Havana Storm

One of the better paced Cussler father/son duo Pitt novels, this book still features the same playbook, in my humble opinion, of father providing the story and/or guidance and son penning the majority if not all of the novel. The dialogue remains very straightforward and simple, if not dull, as the previous 5 Cussler/Cussler Pitt books, but I enjoyed the plot of this novel more than most of the previous 5. Sidenote: Cussler in his heyday wrote 100 times better plots and dialogue than these father/son efforts. Dirk Pitt and his twin children find themselves in the middle of a plot by Cuban nationals to mine the seafloor for minerals/elements that will provide materials necessary for nuclear weapons. The actions of this mining are show more releasing large amounts of mercury into American waters. Also, the kids are off searching for an ancient Aztec treasure that (of course) ultimately ties in to the problems they face in Cuban waters. I see an improvement in Dirk Cussler's writing efforts with this one, but he still has a long way to go to match what Clive cranked out when he was in his prime. I could recommend this one as a beach book with a favorite beverage as a companion. show less

I read this in two days, because that is how much I enjoy Dirk Pitt Adventures! I don't know what it is about Dirk Pitt, but I just dig him. He is like Indiana Jones of the Sea. I loved all the anthropological sequences with Summer and Dirk Jr, in Mexico. I studied the Aztecs in college and appreciate the effort for research. It was a fun mix of fact and fiction! I love how he weaves together real life history with creative fiction, like his explanation for the sinking of the Maine. If someone had told me this theory, I would have laughed, but the way the way Clive and his son Dirk weave the story, it makes total sense. That is talent right there! Cannot wait for the next Dirk Pitt Novel!

I had a nearly complete collection of Clive Cussler and had planned to run through each series in publication order, starting with Dirk Pitt, in 2015 (I like to pick one author each year and concentrate my casual reading split on as many works as possible), but I lost the collection in a fire. I saw Cussler's latest Pitt novel on First to Read, threw my name in the hat and got a chance to read the galleys of Havana Storm before publication. Although it's been at least ten years since I read any Dirk Pitt (I picked up the books and the other series as they were published to add to the shelf, but hadn't read them), one of the problems I accepted in advance by deciding to read this now is the potential for spoilers. Minus the minor few show more along the way, page 305 held a surprise. Oh well...

Cussler is one of those anomalies that I wouldn't normally read, but do. Too many things I dislike scream "Don't read this!!!" His cliche ridden pulp is annoying on several levels. I don't read that many adventure novels, and I really don't like to read books that annoy me on nearly every page, and yet...I still read his stuff. I don't know the degree of contributions on all of his later years collaborations, but they all follow the formulas he's developed over his productive history and It seems he's got final editorial control.

As to the Pitt formula, I get it ... some kind of historical connection; some kind of world disaster; Pitt being in the exact right place at the exact right time to not only get sucked into the intertwined threads of the disaster and the historical finds, but rescue someone; the vintage cars (I like those); nearly every engagement being life-threatening yet somehow Cussler's characters seemingly impossibly manage to escape from. It's a good formula for Cussler that works and this book stays true to it. Still, I always found the trademark name-dropping product placement campy (has to be a Doxa dive watch, and Cutty Sark scotch??? ...please...)

By far, the most annoying style point of Cussler for me is how he has his characters say out loud things that a normal person might only think. His characters blurt out facts that would be intuitively obvious to another character, or worse, facts to another character that is introduced as an expert who would consider such facts trivial and never think to state term out loud. It's weird...almost as if his characters are kids who feel the need to show how much they know. Out loud. And yet, I still read these.

So, Havana Storm... As noted above, the book sticks to the standard Pitt recipe: ancient artifact, world threatened, Pitt saves the day and the artifact. It is high on camp, Cussler is still a touch sexist, and certainly cliche, but the pace is quick and the read not difficult, so it goes fast.

Ignore the annoyances and it's great pulp, a fun adventure and a solid add to the series. show less

An Aztec treasure that influences the history between the United States and Cuba plus adding into the narrative a Cuban underwater mining operation that is causing ecological damage that is linked to political shenanigans of the island nation’s leadership. Havana Storm is the twenty-third book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series and the sixth cowritten by his son Dirk.

A standard novel for the series with a fun narrative that has been the hallmark of the younger Cussler’s time writing with his father. As with the last two novels Clive goes back to the well with the elder Dirk being the hero and damsel-in-distress savior, this time with his daughter Summer being said damsel multiple times though on one occasion she is more active in show more saving herself. A nice change of pattern was the inclusion of a wealthy industrialist that isn’t a massive dirt bag but a nice human being. Unlike the hard retcon of Trojan Odyssey that has occurred over the past few books, this book had a soft retcon of some elements of Cyclops though the ones left in should have resulted in a few different narrative choices especially concerning the elder Pitt.

Havana Storm continues the fun narratives that have marked the series since Dirk Cussler has joined his father in writing, however Clive’s desire to keep on fall back on tropes continues to be a downside that has hamstrung these last few books. show less

I have to disagree with any reviewer that says this is another great book by Clive Cussler, who has become as formulaic as anyone writing today. The basic plot has rogue forces in the Cuban government hoping to wrest control of Cuba from Raul Castro, using an arms deal for uranium with the North Koreans as currency. The uranium is being mined off the ocean floor, with potentially catastrophic environmental consequences. Al Giordino and Dirk Pitt head off to investigate while the Pitt twins are seeking archaeological relics. As always, everyone is kidnapped at some point and then spend much of the book rescuing each other and solving the parallel mysteries.

“When power is up for grabs,” Pitt said, “the first casualty is often liberty.”

Oof.

I'm starting to feel like a broken record. Didn't already do Cuba, seafloor mining, and Aztec treasures? Admittedly not in the same book. And they do mention that Dirk Pitt (Sr) met Fidel Castro once upon a story. So there's something.

Overall, there area lot of threads going on that don't really feel all that related. The mining plotline isn't that interesting. The Aztec treasures are pretty cool, although feels like a much smaller plot o the book.

And while for the most part Cussler has gotten much, much better about misogyny throughout his books:

"I saw a bright light," she said in a weak voice. "I thought it was an angel calling me, then I

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realized it was something else."

"What's that?" Pitt asked, leaning close.

"It was you," she said, reaching up to her father's face and stroking away a tear.

Daw... but eep? Just about all of them keep getting captured over and over again. Dirk Pitt Sr? Dirk Pitt Jr? (still confusing) Al? They can rescue themselves. But Summer? Needs dear old aging dad.

Ug.

Overall, it's more of the same, but enjoyable enough. show less

I have enjoyed reading several of the Cussler Dirk Pitt novels and this one is no exception. Dirk's son and daughter do plenty of near fatal diving, ancient artifacts are recovered, and the "real" cause of the Spanish-American war is uncovered. Fidel is history and Raul has to outwit assassins and over-zealous revolutionaries to remain in power to make a deal with the USA. Cuban bad guys make deals with the North Koreans, uranium that is illegally mined for nukes. Remember the Maine? Focus on that shipwreck for clues.Teddy Roosevelt and the "Treasure of Montezuma?" Who knew? What great fun with twisted history. The descriptions of the underwater mining and rescue scenes have great detail. The suspense is of big screen quality. I read it show more in one day and recommend it for action lovers. My thanks to the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy. show less