Date first published	10 June 2010
ISBN Number	0 718 15588 2
Page Count	436
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

It is 1908, and international tensions are mounting as the world plunges towards war.

When a brilliant American battleship gun designer dies in an apparent suicide, the man's grief-stricken daughter turns to the legendary Van Dorn Detective Agency to clear her father's name. Van Dorn puts his chief investigator on the case, and Isaac Bell soon realizes that the clues point not to suicide, but to murder.

When more suspicious deaths follow, it becomes clear that someone - an elusive spy - is orchestrating the destruction of America's brightest technological minds ...and the murders all connect to a top-secret project called Hull 44. As the intrigue deepens, Bell finds himself pitted against German, Japanese, and British spies, in a mission that encompasses dreadnought battleships, Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, Chinatown, Hell's Kitchen, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Isaac Bell has certainly faced perilous situations before, but this time it is more than the future of his country that's at stake - it's the fate of the world.

Review

The last book I felt was much too similar to the first novel, and I also criticised the book for lots of travel around the country, which took up a lot of space, but didn't move the plot along that much.

Someone has obviously read my last review! The story is much more focused than before, less travel, and when there is a train journey, we have a major confrontation with the opposition.

The author is obviously now more comfortable with the way the series is going, the characters have bedded in nicely, and you actually feel shock when one of Bell's confederates is killed in a very cleverly laid trap. However the trap slightly backfires, as it gives Bell the lead to the next act of sabotage.

The Spy's plan is very clever, and leaves you guessing as to what his plans are, although if you read the story carefully you will guess who the Spy is. The motive takes a bit more time to come through, and at the end of the day it is not about ideology, as much of spying is, but more about personal greed and power. This moves quite away from the usual Spy motives, and Bell meets a couple who are trying to find out what the Americans are up to with their hull developments.

The characters as with most of Cusslers books are only thinly sketched out, I think the most rounded characters are Pitt and Giordino, however that has only come about because they have been around for over three decades. However the characters are now easily identifiable, the gruff but friendly boss - Van Dorn, the elegant, but independent lover - Marion Morgan, but no regular side kick as of yet. In fact Bell does not really require a side kick, as he is more than capable of getting out of most scrapes, although a little help now and then is always welcome.

So all round a nice fast paced story, with more central action, and less travelling around the countryside. I liked it and will look forward to the next installment, which is due early next year. If the quality remains this high Cussler has several good franchises going, with only the Kurt Austin series a bit week.

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