Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Mirage by Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul


The extraordinary new novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series from the grand master of adventure.

In October 1943, a U.S. destroyer sailed out of Philadelphia and supposedly vanished, the result of a Navy experiment with electromagnetic radiation. The story was considered a hoax — but now Juan Cabrillo and his Oregon colleagues aren’t so sure.

There is talk of a new weapon soon to be auctioned, something very dangerous to America’s interests, and the rumors link it to the great inventor Nikola Tesla, who was working with the Navy when he died in 1943. Was he responsible for the experiment? Are his notes in the hands of enemies? As Cabrillo races to find the truth, he discovers there is even more at stake than he could have imagined — but by the time he realizes it, he may already be too late.

REVIEW:
Clive Cussler, author of the bestselling National Underwater and Marine Agency and Dirk Pitt series, created his most intriguing high seas action hero: the enigmatic captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo who was introduced with the first Oregon Files series Golden Buddha in 2003.

Juan Cabrillo is Chairman of the "Corporation", a special US Government-sponsored group that operates out of a ship called the Oregon; a marvel of scientific research equipment bristling with state-of-the-art weaponry - but disguised as a heap of junk.

Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries with a conscience are able to cross the high seas in their 'rusting' tub unmolested, seeking out those beyond the arms of the law and dealing out justice to any who would plot chaos on a global scale.

Fans of the series who have waited for almost three year since the release of the last book in the series, The Jungle (2011), will heave a sigh of relief, and gobble up this latest addition to the Oregon Files series, Mirage, which is a continuation of the extraordinary adventures of Juan Cabrillo - Golden Buddah (2003) was followed by Sacred Stone (2004), Dark Watch (2005), Skeleton Coast (2006), Plague Ship (2008), Corsair (2009), The Silent Sea (2010), and The Jungle (2011).

In Mirage, Cussler with co-author Jack Du Brul bring to the reader Juan Cabrillo on a dangerous mission to save his old friend Yuri Borodin from a maximum Siberian prison. But the mission goes horribly wrong and in the process Yuri dies. But the mention of “Tesla” by Yuri before his death takes Cabrillo in a new direction trying to unravel why a dying man would utter “Tesla.”

“Tesla” mentioned by Yuri is Nikola Tesla, a mysterious and shadowy Serbian scientist whose immense knowledge and understanding of modern science and technology could prove disastrous if it is not use for good purposes. Tesla has invented alternating-current electricity and it is also widely believed that he has also developed a number of secret weapons, including a death ray, an earthquake machine, and an invisibility field.

Dubbed the second-most corrupt man on the planet, Russian fleet admiral Pytor Kenin is a man with sinister designs. To serve his nefarious purposes he has formed a private army and is using Tesla’s secret technology to that end. When there is talk of a new weapon soon to be auctioned Cabrillo embarked on the most dangerous mission of his life and discovered that the stakes are much higher than earlier thought to be. What is Pytor Kenin up to? Will Cabrillo manage to thwart him?

Mirage is exciting, engrossing and totally enjoyable, and fans of the Oregon Files series will find the latest addition a great reading escape.

My rating ➳ 👍👍👍👍

Angelguard by Ian Acheson


Within a period of weeks, three horrific bomb blasts devastate areas of London, Los Angeles, and Sydney. No explanation is offered, no victory claimed for these acts of terror. Yet behind the scenes a Machiavellian European businessman, aided by the dark forces to whom he has sold his soul, is planning to bring the richest nations to their knees for his own evil purposes. Jack Haines, an Australian academic, is grieving the loss of wife and children in the Sydney blast. Against his will, he finds himself thrown into a war that transcends the physical world, a conflict in which angelic guards have a special mission for him. But how will Jack respond when angels turn out to be more than precious porcelain statues? And will he accept that he has been chosen to fight for the future of mankind?

This fast-paced supernatural thriller by debut novelist Ian Acheson mixes faith and nonstop action to spin an unforgettable tale.

REVIEW:
Three continents, three countries and three of the world's biggest cities! Unsuspecting and unaware that a sinister plot is about to unfold, people go about their daily lives - packed to capacity soccer matches, families on holidays and some enjoying the normalcy of the day. But trouble brews, slowly but surely...

In a book that is sure to shake you out of your deep slumber, give you mixed reasons to fear and not to fear, and make you to think about things you have never thought before, debutant novelist Ian Acheson spins an unforgettable fast-paced, wildly engrossing, and beautifully terrifying supernatural thriller.

Leopold Grosch, a corrupt and evil multi-billionaire industrialist, hatches a conspiracy to bring the G8 nations to their knees to serve his evil designs. Jack Haines, an Australian academic, is hurt in one of the blasts. He loses his wife and two of his children in the first terrorist attack in Sydney. While still recovering from the shock and emotional pain, in a strange co-incidence several months later, he meets two others who miraculously survived the other two blasts enabling him to unravel Grosch's sinister plot. As the industrialist and the academician matches each other move for move - one bent on carrying out his evil intentions and the other desperately trying to foil it, the heavenly places are not quiet either. The angels, led by Tagan, and the demons, led by General Thrasos, wage a fiercely contested battle for supremacy.

Will good triumph over evil? Will the angels prevail over the demonic forces? Will Leopold Grosch succeed in wreaking more havoc on humanity? Will Jack Haines be able to stop him from carrying out his diabolical plot?

Angelguard is a powerfully woven epic tale that pits good against evil, angels against demons, terrorists against civilians and a University professor against a Machiavellian European businessman, aided and most probably abetted by dark forces. While the comparison with Frank Peretti may be a bit of an exaggeration and a case of over enthusiasm, there is little doubt that Angelguard and Ian Acheson's writing style have shades of This Present Darkness in it.

The novel is an exciting read from a debutant author with an engaging plot and is most likely to remind you that as you wage life's battles here on earth, there are others waging another battle on your behalf.

My rating: 👍👍👍👍

Paperback, 384 pages
Published February 1st 2013 by Monarch Books
ISBN: 0857212036
ISBN13: 9780857212030
Edition Language: English
Series: Chronicles of the Angelguard #1

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