The Jade Head - Softcover

After getting sacked from his job, Bob Wayne gives in to his urge to escape to the tropics for what he hopes will be a Hemingway-esque adventure. Soon after arriving in Belize, he becomes involved with a colorful collection of local characters. Then, while touring the Mayan ruins, he learns about the famous jade Mayan statute of the Sun God, Kinich Ahau, the largest jade Mayan artifact ever recovered. After meeting a shady American businessman, Nick Devlin, and his beautiful Creole girlfriend, Bob gets caught up in a risky business venture at a jungle plantation, which sets his life on a new and unexpected course. This humorous and suspenseful story paints a vivid picture of Belize and its diverse and fascinating people. In addition to being pure entertainment, readers will learn about the diverse cultures of Belize: the Creoles, Mestizos, Garifunas, and, surprisingly, the Mennonites; and travel with the author to Belize City, Ambergris Cay, Cayo and Orange Walk, and the Mayan sites at Lamanai, Xunantunich and Altun Ha.

Patrick Grady graduated from the University of Illinois in 1968 and moved to Canada, where he earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Toronto. Dr. Grady is the President of Global Economics, Ltd., an Ottawa-based economic consulting firm. The Jade Head was inspired by a series of business trips he made to Belize for the World Bank.