Date first published	06/01/2011
ISBN Number	978-0-718-15616-9
Page Count	402 h/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

While scuba diving in Tanzania, Sam and Remi Fargo come upon a relic belonging to a long-lost Confederate ship. An anomaly about the relic sets them off chasing a mystery-but unknown to them, a much more powerful force is engaged in the same chase. Mexico's ruling party, the ultranationalist Mexica Tenochca, is intent on finding that artifact as well, because it contains a secret that could destroy the party utterly.

Through Tanzania and Zanzibar, into the rain forests of Madagascar, and across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia and the legendary site of the 1883 Krakatoa explosion, the Fargos and their ruthless opponents pursue the hunt-but only one can win. And the penalty for failure is death.

Review

I'm not sure that the bye-line is totally accurate, in that when Sam & Remi find the relic the opposition have more or less stopped searching and seem happy just to suppress any finds - with lethal consequences.

I did think the central premise behind the story how finding the hidden secret would destroy the Tenocha rather weak. If scientific discovery proved the Aztec mythes, as fact, then surely it would strengthen their cause? After all from what we glean in the story the Aztec history seems to tell of an exodus?

Putting that aside, I largely liked the story. I find Sam and Remi likeable characters. They have not been filled out as people very well to this point, and that needs to be addressed, but the stories are like the old Pitt stories. They differ in that they do tend to be bookworms, rather Dirks' and Al's method of kicking in the door! Thats not to say that they won't defend themselves with force if necessary.

I did find some of the research rather tiring, but the use of pictures, did go some way to explain some of the plot. Some quite complex mathematical theories were thrown into the mix along with some cryptography, which is a subject I find nearly incomprehensible.

You have a henchman, who is persistent, and malevolent, and is appropriately dispatched at the end, something the later Pitt stories don't do so well. The story is also set in some very unusual and exotic locations, and I must admit they all add to the mix that make this an intriguing series. The one thing that annoyed me in the Pitt series was the appearance of Cussler to get them out of a sticky situation, and that has cropped up in this story. A minor thing I know, but for some reason it narks me intensely. Why? I'm not really sure, but gets me turning the pages faster!

As you would expect the diving sequences are well done, and the action in the main well planned, some of it reminiscent of Dirk Pitt at his cheeky best. For a story about Aztecs, remarkably little is set in Mexico. In fact the only bit set in Mexico is the Tenochca, and the head honcho trying to keep a lid on the secret.

Overall I liked the story, it followed a reasoned pattern, and the characters are believable. I would probably put this in joint second place at the moment with the Bell series. For me the Oregon stories are the best franchise, with the NUMA files trailing in behind the Bell and Fargo stories.

This is another good outing, it would be nice if we got to know the Fargos some more, and they became more rounded. As with all Cussler stories they give a nice break from reality, and are a good easy read.

The plot weakness just stops it getting a 4.

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