Devil's Gate

October 3, 2011
Sierra Leone’s ambitious dictator, Djemma Garand, has coerced Alexander Cochrane into constructing “a directed-energy weapon of incredible power,” which can cook people from the inside out in the action-packed ninth Kurt Austin adventure (after 2009’s Medusa) from bestseller Cussler and new collaborator Brown (Black Rain). A test of the weapon on a cargo vessel happens to occur near a ship transporting Austin and his NUMA (National Underwater Maritime Agency) Special Operations Team to the Azores. Austin’s rescue attempt of the stricken boat brings him into direct conflict with Andras, a vicious thug in Garand’s employ. Both men escape to battle another day in a James Bond–like plot that includes an attractive Russian scientist, Katarina Luskaya, who becomes both love interest and hostage. In the end, Andras conveniently gives Austin a fighting chance to escape a death trap. Thriller fans who aren’t too picky about credibility will be most rewarded.

February 27, 2012
When Kurt Austin and his NUMA (National Underwater Maritime Agency) Special Operations Team investigate a burning Japanese cargo ship, they find themselves locked in a deadly confrontation with a gang of bloodthirsty pirates intent on plundering the sinking ship. But this encounter is just the beginning of a vast conspiracy that threatens the lives of thousands and may potentially alter the world's balance of power drastically. Once again, Austin and NUMA will have to risk their lives to stop an evil as dark and ruthless as the deepest depths of the sea. Brick's narration is smooth and easy, and he adroitly conveys the book's action and edge-of-the-seat suspense. Additionally, Brick's characterizations are simple but unique. Despite the somewhat over- the-top melodrama of the novel, Brick keeps his storytelling sincere and real, and this audio edition and its listeners are the better for it. A Putnam hardcover.