Item - Greed, Guns, and Gold

Choose Your Own Adventure in its original iteration was getting along in years by the time Greed, Guns, and Gold reached bookstores in 1996. After almost two decades and one hundred seventy books, the series was noticeably dragging, but who better to inject a little life than mainstay author Edward Packard? A grand opportunity lands in your lap when Mrs. Scribner, the elderly woman from across the street, shows you a discovery she made in her home: a map displaying the location of buried treasure near the isle of Santa Theresa in the Caribbean Sea. Mrs. Scribner's great-grandfather, captain of a whaling vessel, fruitlessly sought the treasure in the 1870s, but perhaps you can finish the job. Accompanied by Howard Erdman—your mother's adventurous cousin—and his son Allen, you head to Santa Theresa.

The map indicates "Windward Island" as the treasure's location, but no such place seems to exist. It could be Calf Island, which catches more wind than any other around Santa Theresa, but you'll have to search it thoroughly. You, Howard, and Allen run into a man named Judson Garvey on Santa Theresa; he's nosy, and you fear he caught a glimpse of the treasure map. Mack Daniels, captain of the Serina—the boat you charter to explore Calf Island—is also unduly curious; he and his first mate Sue try to get you to admit you're not on a fossil dig as Howard claims. Be careful of spilling the beans; if the wrong person sees the map, the gold will be gone before you set eyes on it. After an initial inspection of Calf Island turns up nothing substantial, you have the option to stay on Santa Theresa the next day to do library research while Howard and Allen go back to the island. You might get your big break this way, if you play it right.

Captain Duval is a crusty old seaman who knows the Santa Theresa area like his own family. You find him at the Dockside Tavern, and he tells you he overheard Judson Garvey plotting to steal the treasure for himself. Do you trust the Captain? If not, Howard and Allen may be goners already. As you and the Captain arrive at Calf Island, there's no sign of your cousins. Once on land you may have to deal with a psychotic Garvey bent on snatching the treasure at any cost, including murder. The Captain is a capable ally, but old; can he survive a fight to the death? An alternative to hiring Captain Duval to help save Howard and Allen is to pay Mack and Sue to sail out in the Serina. Mack is still sore that you haven't told him the truth of your treasure search, but he's willing to serve if the price is right. Can he stop Garvey, or is the treasure cursed as some over the years have speculated?

Greed, Guns, and Gold came out less than twenty books before the original Choose Your Own Adventure series ended. Gone were the high-concept stories from Edward Packard's early days, replaced by generic adventures like this one. I suppose the structure of Greed, Guns, and Gold is somewhat unusual in that several early decisions can lead directly to an ending after a few pages of story, defying the typical formula of two central branching paths. The book is challenging; finding the treasure and staying alive is accomplished in only a couple of endings, so if you reach one, you've done well. Greed, Guns, and Gold is an okay read, but left me craving a more innovative experience from an author who has proven capable of delivering exactly that.

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