Civilizations fell when Cortez and his conquistadores landed in the New World. The Mayans, the Aztecs and the Toltec all vanished into the mists of history. But one tribe survived: the Actatl. And what survived with them was their huge stone idol, Uctut - the sacred rock which demanded blood as a sacrifice . . . human blood.

When the stone is despoiled in a New York museum by a young graffiti freak, the Actatl leaders demand revenge on the despoiler and on the country which gave rise to him. Their method of vengeance? Simple - extract the victim's heart. But when one of their first victims is a US Congressman, something special is called for.

Enter Remo Williams: The Destroyer, an ex-cop who should be dead, but instead fights for the secret government law-enforcement organisation CURE. Trained in the esoteric martial art of Sinanju by his aged mentor, Chiun, Remo is America's last line of defence.

Breathlessly action-packed and boasting a winning combination of thrills, humour and mysticism, the Destroyer is one of the bestselling series of all time.