Book Discription: Detective Isaac Bell, hero of The Chase and The Wrecker, returns in the remarkable new adventure from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.
It is 1908, and international tensions are mounting as the world plunges toward war. When a brilliant American battleship gun designer dies in a sensational apparent suicide, the man's grief-stricken daughter turns to the legendary Van Dorn Detective Agency to clear her father's name. Van Dorn puts his chief investigator on the case, and Isaac Bell soon realizes that the clues point not to suicide but to murder. And when more suspicious deaths follow, it becomes clear that someone-an elusive spy-is orchestrating the destruction of America's brightest technological minds... and the murders all connect to a top- secret project called Hull 44.
But that is just the beginning. As the intrigue deepens, Bell will find himself pitted against German, Japanese, and British spies, in a mission that encompasses dreadnought battleships, Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, Chinatown, Hell's Kitchen, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Isaac Bell has certainly faced perilous situations before, but this time it is more than the future of his country that's at stake- it's the fate of the world.
First Line: The Washington navy yard slept like an ancient city guarded by thick walls and a river.
My Thoughts: I have read more of the Dirk Pitt novels than any of Cussler's others and have enjoyed them all. This one is the second Issac Bell book for me and I enjoyed it as well. I like the WWI setting. The author does a great job giving it the feel of the time. Reading about the "modern" technology was fascinating. This was a long book but a quick, exciting read. I have to go back and pick up the middle Issac Bell book! Those of you who like action adventure books will like this one.
Rating: B+
