About The Coordinator

Killings, attempted murder and kidnappings plague a Hollywood company preparing to film in the coastal jungles of Mexico.

Kerns, the Construction Coordinator, overcomes his fear of sea and sharks to rescue a floundering swimmer. The naked stranger is beautiful, drugged, near death and apparently suffering from amnesia. Kerns has given her a new life. She demands he program it. Kerns names her Sidney and determines to pull her drug lapsed mind back into reality.

An ancient gold coin strikes chords of terror. Sidney's mind begins to open. She tells of a sunken Spanish galleon and the "Black Curse" tied to the fortune that went down with it.

Zeitz Barbie, leader of a Neo-Nazi terrorist group wants the gold to finance his cause. Miles at sea he drugs and murders Sidney's crew. Carrying the secret of the treasure's location in her locked mind, Sidney makes a desperate undersea escape. The Coordinator rescues her.

Kerns, with the film's Mexican carpenters, Hollywood stunts and Special Effects departments becomes embroiled in a madcap chase upon a cyclone torn sea. The Nazi's dream of power must be destroyed. The film crew is snapped from a world of celluloid fantasy into grim reality.

Published by

ISBN 0769606587

Review

Zeller Delivers with a Bang, August 14, 2001

Reviewer: Conrad Wesselhoeft from Seattle, WA USA

The opening scene of the "The Coordinator" is a male fantasy come true. (Just give it four or five pages, and you'll see what I mean.) Whether you like this hot and heavy approach (I did), the book has two big things going for it: a compelling plot involving a sunken treasure, and an unforgettable protagonist - the world-weary, much-married, chronically profane Tim Kerns.

Kerns is a construction "coordinator" for a Hollywood movie being filmed in Mexico. This is something like his 30th film, and he's grown to despise the suits and big egos on the set. He'd rather just get the work done and spend his down time with his crew - guys who work hard, drink hard, screw around, but who have a core work ethic and honesty. Kerns' beautiful wife Sarah waits for him back in the States - or so he thinks. Meanwhile, a lusty part mermaid-part ninja named Sid has just washed into his life. He wants to be a good husband but damn, Sid is just so ... so ... What's a guy to do?

The book is filled with memorable characters, but it's at its best when Kerns is front and center. He commands a scene the way a good actor - say Robert Duvall or Morgan Freeman - might. His attitude is: been there, done that, don't mess with me. Except when it comes to Sarah and Sid. Around them, Kerns' savvy detachment -- his ponytail cool -- transforms into nervous, caught-with-pants-down chagrin.

Zeller's style is fast and fluid. It's also funny. He's taking lots of pokes at the movie business. (The blurb on the back says he's worked on numerous films, including "Dances with Wolves," "Medicine Man," and "Fool for Love.") The book has more than its share of typos - a distraction. On the whole, though, "The Coordinator" delivers with a bang. I recommend this book, and say to Zeller: GIVE US MORE!