Congo

Michael Crichton's Congo is a science fiction novel based in the late 1970's. An expedition sent deep into the Congo rain forest by the ERTS to look for rare diamonds gets slaughtered by a mysterious being. The only evidence there is is the video feed of the camp, which captured the expedition's last moments, as well as a fuzzy image of what seems to be gorilla. ERTS rushes another team into the jungle in order to continue the first team's mission, to find rare diamonds before other exploration companies could. The diamonds themselves have a blue coloration, making them very useful for electronics, hence the very intense competition to get to them first. Equipped with the latest in technology, the group, led by Karen Ross, hurries to Africa. But this group has two unusual members; Amy, a gorilla who knows ASL, American sign language, and her trainer Peter Elliot. They need the guidance of Munro, a shady guide who knows the area well, but he is deciding between them or the rival company.
This book is fast paced and interesting. As an action-thriller-mystery-sci fi kind of book, there are various creative aspects the author includes in the book, including the subtle hints about the future as well as carefully integrated fiction with reality, so to make it not seem too unreal. I'm about halfway through the book.