THE SPOILS OF ARARAT

Is that really Noah's Ark being discovered on Mount Ararat? Is that really it lurking in the suspicious ice bulge that responds so vividly to tests made by satellite The U.S. President is delighted that the literalness of the Bible may soon be proven. The CIA has its special interest. And a viciously virile Turkish Armenian mountaineer, Hakob Simonian, has the inside dope: he knows just what's on top of Ararat, and he's leading Tony McIntyre, an archaeologist disguised as a millionaire, and Nick Coronado, a climber whose wife died on Everest, up to the bulge--which lies in forbidden Turkish territory. You can be sure there'll be dangers on Ararat: avalanches; abominable beasts that savage theft victims like wild bears; strange WW II survivors who've been camping on Ararat for years; and the disasters built into the trio by their mutual distrust. The climax will satisfy suspense readers more fully than those seeking spiritual adventure or revelation--Nazi gold bullion gets uncovered instead of the ark. All in all, Katz' busy thriller reads like an amusing shot at a filmscript (or a satire of one), full of bounce and submachine guns and gold bars--and a lot of talent going up in smoke.