Thursday, July 23, 2015

Review: Ghost Ship By Clive Cussler (NUMA Files, #12)

Naval life is a fantasy. It has a lot about it which goes unsaid. Ships, crew and other aspects which never get highlighted in a day to day life. Author Clive Cussler in his book "Ghost Ship" let readers be part of a voyage which is neither pleasant nor dreamy. So is he able to weave the charm? Let's find out. 


When Kurt Austin is injured attempting to rescue the passengers and crew from a sinking yacht, he wakes with fragmented and conflicted memories. Did he see an old friend and her children drown, or was the yacht abandoned when he came aboard? For reasons he cannot explain, Kurt doesn’t trust either version of his recollection. 
Determined to know the truth, he begins to search for answers, and soon finds himself descending into a shadowy world of state-sponsored cyber crime, and uncovering a pattern of vanishing scientists, suspicious accidents, and a web of human trafficking. With the help of Joe Zavala, he takes on the sinister organization at the heart of this web, facing off with them in locations ranging from Monaco to North Korea to the rugged coasts of Madagascar. But where he will ultimately end up even he could not begin to guess.





First look at the title and the cover and the sinking ship it proof itself that it is no less than an adventure. A story with lots to offer. Title it old classic yet offers nothing new out of the blues. The blurb talks about Kurt Austin and his latest endeavors and the after effects of it.  The blurb could have left out a lot of words which hint at what the story is going to be. 

Kurt Austin is under rehab. Not fit for duty. But when duty calls he responds but this time the game is bigger and messier. Her ex along with her family goes missing in the sea. Presumed dead or not, Austin never let the trail go cold. So how will things look up after digging up? What is going to unfold and what role NUMA will play up in the mess? Who will be more responsible and who will be reckless and off the game? What's going to haunt the hunters and the hunted? Let the story deal about it. 

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala never rest. They are looking for opportunities to get the scruff by their necks and let it end once and for all. But this time something else seeks them and it's a lot more dangerous. The story never succumbing to theatrics let tricks and spread out action and drama be the driver. It has an unsettled approach, the only settling idea is the characters blending in and the motive of the entire fiasco being ably supported by mysterious people. There's a lot of heavy air surrounding the events which lead up to the hunt and scavenger lay waste to everything which they meet or touch. Sea is always a highly attributed aspect of the story and this time it doesn't disappoints either. In depth knowledge pertaining to naval explorations and wrecks and technicalities makes it a NUMA winner. 

The possible downside of the story is it's full representation of the antagonist. The character sketch far from impressive and at times a shadow moving backstage. More leverage was required to let the balance be even and keeping the scales equally tilted. 

All in all the book is a thorough sea adventure. The story is mystified, the actions petrifying, the results magnifying and the entire idea magnetized. It never fails to catch the rhythm as it switches from one event to another like a breeze. The story flows along on the high tides of action and low tides of drama. The truth and helplessness is an added score to the story. Hardly any weak links and the story let itself talk out of the grand mess. It's a voyage taken under great risk. But a thorough journey for the readers. 

RATING: 

4 OUT OF 5

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