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Pub date January 1, 2027

Published by: Pathfinder

BURNING WATER

The FIRST Ethan Cain story in the Blood and Treasure Series.

There are legends of an Amazonian civilization lost to what the Aztecs called “Burning Water,” but on the Day of the Dead, the rest of humanity will know it as something much worse in a story where Michael Crichton meets Mission Impossible.

Ethan Cain’s days of hunting drug runners through the jungles of South America were over, until an archaeological field team vanishes in the depths of the Amazon, drawing him back to the dangerous world he left behind. But when the team’s LiDAR scans uncover a cartel facility hiding beneath the jungle canopy, smuggling more than narcotics, Ethan is forced to battle for survival against an ancient cult determined to bring America to its knees. One simple text message is the key, sent from a murdered undercover DEA agent. One word. One chance. A warning. The problem is, nobody understands what it means. Ethan Cain might, but he’ll have to stay alive long enough to do something about it.

The story that started it all, teased in Blood and Treasure during Ethan’s nightmare. Learn about Project Balboa and how he met Lana Foster. Find out who Vela is…

Ryan Pote's books on Goodreads
Blood and Treasure Blood and Treasure
reviews: 5
ratings: 8 (avg rating 4.62)

Blood and Treasure

  • "An adrenaline-fueled thriller of the first order, BLOOD AND TREASURE blazes with action and intrigue in a harrowing chase for history's greatest artifact."

    — DIRK CUSSLER, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Clive Cussler’s The Corsican Shadow

  • "Ryan Pote’s BLOOD AND TREASURE is the must-read debut thriller of 2025. Evoking equal parts Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, this novel is high-speed, high-stakes, and relentlessly entertaining."

    —MARK GREANEY, #1 NYT bestselling author of MIDNIGHT BLACK, a GRAY MAN novel.

  • “A superbly crafted story of action and secrets that is as imaginative as it is compelling. Take a breath, hang on, and enjoy.”

    —STEVE BERRY, New York Times bestselling author of The Medici Return

  • “Ryan Pote explodes onto the thriller scene with his debut novel BLOOD AND TREASURE, a book that will keep you reading well into the night. Equal measures Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, and Jack Carr this well researched novel is one surprise twist after another written with an intensity and authority only possible from an author who has smelled the jet fuel and heard the bullets whizzing by in real life. Great characters, superb suspense, and a plot that keeps you guessing and wanting more. We have no doubt that Ryan Pote will become a name you can’t wait to see on the new release shelves for many years to come.”

    —ANDREWS & WILSON, New York Times bestselling authors of Tom Clancy’s ACT OF DEFIANCE

  • “BLOOD AND TREASURE slams the throttle to the fire wall in this gut-punching, white-knuckled techno-thriller ride in a big adventure that catapults from the cold void of space to the deserts of the ancient prophets. Piloted by several fresh and original characters, Ryan Pote’s debut novel pushes the story’s airframe to its max in a series of rivet-busting plot twists more harrowing than an Immelmann turn in a helicopter. Strap in, hold on, and grit your teeth as you careen toward the sudden impact of the climactic ending.”

    -MIKE MADEN, New York Times Bestselling Author of Clive Cussler’s Ghost Soldier

  • “BLOOD AND TREASURE has it all – tactical accuracy, globe-trotting locales, a touch of history, and a hero who’s a mix of Indiana Jones and Jason Bourne – it’s a sure-fire page turner that’ll keep you awake long after bedtime.”

    —BRAD TAYLOR, New York Times bestselling author of the Pike Logan Series

  • "BLOOD AND TREASURE explodes with action on the first page and never lets up. Filled with intrigue and ancient secrets, Pote's debut is an ultimate-stakes chase from the reaches of space to the shadows of history."

    —TOSCA LEE, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Line Between

  • “Ryan Pote’s BLOOD AND TREASURE is a generous pour of Cussler-style action, mixed with a globe-trotting adventure like Indiana Jones, and finished with a dash of intrigue. Shake it up, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for an unforgettable adventure. Sip, savor, and enjoy the ride!”

    —JACK STEWART, Former TOPGUN Fighter Pilot and author of W.E.B. Griffin’s Direct Action

  • "Ryan Pote packs a punch with his exciting debut BLOOD AND TREASURE, striking just the right balance between espionage and action-adventure in a novel that fans of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler are sure to enjoy. Drawing upon his own military experience, Pote demonstrates a high level authenticity through his protagonist Ethan Cain, a modern-day Indiana Jones, who is soon to become a thriller genre favorite."

    —TAYLOR MOORE, Former CIA Analyst and author of Cold Trail

  • “Ryan Pote delivers an unforgettable adventure with BLOOD AND TREASURE, a cerebral thriller with hard-hitting action, a mystery that keeps you guessing, and a cast of characters you’ll find yourself cheering for at every turn. This dazzling debut marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in fiction—don’t miss it!”

    -RYAN STECK, The Real Book Spy and Author of Fields of Fire

  • "Pote’s debut thriller mixes the best of Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, and Dan Brown to weave an unputdownable tale....Pote’s writing captures what makes fans of action-adventure and historical conspiracy thriller writers like Brad Thor and Steve Berry deliver every book. Make this a mandatory addition to your reading pile; you will treasure it forever."

    —Jeff Ayers for FIRST CLUE REVIEWS

  • "By far, The most highly-anticipated debut of 2025"

    - The Real Book Spy

  • "an exhilarating tale that’s packed with sleek action and gasp-worthy cliffhangers"

    - Publisher’s Weekly

  • "This fast-moving debut novel is an entertaining mash up of Andy Weir’s THE MARTIAN (2014), a Tom Clancy thriller, and an Indiana Jones movie as it bounces from location to location: among the stars, below the sea, through the jungle, into the sky, and across the ocean. Readers will vigorously flip the pages..."

    —Booklist (June 2025)

  • “DEBUT With his adrenaline-fueled debut, former naval helicopter pilot Pote effectively and efficiently delivers all the classic components adventurous thriller fans crave, including a propulsively paced plot full of details about high-tech and military gadgets, a Timex watch that takes a licking and keeps on ticking, and an ancient relic straight out of Raiders of the Lost Ark…VERDICT Brilliantly crafted escapist reading at its popcorn best for fans of Clive Cussler, Graham Brown, Matthew Reilly, and David Gibbins.”

    —Library Journal (June 2025)

  • “Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy have passed on, though others continue to explore their worlds. Talented writers such as Steve Berry, Dan Brown, and Brad Thor still spin their complex webs of past and present; of spies, warriors, and conspiracies. And now Ryan Pote joins them to take us on a rollercoaster ride of action, adventure, science, lore and technology; a novel filled with twists and surprises. It is the beginning of a blazing new career.”

    —BookTrib

  • "From the first page to the last, BLOOD AND TREASURE delivers relentless, adrenaline-fueled action that completely immerses you in its smart, cinematic world. With echoes of Clive Cussler and Dan Brown, Ryan Pote crafts a gripping, intelligent thriller that’s impossible to put down."

    — Best Thriller Books

  • "Lost relics, modern terror, zero margin for error. Ex-special ops pilot Ethan Cain is hired to locate the Ark of the Covenant in Mozambique’s deadly backcountry; but what he unearths isn’t divine, it’s diabolical. Hunted by mercenary armies wielding stolen drone technology, Cain partners with a brilliant defector whose secrets could save — or doom — the world. Think Indiana Jones meets Jack Ryan in a downtrodden wasteland where every legend has a terrified heartbeat."

    BookTrib Spotlight

  • "It was so good!"

    —JACK CARR, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of the Terminal List Series

  • "[BLOOD AND TREASURE] is so much fun. It is an amazing, page-turning, perfect summer adventure book. Take it to the beach, take it to the ocean, take it just out in your backyard. You will not be able to put it down. It is a perfect summertime book."

    —HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN, USA TODAY bestselling author of 17 novels

  • "Mind blowing good!!"

    —SIMON GERVAIS, Bestselling author of the Clayton White Series

  • “Pote combines the adventure of a Clive Cussler novel, the special-ops missions of a Brad Thor thriller, and the tech focus of a Tom Clancy story to create a fun and engaging tale.The slow build intensifies, making the last half of [THE GHOST CITY] so gripping that readers will get paper cuts from turning the pages so fast.”

    — Jeff Ayers, FirstClue Reviews

  • "Ethan Cain and company are back in new adventure. Packed with suspense and intrigue THE GHOST CITY knocks it out of the park. From ancient Mongolia to a modern Antarctica poised on the edge of catastrophe, one mystery begets another in an edge of your seat race against impossible odds. It's the type of thrilling fiction rarely seen these days!"

    —Beau L'Amour, author of Louis L’Amour’s Skyring Water