Ghost Ship

Cayman 2026 - #2 - Continuing the long-standing (weird!) tradition of reading a Clive Cussler book on vacation, it was time for this - #12 in NUMA Files Series. While some of these are enormously outlandish in the believability category, this one was somewhat more reasonable. Lots of thrilling moments of 'just in the nick of time' excitement, along with the discovery of a very old missing abandoned ocean liner mysteriously floating at sea.....crazy lunatics hell-bent on taking over the world's financial system infrastructure, clever James Bond-ish new underwater devices and weapons, & the 2 oceanographers and their marine biologist cohorts running to save the day. Always a good romp, nice short chapters, and the need to keep reading! show more What a book should always be! Fun. show less

Ghost Ship by Clive Cussler is the type of writing we expect from the number #1 adventure author out there. After the let-down of The Tombs (read review here), I can understand if readers are hesitant to get their hands on the rest of Cussler's work, but like everything in life: "Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose." It just so happens that Ghost Ship is one of the winners again. The twelve book in the NUMA Files lived up to my expectations with a gripping adventure, exciting twists and turns, and well-written characters. That's what we want, after all, and by God we got it.

Now, as most of Cussler's books are these days, this one was also co-written. Graham Brown brings something fresh to the table, and yes Cussler and Brown work show more well together. Also, Graham Brown is not too shabby to look at (just thought I'd mention that somewhere ... look ... http://grahambrownthrillers.com/meet-graham *waves* Hi Graham, you're really pretty to look at. Have anyone told you that recently?).

Anyway, back to the review ...

If you enjoy high-octane action, adventures and thrillers, not to mention some nifty gadgets, then boy, oh boy will you love this book. I mean, it's a freaking roller-coaster from beginning to end.

In other words, I loved it.

I recommend the NUMA Files series to anyone who likes a bit of nitty-grittiness in their literature, some tongue-in-cheek humour added to their adventures, a generous amount of suspense, and a few heaped teaspoons of excitement.

(Review originally published on www.killeraphrodite.com) show less

"NUMA? Aren't they a bunch of marine biologists or something?

The answer to that is yes they are. Except in this book as they act more like spies trying to prevent a catastrophe, going so far as too go into North Korea to follow a lead. This book is an action thriller totally unlike anything NUMA would normally do. It plays heavily on Kurt Austin's former life as a CIA operative. It is as if he never left.

Perhaps that is why I found this more enjoyable than some of the other books in the series. It also calls into the question the need for the Trouts as they play a minor role that doesn't add hugely to the main story line. It's more of a side story, interesting enough in itself, with a bit of relevance to the story, however if it was show more removed the story would still hold up. The book would just have a different title.

An enjoyable read. show less

When one of the best characters of all time goes down hurt, your heart breaks a little. When it shows up that he's being altered by modern medicine, you want to throw your arms up in frustration. Cussler's characters leap of the page at you and make you excited and sad and angry and when it all ends, you almost need a vacation. Love this author, love this book.

Lively entry in this good series as a NUMA team tries to rescue a fair lady and prevent a massive attack on worldwide computer operations. Venues change rapidly as Kurt and Joe pursue the Indian Ocean based kingpins of this deep and well-planned plot.

From Amazon:

When Kurt Austin is injured attempting to rescue the passengers and crew from a sinking yacht, he wakes with fragmented and conflicted memories. Did he see an old friend and her children drown, or was the yacht abandoned when he came aboard? For reasons he cannot explain, Kurt doesn’t trust either version of his recollection.

Determined to know the truth, he begins to search for answers, and soon finds himself descending into a shadowy world of state-sponsored cyber-crime, and uncovering a pattern of vanishing scientists, suspicious accidents, and a web of human trafficking. With the help of Joe Zavala, he takes on the sinister organization at the heart of this web, facing off with them in locations ranging from Monaco to show more North Korea to the rugged coasts of Madagascar.

My Thoughts:

I have read Clive Cusslers's NUMA series for years and always enjoyed them. Somehow in spite of the great number of them he always presented an exciting adventure with real-to-life characters...except for the fact that they always saved the world. This one just didn't have the feeling of the others. While not a bad story, Kurt Austin spent the majority of the book searching for a woman that he was once engaged to and who wasn't very likable in the first place. Is it worth the time to read? Yes. Three stars instead of the usual 4 or 5. show less

Good story line as usual. Up to date with computer virus and hacking included in the plot line. Nicely done.