Secret of the Red Planet began as a short story and ended up a full length novel. The sequel, Operation Stargazer turned it into the first book in The Mars Series. The book you are about to read, The Quest of Captain Ernst is the third in the series... but not the last. Bill and his friends are destined to be involved in more exciting and dangerous adventures.
Hermann Winke, the brilliant inventor of the Magnobile is dead, and the manner of his death is shrouded in mystery. In his will, he leaves his valuable papers to his only son, Ernst, who has just returned from years in the Amazon jungle. At Hermann's funeral in London, Bill, Sonia, Ben and Tim meet the mysterious Ernst.
Having helped the Martian people defeat Zigismo, the evil dictator of Zeronera, and having saved the world from annihilation by the massive asteroid, appropriately named Attila, Bill and his friends have been asked by Zeris, the Chief Elder of Similaria, to undertake a dangerous mission that involves travelling back in time, a mission that no Martian would dare to even contemplate. But things don't go according to plan. An act of betrayal and a chapter of accidents befall the party, causing deep rifts in their togetherness, and casting doubt on their ability to return to the 21st Century. Would they be doomed to live out their lives in prehistory? It would seem so, but aid comes from an unexpected and scarcely believable source.
Born and brought up in the UK, Chris took his young family to work in Nairobi, Kenya and later operated tourist hotels in Lamu on the Kenya coast. He also founded a charitable trust for destitute children and worked with Kenyan teachers to promote human values.
In his spare time Chris has been a water colour artist, poet, short story writer and finally a novelist. Chris is married with three grownup children, four grandchildren and several adopted African children. He now lives in Shella Village on the island of Lamu.
REVIEW - 'Secret of the Red Planet is really interesting. You don't know what is coming next, so you want to read more and more. It gets more exciting as the book goes on. I can't wait for the second one.' Gianluca Albano Silva, aged 10 years.
