Books

Dave and Jan Stark are fortune hunters with AvMar air charter and salvage. They are contacted by a billionaire, Claude Valdez to find the jewel encrusted Cross of Goa. This elusive ancient relic is fabled to be solid gold and taller than a man.

An enigmatic will and log book from an ancient Portuguese pirate will lead them to fly from the South Pacific through Asia, Africa and South America. Their deadly quest reveals this sacred icon may be among looted treasures of a wartime Japanese General.

There is gold hidden in the jungle, which aircraft salvage expert, Dave Stark, is determined to find. But others are equally determined and willing to resort to sabotage and murder to get to it first.

Surrounded by the harsh beauty of the jungles and jagged peaks of New Guinea, Stark must survive plane crashes, aerial dog-fights, cannibalistic tribes and fierce gun battles as he follows an obscure trail of clues from the past in a deadly race to find the lost wartime treasure.  Finding the gold is one problem – keeping it is another …

Gunrunning, intrigue, tribal cults and lost gold amid the erupting volcanic islands of New Guinea

Dave Stark is salvaging a crashed jetliner while Fang Mitchell is gunrunning in a revamped warplane. They are recruited by two suspicious Japanese to search for their lost father’s remains . . . or a fortune in stolen gold dust. In a race to find the gold they trek through the jungled river gorges and primitive tribes of the Finisterre Ranges, following an elusive trail of ancient clues.

A civil war rages in Bougainville, a war of independence or a war of copper royalties?

Greedy mercenaries need this bloody conflict to continue. They eagerly await their deadly cargo of Russian weapons and attack helicopters.

Off Bougainville, the Empress Maru transports peace negotiators – and a fortune of refined platinum. The freighter is hijacked by a ruthless rebel splinter group supported by the mercenaries. A horrific rampage of rape, torture and murder begins.

Meet the Author

Robert Brian Shaw was born in Sydney. As an apprenticed aircraft engineer, his spare time was spent on racing cars, surfing and later, windsurfing.

On taking employment in New Guinea, he spent over sixteen years exploring, caving, rafting and mountain climbing throughout that varied and exotic country. He learned Pidgin and met pygmies, former headhunters and cannibals.

While salvaging over thirty aircraft, he survived two air crashes and various tribal battles, was held hostage and was later made honorary chief of a Sepik tribe.

On taking employment back in Australia as a licensed aircraft engineer with East West, Ansett and Virgin, he flew thousands of kilometres on jetliners crewing as a ‘flying spanner’ and rescuing numerous stranded airliners from outlying Pacific Islands. This, plus Shaw’s travels through over 68 countries led to publication of numerous articles, including:

– Kingdom of Nokondi
– Maui-Wowee, and
– Smoked Corpses of Aseki

Many of his experiences have been fictionalised in Island in the Sky, Fire Cult, Cross of Goa, forthcoming Devil’s Chariot and planned Throne of Sheba..