Mystery/Thriller Book Reviews
Page One of FourBlue Gold by Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos
Pocket Books, August 2000Trade paperback, 378 pages.
ISBN: 067178546X.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
When Clive Cussler decided to launch a new NUMA
(National Underwater & Marine Agency)
series with a new hero, die-hard fans of Dirk Pitt were somewhat
alarmed. They needn't have worried: Kurt Austin and Joe
Zavala are every bit as exciting to watch as the original
NUMA crew. Kurt and Joe set off in the high-tech mini-sub
to Mexico to investigate the mysterious deaths of
migrating gray whales, but they and their mini-sub are
nearly blown to smithereens. Meanwhile, rumors have
been surfacing about a white goddess and her mysterious
tribe of natives who live cloaked in the depths of the
Venezuelan rain forest. But the rumors aren't half as wild
as the truth as NUMA researchers Paul and Gamay Trout are about
to find out. Soon it becomes clear that the two NUMA teams'
investigations are dovetailing; both seem to lead to a mysterious
billionaire who may be behind a ruthless scheme to
monopolize the Earth's water supply. Soon, Kurt and
the gang are up to their rudders in espionage, treachery
and firefights as they race against time to stop a
worldwide disaster.
The first chapter of Blue Gold opens with a heart-pounding boat race and the action doesn't let up for a second until the rip-roaring denouement. Kurt and Joe are a likeable team, and Cussler knows his way around a great plot, fascinating locations and perfect pacing. So, suspend your disbelief, kick back and dive into the always exciting world of Clive Cussler -- you'll be glad you did.
A Conventional Corpse by Joan Hess
St. Martin's Minotaur, June 2000.Hardcover, 275 pages.
ISBN: 0312246625.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In Farberville, Arkansas, bookstore owner Claire Mallory
has gotten stuck running the town's first mystery
convention held at the local college. Still, she hopes she can
make some money by selling some books at the
convention. But bookselling is going to be last on
her list of activities at this convention; seeing to the
outrageous demands of the five mystery authors has
suddenly taken top priority. When the universally
despised mystery editor of Paradigm House, Roxanne
Small, puts in a surprise appearance at the convention, things
seem as if they couldn't get any worse. But they do; one
of the convention attendees dies in a seeming car
accident, and then Roxanne goes missing. Meanwhile,
Claire's boyfriend, local police detective Peter Rosen,
is being extremely irritating and Claire's teenage daughter
is acting, well, like a teenager. It's up to Claire to
find a murderer, before someone else becomes a victim
of the ill-fated conference.
Joan Hess, best known for her Maggody mystery series, is in fine form for the latest Claire Mallory mystery. As always, Hess' crisp and wry tone fits perfectly with the personality of the long-suffering but seemingly indestructible Claire. The caricatures of some well-known mystery authors are sure to cause a few smiles as well -- the author with the crime-solving cat is especially funny. This is a great cozy series, but with a nice edge.
Mystery Reviews
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Return to the September 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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