The Corsican Shadow

The Pitt family (Dirk, Dirk Jnr and Summer) become involved in a complex and convoluted multi-strand plot involving World War II diamonds, a treasure that is the 'Soul of France' and a bonkers plot to exploit recently discovered off-shore aquifers by destroying/polluting key fresh water supplies to Israel, Paris and New York.

Although involved in these schemes accidentally (wrong place, wrong time) the bad guys assume the Pitts are out to get them (paranoia rightly being a key characteristic of large scale evildoers). This generally involves being captured, nearly escaping, being recaptured, escaping again and foiling all plots.

The action is unrelenting but curiously flat because there is little jeopardy and escape is often through show more accident or serendipity. There is too much plot here; the diamonds and treasure generally hold centre stage, so the business around fresh water supplies feels like it came from another book.

Generally, not a bad beach read and satisfying enough (in an A-Team episode kind of way), but the Cussler factory needs to tighten up a bit. show less

To protect the spirit of France from the Germans in the summer of 1940, a secret mission is launched to save the nation’s greatest citizen from the hands of its eternal enemy with a nice shiny bonus. The Corsican Shadow is the twenty-seventh installment of the Dirk Pitt series and the second that Dirk Cussler has written exclusively to continue this father’s creation.

Dirk Cussler wrote a tight, engaging narrative in which the protagonists, though separated from one another, interacted with two factions of the same antagonists. Though Cussler tried to hide the fact that the body of Napoleon was the big treasure with diamonds, the book’s title—though a character was included as a misdirection—and the size of the crate basically show more gave things away. Another nitpick was that fact that the antagonists didn’t kill any of the protagonists instead of just tying them up to be blown up and having one of the antagonists thinking this same thing before deciding to blow Summer Pitt up, while addressing the issue it just highlighted it even more. Yet, this was a page-turner of a novel that overall had very good writing and followed one of the series’ good adventures.

The Corsican Shadow is another good installment written by Dirk Cussler to continue the Dirk Pitt series begun by his father. show less

action-adventure, thriller, timely, international-crime-and-mystery, international-espionage, international-tensions, NUMA, suspense, mariners, diamonds, water, friendship, family-dynamics, twins, underwater-investigations, historical-research*****

I was stalling on the reading of this latest Cussler because I know three things about it: it will be a great read, it will keep me from boring tasks (and a night's sleep), and I will learn something important! I always come to a Cussler book for the action/adventure, historical info (I rarely check the historicals anymore as they are always solid), and sly humor but stay for the new and different plot. And unlike reality, justice triumphs. While the Dirk Pitt series is certainly a show more testosterone fest, there is nothing toxic or in any way abusive in it. There is a new Cussler writing, and he does a wonderful job!
I requested and received an EARC from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley. Thank you!!! show less

I listened to the audiobook and I must say Scott Brock trying a French accent let alone a female French accent was horribly distracting