The Triangle: Episode 9: What was lost by Mindy McGinnis

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
Format: eARC

After tragedies and revelations, our intrepid heroes are formulating a plan to get away from the island. However, that means the Russians must be convinced to help and they aren’t likely to do that. Segarra talks to the Russian submarine captain like a man to man, a commander to another who wants what’s best for his men. It seems to work and the group starts to build a raft from the remains of the boats. However, one young man has revenge on his mind and he steals the one pistol the group has.

The rash actions of one young man might just undue the fragile understanding between Segarra and the Russian commander. Worse, it might end all their dreams of returning to home.

This episode cranks up the tension again. Even though we might have most of the answers, our heroes are far from safe.

 

The Triangle: Episode 8: Revelations by Dan Koboldt

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
Format: eARC

This episode answers most of the questions which I have about the island. Some of the characters and happy with the answers and some not so happy. However, they still don’t have a way off the island and they know that it’s going to be very difficult to get away. MacBride also speculates that they might not even want to get off because the US government won’t let them walk around knowing what they now know. Vice Admiral Segarra is worried about Miller, their wounded soldier whom they rescued from the Russians. He wants to know more and heads out to the city with Maria St. Claire. They intend to search it for more clues. Instead, they’re again captured by the Russians.

Segarra is increasingly frustrated with his inability to find out what happened to the USS Wasp, the warship which disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. He feels useless and a failure, so he wants to take decisive action. Meanwhile, David Hammond is almost happy. He feels useful again and is working. St. Claire has been reminded of how the Americans use her country and is furious about it. MacBride doesn’t know whether to be happy about the revelations or worried about his future.

Even though we now find out a lot about what’s going on, the characters are far from safe. In fact, they may never get home. The only thing they can do is attempt to negotiate with the Russian submarine commander. The episode ends with another big revelation.

 

The Triangle: Episode 7: The Cold War by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
Format: eARC

The tragic events which ended the previous episode, push Vice Admiral Segarra to action. Now, the Russian submarine commander is the enemy and Segarra wants some explanations from him. However, he’s stopped by the troops but some very interesting information slips from them.

Segarra wants to rescue his wounded soldier Miller and now he knows a way to do it. The plan is dangerous but if the group can pull it off, Miller will be safe and Segarra can plan for a way to force the Russian submarine commander to stop what he’s doing. Michael Hammond is very much against the plan, especially because it puts Tessa Dumont into danger. However, Tessa doesn’t like Hammond’s possessive instincts. Arguing escalate to the point where the conspiracy theorist MacBride acts as the voice of reason. But the dangerous plan is put into action.

In this episode, we get a bit of evidence of what’s happening on this strange island. The group argues more but this time on personal level rather than professional. The group’s actions will most likely force the Russian commander to respond. They have lots of guns and a working nuclear submarine with torpedoes. Our intrepid heroes have one pistol. Things don’t look good.

 

The Triangle: Episode 6: Dark Demonstration by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

After the unexpectedly horrible ending of the previous episode, our heroes are stunned for a little while. But not for long. Alastair McBride is spinning outrageous theories and revealing some military secrets. They prove that something terrible, indeed, something most unnatural, is in the water around the island. Tessa Dumont has finally made the radio work but now Michael Hammond and the others don’t want anyone to come to the island, at least not before they find out how the rescues can land safely. David Segarra and Marie St. Claire want to further investigate the city and they go there. But the Russian soldiers are most likely there, so the duo must be very careful.

Meanwhile, Dumont and Hammond talk with the pair of young boys who are also on the island and find out what happened to them. Apparently, they lost their parents in the storm which brought then to the island. However, when St. Claire hears about it, she’s sure that no such accident has occurred in at least five years. How are the boys on the island? Are they lying or is something else going on?

Segarra and St. Claire find out something that changes all their expectations and the episode ends in another tragedy.

Now we find out why nobody leaves. But if nobody can leave, how and why can they come in? If it possible somehow to use that to leave? And can the group talk with the commander of the old Russian submarine and convince him to try? Should they?

 

The Triangle: Episode 5: Castaways by Mindy McGinnis

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

In the previous episode, our heroes found out that they’re definitely not alone on the mystery island. Marie St Claire is unhappy that they still haven’t got food or water or reliable shelter. She’s trying to get the others to build a shelter. But Tessa Dumont is focused on getting a signal out and getting help. She’s also worried that they others are starting to agree that they’re stuck when they don’t work on getting away. She has no interest in staying on the island. Her fears just increase when the little girl, Olivia, show them a pool with fresh water.

Someone has been leaving small food gifts to St. Claire. She tries to shadow the mysterious person who is doing that but instead of catching them, she stumbles upon a wealthy couple on a beached yacht. She sees that they the items which were stolen from the group’s boat and finds them suspicious in other ways. When the others hear about the couple, they want to barter their antenna back. But why were the items taken in the first place? Why are these people on the island? Can their boat leave, and if not why not?

While we get a few answers, this episode gives us even more questions. That’s not a complaint! Of course, I don’t expect us to get most of the answers until the last episode, if even then, depending on what happens then. Another fast-paced and engaging chapter which urges me to read more!

 

The Triangle: Episode 4: We are not alone by Dan Koboldt

The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

At the end of the previous episode, our intrepid heroes found something amazing: an old Soviet nuclear submarine and a city which seemed to glow golden. They decide to investigate the city first. The buildings seem to be made of metal but they can force one door open. Most of them are disappointed when they find just an old laboratory. However, Tessa Dumont stays to read the old notebooks which seems to date from the 60s to find out more about the mysterious island. Michael Hammond stays with her while the others want to explore the submarine despite vice admiral Segarra’s warning that the nuclear drive could be damaged. However, they’re soon captured and make a remarkable discovery: the submarine’s crew is mostly young and very much alive. Their captain insists that he’s not part of any faction but also says that he and his crew serve the Soviet Union. It fell 28 years ago and most of the soldiers look far too young to have been part of it. How and why has the submarine come there? It seems that they’ve been on the island a while, definitely more than a few months. Why haven’t they left?

This chapter adds more questions. While conspiracy theorist McBride is part of the group who is captured by the soldiers, he knows to keep quiet and not start trading conspiracy theories with the soviet captain. So the chapter has less humor than the earlier chapters. I was a bit disappointed with how the golden city was down played; the submarine was explored far more. No doubt the city will be explored more in the upcoming chapters.

But the plot continues to be fast-paced with unexpected twists and the characters are interesting. I think the sub has traveled through time or perhaps the island exists on another time. However, the laboratory seems to have been unused for a long time so that seems to be a strike against time travel.

Can the submarine leave? And will the soviet captain take the group with him? How is it possible that such an island isn’t in the charts? Are all who have been lost in the Bermuda Triangle here? If so, why can’t they leave? Because if they could, surely someone would have left by now. Or maybe the other missing people, including a whole US battleship, are somewhere else? I can’t wait to find out.

 

The Triangle: Episode 3: the Moon People by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley

The Triangle has 10 episodes, available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box starting April 24th.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

In the previous episode, our heroes shipwrecked on a mysterious island in the middle of a storm. They also found a little girl, Olivia, who was apparently a survivor of one the planes who had previously disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle. How had the girl survived and who else might be on the island? In fact, how is it possible that the large island, with a mountain, isn’t in any charts? Another storm rose and Olivia led the group to relative safety in a nearby cave where they fell asleep.

One of the group, a soldier called Miller, had been grievously wounded in the crash but when the group wakes up, she’s gone with no hint of why she’s left. Indeed, since she was unconscious when the group fell asleep, McBride is wondering if someone or something has kidnapped her. However, vice admiral Segarra is convinced that they would have woken if someone had entered the cave. Segarra and McBride start to search her. Meanwhile, Dumont is searching for anything to use as an antenna so that she could sent a distress signal. St Clair is building a shelter for them, to use a base of operations. They have very little water left and no food.

Segarra and McBride found another inhabitant, an old man. Segarra tries to talk with him but he answered by getting his gun and takes a few shots, but deliberately missing them. The group is mystified. Then their bottles of water disappear and even though they have only about an hour of daylight left, they need to search for water.

Now, the team members’ specialties are showing. Dumont and St Clair are both very focused on their own task, St Clair with building the shelter and getting food while Dumont searches for anything useful to fix the radio. Hammond, on the other hand, is very worried. He’s worried about the little girl who vanishes for most of the day and that nobody will find them or this island. He’s also attracted to Dumont but I’m pretty sure that’s one-sided. McBride is again the comic relief. While he and Segarra are looking for Miller, McBride talks about how he and Segarra can write a book about their experience and the book tour. He’s also the first to suggest supernatural events or aliens as the reason for everything.

This episode gives us more mysteries and ends in a huge cliffhanger. The characters are focusing on different things and getting frustrated because the others don’t agree on what’s most important. This brings some friction between them. The pace is somewhat slower than in the previous episode but we get to know the characters a bit better. The cliffhanger is, of course, a great way to read the next episode.

I’m getting a strong “Lost” vibe with this episode. I was hugely disappointed with the last season of that show so I’m just hoping that the authors know what they’re doing. 🙂

 

The Triangle: Episode 2: Mr. Babbit by Mindy McGinnis

The Triangle has 10 episodes, available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box starting April 24th.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

In the previous episode, Dumont and Hammond were able to pinpoint the area where the compass interferences come from and Vice Admiral Segarra took the team and two soldiers and they’re heading to that point. However, a storm is rising and they need to hurry so that they can arrive to their mysterious destination before the storm hits.

Inspector Marie St. Clair from Antigua’s police patrols the Bermuda area. She fights against smugglers and keeps the area safe for tourists who are essential to the country’s economy. When she sees a mysterious boat, she heads right there, intent on stopping it from going any further. She bullies her way into the boat when the storm hits.

The small boat struggles in the storm. It hits something metallic and the bottom is torn. One of the soldiers dies. However, they finally hit land and struggle out of the boat. Dumont saves the radio but she’s unable to save the antenna so the radio isn’t much use. The other soldier hits her head and is grievously wounded, falling unconscious.

When the storm finally dies, the small group returns to the wreck which was their boat. But it’s been stripped clean. They’re not alone!

Marie St. Clair is a a no-nonsense professional and focused on her job. Hammond is starting to notice how attractive Dumont is but he also feels guilty thinking about another woman than her fiancee who died in a flying accident (or is it an accident?). Personally, I’m not a romance reader and I’m really hoping that romance doesn’t take over.

The mysteries deepen. While Marie knows the islands in this region, she doesn’t know the island the group is on; it shouldn’t be there. That it may have inhabitants is baffling. The group is also in trouble because the wounded soldier needs urgent medical care. The episode ends in a cliffhanger.

McBride continues to add some humor in otherwise very grim situation: he salvages a copy of his book, claiming that it will be of use.

A very good continuation with more mysteries.

 

The Triangle: Episode 1: The Gathering Storm by Dan Koboldt

I received the whole serial eARC free from the publisher! I’m going to review it one episode a week. I haven’t read a serial before so it’s a new experience for me. The Triangle has 10 episodes, all available from The Triangle’s page at Serial Box starting April 24th.

Publisher: Serial Box 2019
Writers: Dan Koboldt, Mindy McGinnis, and Sylvia Spruck Wrigley.
Format: eARC

“Since two massive hurricanes hit the Bermuda Triangle region, ships and planes have disappeared, leaving behind a trail of haunting radio transmissions. A covert task force investigates, but finds themselves caught in a third hurricane and shipwrecked on an uncharted island. They discover something shocking there—and not just that they aren’t alone on the island. Can they survive long enough to escape the Triangle and tell the world?“

The first episode, of course, introduces us to the setting and the characters. The Triangle setting seems to be our modern world. However, there are hints that something supernatural or maybe alien is going on.

Tessa Dumont investigates plane crashes at the NTSB. She’s very good at her job, noticing small details that others miss. She’s also not comfortable around people or enclosed spaces. When retired Navy Vice Admiral David Segarra wants her to join his team of experts, she’s doesn’t want to go. But when he tells her that the target is the famous Bermuda Triangle and that even more ships and planes than usual have disappeared, and plays back the strange last transmission of one of the planes, she can’t resist joining the team.

Michael Hammond is a data recovery specialist. But after his fiancee died in a plane crash, he’s been unable to concentrate on anything. He distrusts anyone from NTSB because they ruled the crash an accident but he’s convinced that it couldn’t have been an accident. But when Segarra tells him about the mystery of the disappearances he joins the team.

But when the small team arrives on the secret underground base in the Caribbeans, they get another member over Segarra’s objections. Flamboyant Alastair McBride is an expert of Bermuda Triangle but he’s also a conspiracy theorist who loves to dig dirt about US government. Hammond loves his book while Segarra hates him and Dumont thinks his book is garbage. However, Segarra’s superiors order him to include McBride.

When it’s time to work, they each have theirs specialties and are able to put their differences behind them. They listen transmissions from the missing ships and planes, and find out that many of the pilots mentioned seeing a golden or orange light just before their transmissions end.

Among the missing is a whole battleship with more than 1000 people. Another is a private plane with two passengers, a father and his five-year old daughter. In the final transmission the child, Olivia, talk about someone she calls Mr. Babbit. It vanished five years ago.

The first episode does a good job of establishing the characters and their conflicts between each other and how they are still able to work together. I’m sure we also get to know much more about the characters as the story advances. They’re all professionals in their own areas, which is something I really like.

It also gives us a very good understanding of the mystery. I’ve heard of Bermuda Triangle, of course, and seen the X-Files episode about it, but I don’t know much beside it. We hear some of the last transmissions the planes and ships sent and the characters wonder about possible natural explanations but must dismiss that.

This is a very promising start. The first episode did its job and enticed me to read more.