Can the Lords of Death be fooled?

"Zotz was a bat, but not just any bat," said Megan. "He was a vampire bat like those we saw in the cave above. In Mayan legend, he played a part in the story of two brothers who upset the Lords of Death and were forced to travel to the Underworld?called Xibalba. There they had to pass several death-defying tests. They hid in the house of Zotz, but when one of them peered out, Zotz swooped down and tore off his head."

"Lovely," said Kat.

"Most of the Mayan legends are similarly gruesome. But in the story, the other brother managed to reattach the head. In the end, they fooled the Lords of Death . . ."

Kat Delaney is a world class caver and microbiologist. While investigating one of the deepest caves on Earth, she becomes trapped, along with her team of fellow cavers and scientists. Far below the ruins of a Mayan city, they struggle to escape this mysterious cave, reportedly cursed and haunted by the Lords of Death. Kat's husband, Mark, a doctor and pioneer of nanotechnology with a deep-rooted fear of caves, must try to rescue her. He enlists the help of a Mayan guide, who turns out to have revolutionary ambitions.

Kat must keep her unravelling team together when they discover that something as threatening as the Lords of Death lurks within the cave. Mark must choose between trusting a guide who is patently untrustworthy, or leaving Kat to die. Will they escape? Will science be the solution? Or will it simply affirm their sentence as the Lords of Death win once again?

Five Stars

"Deborah Jackson explores a variety of human weaknesses and strengths as she leads her characters through the sinkhole and beyond in their quest for fame, fortune, and a miracle cure for disease. Sinkhole not only features a place where the action occurs but also represents the depths of the participants' feelings... The meaning of love, life, and loss are explored as these explorers fight for their lives amidst amazing discoveries..."

─Melinda Hills, Readers' Favorite