Date first published	2003
ISBN Number	0 140 29737 5
Page Count	509 p/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are testing a new rescue submersible, when a request for help comes from the Danish Navy, after one of the ships seems to have been sunk on purpose by an animal rights group.

Having rescued the trapped sailors Kurt suddenly finds himself plunged into a violent world centred around the mysterious Oceanus Corporation. Joe and Kurt embark on dangerous mission to stop Oceanus from destroying the worlds fish species, but along the way finds that the murderous Corporation will stop at nothing to protect its interests.

Whilst Kurt and Joe battle Oceanus, Gamay and Paul Trout go looking for explanations and end up on the receiving end of Oceanus murderous policies. Unexplained deaths, disappearing fish, and a wild car ride ensure that the Trouts, have very little peace and quiet - just how they like it!

Review

The prelude starts off with a Basque sailor fleeing for his life from the Spanish Inquisition (Why does Monty Python spring to mind here). After a close run battle he sails off to the Faero Islands, and disappears.

Some 400 years later a top secret German mission is underway, to fly a derigable to the North Pole and back. On the way to the Pole the captain of the airship spots the wreck of a ship, and is never seen again. So the scene is set to bring in Austin and the Special Operations Team.

The rest of the story is centred around genetically engineered fish being used to wipe out fish stocks so that one company has complete control. The public face of the Oceanus Corporation is squeaky clean, yet it hides a clandestine operation which would have devastating consequences for the world.

Kemprecos in his writing of these books is using the same basic techniques of Cussler, but refreshingly doesn't take the technology to far. The story as with the others has one basic plot although viewed from different ways, until they gradually merge.

The character descriptions and motivations are still rather basic, and don't really show the motivations behind the way the characters operate and why.

What I did like about the book was the way the secret organisation the Kiolya, gradually emerge from the basic story. The main Kiolya thugs are merciless as is the organisation that it is working for. The exhibition at the museum being a set up to assassinate a Senator that is opposing the plans of Oceanus, quite a novel idea.

One thing I did find a bit strange was the sled ride around Washington. At the start of the section Kurt has tried sledding before but found it too difficult, when the next moment is navigating around Washington like a modern day Ben Hur.

I was quite surprised how quickly the feel of the book and the characters have settled down. We get through the whole book with barely a mention of Dirk Pitt.

Whilst I liked the book, and would be happy to take it on holiday with me, the stories are not quite up to the level of Inca Gold, Sahara, and Night Probe, which are probably the best of the Pitt novels - although they are all very good reads.

You won't be disappointed with this book.

Whilst writing this review it dawned on me that Cussler has not written a truly bad book, some have not been sparkling, but I would happily read all of them again, without complaint. This must say something for the author and his franchises.

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