513-392bcf281a04)

This is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Harper An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2015

First published in 1985 by Granada Publishing

Copyright © Philip Caveney 1985

Philip Caveney asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design layout © HarperCollinsPublishers 2015 Cover photographs ©

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books

Ebook Edition © MAY 2015 ISBN: 9780008127992

Version: 2015-04-16

Dedication (#ulink_175b74f4-7fd3-5fb0-a23f-5d609e8bb381)

For Rachel …

who doesn’t like adventure stories

Author’s Note (#ulink_fee7a88e-ff53-5cbb-9874-ca6614344620)

I am aware that the cruzeiro did not actually become the currency of Brazil until 5 October 1942; but in the interests of the story, I deemed it advisable to disregard this fact. A change of currency seemed an unnecessary complication in an otherwise straightforward tale, which is, after all, intended as a celebration of a time when the world was not yet inextricably bound up with lengths of red tape. I trust that the purists among you will forgive this minor presumption.

Contents

Cover (#u8f3e26ca-655a-570d-b32c-15da13487638)

Title Page (#ue7d5fef7-def4-52e1-a202-125b2d6c2300)

Copyright (#ulink_e751e627-ec21-5cd1-b7be-f2865707e057)

Dedication (#ulink_5728943f-7bf6-57fb-b6bd-b3fa2302b8e0)

Author’s Note (#ulink_ca3fe40b-d9bb-5826-aef2-31d5a89714a2)

Part One: The Last Flight

Prologue (#ulink_e31d9f20-6493-5ac8-9948-69f2ee6731db)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_b3cbe462-4f66-5a25-806e-498250ba5c4e)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_05e1d1b4-9eab-526d-bac3-4eba2ea84f26)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_cb8484ef-2613-5b47-8051-e12863598645)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_22655c6d-9327-5a8b-a167-22817b073417)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Part Two: Before the Rains

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Part Three: Downriver

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Keep Reading (#litres_trial_promo)