Tropic of Fear

"Tropic of Fear is written with such a profound sense of place, such compelling authenticity, the reader starts to feel he's really living the adventure, checking over his shoulder to see if he's being followed. Or worse.
   The best thrillers convince the reader that they could really happen; going one better, Tropic of Fear makes one believe it already has, and Terpening is simply reporting what he saw on the ground. It's an impressive achievement in suspense fiction."
     — Jeff Mariotte, author of Witch Season (a series), The Slab, and 30 Days of Night: Rumors of the Undead (February 2006)    

"A timely tale of love and adventure with an exotic locale, rich in detail, and memorable characters. A great read!"
     — Rob West, author of The Colossus of Richard O'Leary

"With a title alluding to earlier books hot with suspense and sex, this thriller takes readers deep into the politics of Paraguay. . . Terpening, whose earlier works have mostly been in the thriller genre, is a writer to watch. . . . [H]e imbues his main characters with psychological depth, infuses the book with local color galore, and fashions a deft plot."
     — Barbara Conaty, Moscow, Russia, Library Journal, vol. 130, no. 19 (November 15, 2005).

"In the story, set in Paraguay, two Americans—a Yale professor intending to research Mennonite communities and an Arizona hydrologist expecting to participate in an environmental impact study—wind up involved in a plot to overthrow Paraguay's reigning dictator.
   There have been lots of good pre-publication reviews. "
     — J. C. Martin, "Southern Arizona Authors," Tucson Citizen (January 1, 2006, p. H4.

"Terpening, the professor, has once again done his research. His descriptions of the country are vivid—from the city-street delicacies and flower fragrances to the unfolding patterns and colors of the Paraná River. . . The setting and premise provide rich fictional lodes."
   Click here [to read]: "Entertainment, Insight. UA prof Ron Terpening's research and timely topic make 'Tropic of Fear' worth a read."
   — Review article by Christine Wald-Hopkins. Tucson Weekly. January 5, 2006, p. 34. [Fair Use fragment cited.]

". . . The author keeps the action moving at a brisk clip . . ."
   — David Pitt, Booklist. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved. [Fair Use fragment cited.]

"Tropic of Fear is a suspenseful novel following an unlikely pair of researchers visiting Chaco, the "green hell" of Paraguay, who become immersed in the crossfire between rebel forces fighting to free their imprisoned leader, the brutal secret police of a power-hungry government official, and the machinations of a ruthless dictator. As the chaos of a revolution erupts, the two must struggle to survive and escape amid the vicious power grabs. Vivid, descriptive, imaginative, and chilling in its presentation of the lengths human beings will go to dominate one another, Tropic of Fear is an exciting thrill ride from first page to last."
     — Small Press Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review, Vol. 5, no. 1 (January 2006).