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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Pacific Vortex! (Dirk Pitt #1) in Books

Nov 21, 2019  
Pacific Vortex! (Dirk Pitt #1)
Pacific Vortex! (Dirk Pitt #1)
Clive Cussler | 1983 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ships have been vanishing off of Hawaii for a while, a phenomenon that has been dubbed the 'Pacific Vortex'. But when a nuclear submarine falls victim things become more serious. Marine engineer Dirk Pitt gets involved in the search and finds that the disappearances are not coincidental.

Although released later in the series, Pacific Vortex! is very much a prequel to the main Dirk Pitt series and was the first of the Pitt novels Cussler wrote. As such it is a little different to the rest. Pitt comes across as more of a generic action hero type. The plot is far more straightforward with very little in the way of twists and suprise reveals that became the hallmark of the best of Cussler's novels. The standard hero trope is also enforced by the love interest and the megalomaniac villain in his lair.

However this is still a good read, with good ideas and it's interesting to see some of the building blocks that made up the Pitt franchise, particularly those that surfaced here but were then discarded for the later works. As a story it's not bad with enough going on the engage the reader's interest and obviously it lays the seeds of the later appearance of his children.

Not an essential read by any means, but one that will entertain
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated True Fiction in Books

Apr 20, 2018  
True Fiction
True Fiction
Lee Goldberg | 2018 | Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I Truly Enjoyed This Book, and that’s Not Fiction
When terrorists take control of a plane leaving Hawaii and crash it into the island, the entire country is horrified. But none more so than thriller writer Ian Ludlow. You see, he had suggested just the twist on 9/11 that happened here to the CIA a few years back during a brainstorming session to help them come up with worst case scenarios. Within a few hours, Ian is certain that the CIA is out to kill him to silence him. Using every trick in the book – tricks he knows thanks to the books he’s written, Ian flees from his book tour in Seattle with his author escort, Margo French. Will the two be able to survive?

This book doesn’t waste a minute throwing us into this thrill ride and never lets up until we reach the climax. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next, and the book manages to wink at a few clinches of the genre along the way. Ian and Margo were good characters, and another we meet along the way walks the fine line of being a caricature without being unbelievable. Since this is a thriller, there is a bit more language, violence, and sex than in the books I normally read. There is plenty of humor here to help ease the tension. I already can’t wait for the sequel.