Chronicle of an expedition into the Llanganati Mountains of Ecuador in search of 750 tons of worked gold, which the Incas hid from the Spanish conquistadors after Pizarro executed the Sun King, Atahualpa.

Chronicle of an expedition into the Llanganati Mountains of Ecuador in search of 750 tons of worked gold, which the Incas hid from the Spanish conquistadors after Pizarro executed the Sun King, Atahualpa.

Explores the history of the Inca empire and its overthrow by the Spaniards, and chronicles the author's search for the legendary missing gold of the Inca sun king that may lie hidden in the mountains of Ecuador.

The Goonies meets Indiana Jones and James Patterson's Treasure Hunters in this funny, action-filled adventure series! Twelve-year-old Addison Cooke just wishes something exciting would happen to him. His aunt and uncle, both world-famous researchers, travel to the ends of the earth searching for hidden treasure, dodging dangerous robbers along the way, while Addison is stuck in school all day. Luckily for Addison, adventure has a way of finding the Cookes. After his uncle unearths the first ancient Incan clue needed to find a vast trove of lost treasure, he is kidnapped by members of a shadowy organization intent on stealing the riches. Addison’s uncle is the bandits’ key to deciphering the ancient clues and looting the treasure . . . unless Addison and his friends can outsmart the kidnappers and crack the code first. So it’s off to South America, where the excitement, danger, gold, booby traps, and car chases are never-ending! Full of laugh-out-loud moments and nonstop action, and perfect for fans of Indiana Jones or James Patterson’s Treasure Hunters series, Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas is sure to strike gold with kid readers. Praise for Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas "Combines the derring-do of Indiana Jones with a genuine archaeological mystery. Stokes brings a cinematic scope to the story. This lively debut promises more seat-of-the-pants thrills for readers who love adventure."--Booklist "Cinematic pacing and action drive the story, but it’s Addison and his friends who will keep readers engaged. Humor is never in short supply . . . and Addison’s endless optimism and irrepressible confidence in his own abilities are endearing. A solid start to a new series, with a conclusion that will leave readers hoping Addison and company return soon for another adventure."--School Library Journal "Addison is often one step ahead of the adults, but his lead is constantly threatened, building steady tension throughout the novel, screenwriter Stokes’s debut."--Publishers Weekly “What to give the kid who's read all the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books? Try Addison Cooke...this fast-paced adventure will enthrall middle-grade readers and leave them wanting more."--Parents

This is the story of how gold can intoxicate even the most mild mannered of historians, about how characters - both real and fictional - become seized with the desire to claim lost treasure from even the most inhospitable areas of the world.