The Eye of Heaven

July 14, 2014
Bestseller Cussler recycles plots and villains from earlier books in the sixth Fargo novel (after 2013’s Mayan Secrets), his first with coauthor Blake (Jet). In Spain, treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo run afoul of an old adversary, the thief Janus Benedict, while exploring the wreckage of a 17th-century ship. After beating Janus at his own game, the Fargos are off to the coast of Baffin Island, where they discover a Viking longship frozen in the ice. The ship is carrying perfectly preserved pre-Columbian artifacts, which lead the duo to Mexico to search for the tomb of the legendary Quetzalcoatl. In the tomb, they hope to find the Eye of Heaven, a flawless emerald the size of a grapefruit. Meanwhile, Benedict gets on their trail. Readers can expect the usual Fargo fun, though they should also be prepared for more clichéd prose than usual (e.g., “ ‘Truer words were never spoken,’ Sam agreed”). Agent: Peter Lampack, Peter Lampack Agency.

August 15, 2014
The Fargos are back, again going far.Cussler's (Zero Hour, 2013, etc.) blissfully wedded, globe-trotting treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo return for another round of stupendous discoveries, narrow escapes and relentless cheesy banter in this serviceable but unmemorable adventure. This time around, the pair is on the trail of the titular Eye of Heaven, a grapefruit-sized gem believed to adorn the tomb of fabled Toltec leader Quetzalcoatl. Assisting them are dissolute genius academic Lazlo and an improbably attractive Mexican brother/sister archaeologist duo. Fargo nemesis Janus Benedict, an urbane, supercilious British supercriminal in the Bond-villain mode, also covets the Eye, and he, his impulsive, sadistic brother, and a fearsome Mexican crime cartel complicate matters greatly for the intrepid duo. It's all breezy, weightless fun for the undemanding reader; the prose can charitably be described as workmanlike, characterizations are paper-thin, and perilous plot twists and their predictable resolutions arrive right on schedule. The historical context of the quest, which concerns a collision of Viking and Mesoamerican cultures, provides some interest, though it's inelegantly relayed in whopping great chunks of expository dialogue. The shameless aspirational wish fulfillment represented by the Fargos may also exert a certain appeal for those killing time under beach umbrellas or in airport terminals: The two are fabulously wealthy, accomplished, brilliant, attractive, resourceful, courageous and unfailingly virtuous, with a crackling mutual attraction that sustains them through lovingly described expensive restaurant meals and trips on their private jet to exotic locales. Must be rough. An inane but inoffensive potboiler, to be quickly and pleasantly consumed and forgotten.

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September 15, 2014
Cussler takes on a new coauthor for the Fargo series, but it's unlikely readers will notice the difference because the formula itself hasn't changed. Sami and Remi Fargo, the husband-and-wife team of adventurers, discover a Viking ship frozen in ice and containing what appear to be pre-Columbian Mexican artifacts. Could there possibly be a historical connection between the Vikings and the ancient pre-Aztec culture known as the Toltecs? A fun blend of history and mystery (various people will do pretty much anything to get their hands on a priceless object), the book is a typically energetic Cussler actioner with just enough character development to give it some dramatic weight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

April 1, 2014

On a climate-control expedition to the Arctic, husband-and-wife treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo uncover a Viking ship neatly preserved in ice--and carrying pre-Columbian artifacts from Mexico. Puzzling out this conundrum leads to their being chased through the jungles of Central America by crime cartels, other treasure hunters, and worse.

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