Kurt Austin, leader of the National Underwater and Marine Agency's Special
Assignments Team, battles international evildoers again in the fifth installment
of this excellent series. There are several parallel plots: a mysterious aviator
has been found frozen in a massive glacier; a mutant seaweed is threatening to
choke the world's oceans; a giant submarine is roaming the thermal vents of the
deep sea area known as the Lost City; and the secretive, arms-dealing Fauchard
family, run by ruthless black-widow Racine and her homicidal son, Emil, is up to
no good. Also there's a mysterious 16th-century helmet, a search for the
philosopher's stone and an island of filthy, mutant cannibals. Austin's love
interest is lush, sensual Skye Labelle, an archeologist specializing in arms and
armor . Kidnappings, hair's-breadth escapes, fierce battles, strange science,
beautiful women and plenty of action add up to vintage Cussler. Of course, one
of the secrets of the genre is to waste no time on ancillary details: "Before
long, a cigar-shaped object came into view"; "Before long, they were stepping
out of the cockpit onto the deck." Readers will find that, before long, they're
racing through the pages as Austin and his band of merry men fight to stop the
Fauchards from reaching the ultimate evildoer's goal: world domination.
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