Mexican vacation turns into horror among 'The Ruins'

Scott Smith's latest novel, "The Ruins," really grows on you.

When two couples head to Cancun, Mexico, to celebrate graduating from college with a three-week vacation, they're looking forward to nothing but lazy days on the beach. On a snorkeling outing to Cozumel one day, they meet Mathias, a friendly German tourist who winds up hanging out with the Americans on the beach at the end of each day. A few days later they are joined by a trio of young Greek men also on vacation. The Greeks don't speak or understand English - but that's not a necessary skill for drinking buddies to bond.

Mathias confides in his new American friends - Jeff, Amy, Eric and Stacy - that his younger brother, Heinrich, is missing. Heinrich had met a girl on the beach and told Mathias he wanted to join her at the archeological dig where she was working a few small towns away. He told Mathias if things went well, he might not be back in time for their return flight.

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