I liked the idea of a ship and a train as possible places to explore with a hero who is always right and can do the incredible. Also, I like how many of the references used are or were in existence. I did not like how many political men were involved in the story because it confused who was who—I wondered where the truth was on some historical details. I didn't particularly appreciate how unscrupulous officials can be. ( )

[b:Night Probe!|818372|Night Probe! (Dirk Pitt, #6)|Clive Cussler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388278191s/818372.jpg|1689755] by [a:Clive Cussler|18411|Clive Cussler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1225620641p2/18411.jpg]

Genres; Action/Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Suspense

4 Stars

Published April 1st 1982 by Bantam Book
I admit it. I oftentimes buy my books at flea markets and yard sells. What is awesome is when the wife is dumping her husbands book collection. Talk about a gold mine for an avid addicted reader and a lover of suspense, action and 'secret agent' types. This particular yard sell endeavor yielded me a BOX FULL of paperback and (got to love it) Hardback! copies of Clive Cussler books and other gems.
Another big plus, in the very near future I was to meet my present husband, and when he saw my collection of these books, it was 'Insta-Love'.
I sometimes wonder if he just wanted me for my books. Lmbo.
This one was full of action and suspense. Mystery & Intrigue.
A super fun read.
I Loved it. ( )

Classic Dirk Pitt, this one is fun, particularly for residents of the Hudson Valley. These aren't sophisticated, realistic or complicated, just good fun reads. ( )

One one hand, wow can you tell that some of these books were written in the 80s. The energy crisis is top on everyone's mind and the USSR still stands.

This lays the groundwork for a bizarre alternate reality where a North American Treaty was signed between the UK and the US with the former selling Canada to the latter for $1 billion. It's a fairly ridiculous premise for a series that otherwise more or less takes place in our world, but that's become something of par for the course for Dirk Pitt. And it doesn't matter (in universe) anyways, since after the treaty was lost, two of the three copies were mysteriously lost: one in the (real life) ship wreck of the RMS Empress of Ireland (only 465 survivors out of 1477); the other lost when a train--The Manhattan Limited--falls through a bridge into a river.

It's a crazy coincidence for the most part, but it does set up the part where the Dirk Pitt novels really shine: digging through historical documents to pin down where the ship and train are and then going through what I assume (given Cussler's own experience) are more or less the real techniques that would be employed to salvage a ship/train from the bottom of their respective rivers. Also: ghost train. Because why not.

There's also a strange Canadian politics / energy trade / Quebec independence plotline that I didn't care overmuch for. That mostly acts as motivation and funding for a few of the weirder bits of the main plot.

Overall, it's a fun adventure and nautical salvage book. Pitt remains the James Bond of ocean salvage, unable to fail, but that's okay--he's the BIG DAMN HERO.

Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. This is the Dirk Pitt I remember from high school. ( )

A good action movie for the head. even if it's a bit old ( )