The Ruins begins with two American couples, Jeff and Amy, Eric and Stacy, vacationing in Cancun. They befriend a German man, whose brother disappeared after following a woman to an archaeological site. The four Americans decide to spend a day helping their German friend find his brother and to enjoy exploring Mayan ruins. As they venture into the jungle, their day of adventure turns into horror, where both the natives and the jungle are aligned against them, and their own relationships unravel under the strain. Scott Smith's second novel (after
A Simple Plan) is a non-stop, violent thriller of their journey into the ruins.
The Ruins has received mostly positive reviews with Salon.com saying, "In a way, that's what Scott Smith does in this novel, shows us an aspect of ourselves and of human nature we'd rather not acknowledge. He's such a master, though, that it's impossible to look away."
