kateapatton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
lucasm12333's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
sneakyawe's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh, I'm a little more than disappointed in this book. It doesn't read like a Clive Cussler book at all... I feel like the characters spent a lot of time repeating things that the author already said, or just rehashing events that the author just spent three pages describing. It was a little annoying...
I did like the bit about the San Francisco earthquake, because I haven't read much about it and it was interesting to see how it was portrayed. But that was about all that I found intruiging about this book. Guess I'll just stick with some Oregon Files or old school Pitt if I want to read Clive again!
(And I'm seriously sad to read the rumors about ghost-writers taking over. It seems that the quality has gone down and I was hoping it was just that Clive was much older than when he started, not that someone else was writing for him!)
**Picked this guy up from a library paperback sale. Figured I needed a good ol' action/adventure read and Cussler never lets me down! I just can't deny the love I have for Clive!!**
I did like the bit about the San Francisco earthquake, because I haven't read much about it and it was interesting to see how it was portrayed. But that was about all that I found intruiging about this book. Guess I'll just stick with some Oregon Files or old school Pitt if I want to read Clive again!
(And I'm seriously sad to read the rumors about ghost-writers taking over. It seems that the quality has gone down and I was hoping it was just that Clive was much older than when he started, not that someone else was writing for him!)
**Picked this guy up from a library paperback sale. Figured I needed a good ol' action/adventure read and Cussler never lets me down! I just can't deny the love I have for Clive!!**
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Very interesting read! I feel like the love between the MMC and love interest came out of no where, and I wish it had been better incorporated. I also feel like this book could’ve been about 100 pages shorter and still accomplished the same goal, but it was a good and entertaining read nonetheless!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest
frahorus's review against another edition
4.0
Inizia una nuova saga firmata Clive Cussler, stavolta ambientata nell'America degli anni 20. Non mi è dispiaciuto, anzi conoscere un nuovo personaggio di Clive è sempre una buona esperienza.
i11iane's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I think I enjoyed it far more than the NUMA books, actually. There are some parts in the story that are a little stretched on fact but yes, I will grant artistic license there and Cussler handled it well. His treatment of male-female romantic relationships continue to amuse me. They are very sudden, and some might say abrupt. I cannot help but compare and contrast it with how someone with a more feminine perspective might approach romantic development.
A highly enjoyable read, nevertheless.
A highly enjoyable read, nevertheless.
raes's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
Back on the Cussler bandwagon!
When I read Clive Cussler's GOLDEN BUDDHA several years ago, I'll admit I thought myself generous in awarding it one entire star and I had pretty much put paid to the notion of reading any further Cussler output. Convinced that the shark had indeed been jumped, I concluded my limited reading time would be better spent elsewhere. But once my very generous gift-giving family get convinced that I enjoy an author, it's very difficult to find the "off" switch. And so, over the years, I accumulated a pretty fair stash of second hand copies of Clive Cussler novels which sat languishing on my book shelf. On the basis of a favourable review from an Amazon friend whose opinion I've come to trust, I decided to pull out THE CHASE and give Cussler a second chance.
Well ... if that don't beat all! The debut novel in Cussler's historical Isaac Bell detective series set in the late 19th century in the southwestern states is a thoroughly enjoyable winner! Yippee!
A new hero with more proverbial lives than Pauline, suitably endowed with superior intelligence, detecting abilities and out-of-the-box mental prowess; a sensible version of love at first sight that doesn't seem Hollywood or overly syrupy; good guys who actually die because they're not presented as invulnerable supermen; a psychopathic villain that appears to pull the trigger realistically quickly as opposed to spending hours and hours gloating with a megalomaniacal laugh; an absolutely fantastic and superbly innovative re-invention of the requisite chase scene - there are a LOT of very good things to say about this departure from the NUMA and OREGON files series.
Of particular interest were Cussler's innovative approaches to putting the series into the historical context of the late 19th and early 20th century in California. First was a very interesting focus on the specific workings of early technology - photography, fingerprinting, guns, automobiles and trains, for example - as opposed to looking at buildings and people. Second was a very graphic description of the events surrounding the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco and its disastrous aftermath.
I'm definitely back on the Clive Cussler bandwagon and I'm looking forward to further Isaac Bell outings in THE SPY and THE WRECKER. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
When I read Clive Cussler's GOLDEN BUDDHA several years ago, I'll admit I thought myself generous in awarding it one entire star and I had pretty much put paid to the notion of reading any further Cussler output. Convinced that the shark had indeed been jumped, I concluded my limited reading time would be better spent elsewhere. But once my very generous gift-giving family get convinced that I enjoy an author, it's very difficult to find the "off" switch. And so, over the years, I accumulated a pretty fair stash of second hand copies of Clive Cussler novels which sat languishing on my book shelf. On the basis of a favourable review from an Amazon friend whose opinion I've come to trust, I decided to pull out THE CHASE and give Cussler a second chance.
Well ... if that don't beat all! The debut novel in Cussler's historical Isaac Bell detective series set in the late 19th century in the southwestern states is a thoroughly enjoyable winner! Yippee!
A new hero with more proverbial lives than Pauline, suitably endowed with superior intelligence, detecting abilities and out-of-the-box mental prowess; a sensible version of love at first sight that doesn't seem Hollywood or overly syrupy; good guys who actually die because they're not presented as invulnerable supermen; a psychopathic villain that appears to pull the trigger realistically quickly as opposed to spending hours and hours gloating with a megalomaniacal laugh; an absolutely fantastic and superbly innovative re-invention of the requisite chase scene - there are a LOT of very good things to say about this departure from the NUMA and OREGON files series.
Of particular interest were Cussler's innovative approaches to putting the series into the historical context of the late 19th and early 20th century in California. First was a very interesting focus on the specific workings of early technology - photography, fingerprinting, guns, automobiles and trains, for example - as opposed to looking at buildings and people. Second was a very graphic description of the events surrounding the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco and its disastrous aftermath.
I'm definitely back on the Clive Cussler bandwagon and I'm looking forward to further Isaac Bell outings in THE SPY and THE WRECKER. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
jiska_bloem's review against another edition
3.0
Ik moet toegeven dat ik een beetje teleurgesteld was bij het lezen van dit boek. Dit is het eerste boek van de nieuwe serie 'Isaac Bell' die ik lees en wat duidelijk opviel is dat dit meer een historische thriller is dan een avontuurlijke. Het verhaal speelt zich ook niet meer af rondom het thema 'water/zee'.
Cussler is hierbij dus een andere weg ingeslagen dan bij de eerdere series die hij heeft geschreven. Ik vond de 'numa files', 'dirk pitt' en 'dossier oregon' heel erg goed en misschien waren daarom mijn verwachtingen te hoog.. Ik weet het niet.
Het is niet dat dit een slecht geschreven boek is, zeker niet. Cussler heeft er weer een mooi verhaal van gemaakt die goed historisch onderbouwd is en vlot geschreven is. Alleen denk ik dat ik het boek beter had gevonden als de historische correctheid wat minder op de voorgrond zou staan. Het is niet erg dat de karakters historisch correct praatten en met elkaar omgingen, maar het verhaal erom heen had wat minder formeel gemogen, een beetje meer volgens zijn eerdere series.
Ik hoop dat het volgende boek binnen deze nieuwe serie beter is en dat Cussler bij dit boek nog een beetje in het verhaal moest komen.
Cussler is hierbij dus een andere weg ingeslagen dan bij de eerdere series die hij heeft geschreven. Ik vond de 'numa files', 'dirk pitt' en 'dossier oregon' heel erg goed en misschien waren daarom mijn verwachtingen te hoog.. Ik weet het niet.
Het is niet dat dit een slecht geschreven boek is, zeker niet. Cussler heeft er weer een mooi verhaal van gemaakt die goed historisch onderbouwd is en vlot geschreven is. Alleen denk ik dat ik het boek beter had gevonden als de historische correctheid wat minder op de voorgrond zou staan. Het is niet erg dat de karakters historisch correct praatten en met elkaar omgingen, maar het verhaal erom heen had wat minder formeel gemogen, een beetje meer volgens zijn eerdere series.
Ik hoop dat het volgende boek binnen deze nieuwe serie beter is en dat Cussler bij dit boek nog een beetje in het verhaal moest komen.