Product Description

A mysterious plague in the Antarctic. A diamond empire run by an evil genius. A devastating new technology that threatens to annihilate millions. Tasman Sea, 1856. A British clipper ship bound for Australia's penal colony is crushed in a raging typhoon. A few pitiful survivors wash up on a deserted island. Among them are Betsy Fletcher and Jess Dorsett, who discover an immense supply of exquisite diamonds...Seymour Island, Antarctica, 2000. Dirk Pitt rescues Maeve Fletcher, a descendant of Betsy and Jess, after an unknouwn cataclysm kills thousands of marine animals and nearly two hundred people aboard a cruise ship. Pitt traces the carnage to the global diamond operations of Maeve's father, Arthur Dorsett, and her callous sisters. From a chilling escape at a high-security Canadian mine to a tiny boat adrift on lonely, shark-infested seas, the ingenious Pitt is racing to thwart Dorsett's ruthless plans - before an unthinkable disaster claims millions of innocent lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8902 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Clive Cussler is as active an adventurer as his fictional heroes which adds a thrilling authenticity to his writing. He is an avid collector of classic cars and has 75 examples of hand-built coachwork. He lives in Colorado with his wife and 3 children.

Customer Reviews

Great fantasy action, well researched and well written
I have never been a big fan of action thrillers. The only author I read regularly in this genre is Lee Child and his `Jack Reacher` character, and I enjoy him a lot, so I decided to give Clive Cussler a try. I am happy to say I was not disappointed! Even though "Pacific Vortex" was the first published book in the Dirk Pitt adventures series, it was the first Cussler wrote, so logically, this is the novel I picked to start my journey. I found an interesting character that lives at the edge and is passionate about his work. Also in some aspects he is similar to James Bond, women mainly, and the mix is sufficient to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. If you enjoy serial characters then this is a must series for you, also try Michael Connelly`s `Harry Bosh` series, or much more violent is the `Soft Target` thrillers by Conrad Jones. In the Dirk pitt stories Cussler has created a very entertaining series, with a character that has an arrogant and pedantic side, but whom also shows his pure emotions and is true to his friends and ideals. This makes the Special Project Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency a very likable character. This is a book that a reader can breeze through in a few hours making it an enjoyable way to spend a weekend's afternoon. I will surely read the next book in this series hoping for a similar experience.

A First Class Dirk Pitt Novel
As an addicted fan of Dirk Pitt novels, I rate this book relative to what I like about the Dirk Pitt books. First, I find Pitt to be a thoroughly enjoyable hero. Second, I like the tying together of a historical perspective with a current theme. Third, Clive Cussler has a good imagination, and he often makes me think about things that I would never have otherwise considered. Fourth, I find my heart pounding and my palms sweaty as I sit up late at night to finish the latest novel.

By all these standards, Shock Wave is a definite 5 star novel. Arthur Dorsett and his daughters make for interesting opponents for Pitt. They will remind you of some of the villains in the James Bond novels.

Don't miss this one!

Superb!
This is my first Cussler book, and it's absolutely fantastic! I was up until the early hours of the morning reading this, as the plot sped along at a great, speedy pace! Cussler never gets bogged down in too much technical detail, never writes in blatant cliches, without making a joke out of them, and has a great sense of humour, when it is called for.

If you've never read Cussler, then you're really missing out! Excellent, highly recommended read to anyone who is bored of the cookie-cutter "adventure" novels that are littering the shelves these days.

Also try: Kyle Mills, Vince Flynn, John Sandford