Black Wind by Clive Cussler

07Dec09

 

I find that, in the past, I have tended to be a “streaky” reader, but which I mean that I will find an author and read everything that I can find by that author.  Eventually I run into a dead-end when I run out of books by that author and typically spend a while aimlessly looking for the next author to read.  I suspect that Clive Cussler may be my next fiction author.

My father-in-law has read several Clive Cussler novels and when he ended up with two copies of Black Wind he gave one to me.  Being in-between books (and knowing that I would need something to post about on her) I almost immediately began reading it and quickly became engrossed in the story.

The story sets the fictional backdrop of two Japanese subs that embarked on a final mission near the end of World War II to launch a devastating biological weapon attack on the Western coast of the US in hopes of turning the tide of the war and forcing the US to negotiate an end to the war.  However, both ships are sunk before arriving at the intended targets and are forgotten in the recesses of time…or are they?!!?

Fast forward a little over 60 years, and the novel details the race to discover and prevent the recovery, further enhancement, and catastrophic usage of the long-forgotten biological weapons of mass destruction.  The novel follows a set of characters that is common to many of Clive Cussler’s novels.  Dirk Pitt is the head of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA).  His kids are Dirk Jr. and Summer.  While all involved in different aspects of marine activities, they must all pitch in to piece together disparate facts and uncover a devious plot to puts hundreds of millions of lives are risk and re-write the political landscape of the world.  But will they figure it out in time to stop it??? 🙂

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with only one complaint…

In what I believe is the first time I had ever seen this done (and personally hope to be the last time also), an author wrote himself into the book.  That’s right, there was a character named Clive Cussler in the book!!!  I was incredulous when I read it.  Now, he plays a small role (probably introduced to gone within 3 pages) but I’m still not sold on it.  I know that Alfred Hitchcock would place himself in his own movies, but at least he had the decency to typically just walk across the screen in the background and leave himself unnamed.  OK, enough of that.  I’m done.

As I said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good action/mystery fiction book.

Mark O.

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