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A review by tome15
Journey of the Pharaohs by Clive Cussler, Graham Brown
4.0
Cussler, Clive, and Graham Brown. Journey of the Pharaohs. NUMA Files No. 17. Putnam, 2020.
Clive Cussler, who died in July 2020 at 88, was a man who seems to have lived his fictional dreams. He wrote about swash-buckling action heroes who collected classic cars and worked for a treasure-hunting company (for some reason called an agency), so he collected classic cars and founded the company he wrote about to look for shipwrecks. What he wrote were formulaic popcorn adventure fantasies that were consistently fun and sold enough to finance the classic car collection. Journey of the Pharaohs, the penultimate NUMA files novel, is a typical product. The plot is a three-ring circus, following the fate of some ancient Egyptian treasure that may have been brought to the New World earlier than anyone thought possible. There are also a 1920s aviation story and a shipwreck story tucked into the plot. Of course, there are also over-the-top villains, who can’t seem to shoot as straight as our heroes. I like that his female characters are never just eye-candy. They are usually scientists with martial skills that rival their male companions. Late in his career Cussler worked with many coauthors, but kept the product consistent. It will be interesting to see whether the franchise stays in business after the demise of its founder.
Clive Cussler, who died in July 2020 at 88, was a man who seems to have lived his fictional dreams. He wrote about swash-buckling action heroes who collected classic cars and worked for a treasure-hunting company (for some reason called an agency), so he collected classic cars and founded the company he wrote about to look for shipwrecks. What he wrote were formulaic popcorn adventure fantasies that were consistently fun and sold enough to finance the classic car collection. Journey of the Pharaohs, the penultimate NUMA files novel, is a typical product. The plot is a three-ring circus, following the fate of some ancient Egyptian treasure that may have been brought to the New World earlier than anyone thought possible. There are also a 1920s aviation story and a shipwreck story tucked into the plot. Of course, there are also over-the-top villains, who can’t seem to shoot as straight as our heroes. I like that his female characters are never just eye-candy. They are usually scientists with martial skills that rival their male companions. Late in his career Cussler worked with many coauthors, but kept the product consistent. It will be interesting to see whether the franchise stays in business after the demise of its founder.