As Micheal Corleone said, in The Godfather: Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

In The Prince Madoc Secret, book three of the Oak Grove Conspiracies series by Barrie Doyle, just as journalist Stone Wallace and the historian father-daughter team of Huw and Mandy Griffiths think they’ve rid themselves and the world of the Druids, they discover otherwise.

Two deaths set the stage for the rest of the book’s events: the successful assassination of a key political figure in Wyoming and an unsuccessful attempt on Wallace in London, England. And, while seeming unrelated, Wallace and the Griffiths are offered an assignment from the BBC to produce a documentary about a long-forgotten Welsh royal, Prince Madoc. Research into the prince, who supposedly discovered America before Christopher Columbus, leads the trio to discover a Druid plot behind Prince Madoc’s disappearance and their current circumstances.

Author Barrie Doyle has the ability to surprise the reader with unexpected twists and turns.

As with each of the books in the Oak Grove Conspiracies, once the Druids are involved, danger, seen and unseen, abounds. Doyle is one of the best action adventure writers there is. I agree with the the reviewer compared him favorably to Tom Clancy (creator of the Jack Ryan stories): Doyle has the ability to draw a reader into the plot, cheer for the heroes and hiss at the villains. He has the ability to surprise the reader with unexpected twists and turns. As cliched as it may sound, The Prince Madoc Secret is a page-turning, keep-you-up-at-night novel that you just have to keep reading until you’re finished.

The Prince Madoc Secret can be read as a stand-alone adventure, but it really helps to have read the other books in the series: The Excalibur Parchment and The Lucifer Scroll. The background of the previous Druid plots isn’t essential because Doyle fills in gaps, but if you enjoyed The Prince Madoc Secret, you’ll want to find out what happened before.

When I interviewed Doyle at the release of The Excalibur Parchment, he said he planned on a trilogy. With this third book, and a few cryptic curves thrown in, I’m hoping for a fourth installment…and maybe even more. As a fan, I say let the Oak Grove Conspiracies adventures continue.