There is enough adventure in "Dragons in the Waters" to make Nancy Drew and her chums squirm: a shipboard murder that could have been committed by any one of the passengers or crew; a kidnapping: an attack by a wild boar; a young boy lost in the Venezuelan jungle…. And much more….

The plot of "Dragons in the Waters" is complex and might be confusing to less able readers. The narrative is an intriguing mixture of contemporary allusions and gothic mystery. But does it work? Will readers find Simon's decision to remain in the primitive Quiztano village believable? It is a credit to the author's skill at characterization that they will. (p. 22)

Cynthia Benjamin, in The New York Times Book Review (© 1976 by The New York Times Company; reprinted by permission), June 20, 1976.