There's trouble in Paradise. Mauna Loa is days away from what could be its most violent eruption ever. John MacGregor and the other scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are scrambling to come up with a plan to keep the lava flow from destroying the city of Hilo. As if that isn't bad enough, the United States Army has sought out MacGregor to make him aware of a military secret harbored in one of the caves surrounding Mauna Loa. There's deadly hazardous waste in degrading containers in the path of the lava that could destroy all life on earth if released. The clock is ticking as the island shakes form the tremors leading up to eruption. This is most likely something I would not have read if Michael Crichton's name weren't attach to it. And it was pretty much what I expected; one-dimensional characters, cookie cutter suspense and no real surprises. I suspect most of the science was researched by Crichton and Patterson provided much of the storyline. Patterson fans will probably enjoy it; me, personally, not so much.