"The bootlegger" by Clive Cussler & Justin Scott. This book is published by Berkeley books in 2015 and has 435 pages. This is 7th book of Isaac Bell series.
It's 1920s America. Alcohol prohibition is in effect. Black market of alcohol is striving. Bootleggers are minting money. Joe Van Dorn is shot while chasing one of the bootleggers at sea. Isaac Bell takes charge of the Van Dorn detective agency temporarily to find out that Bootleggers have bribed and compromised some of the agency staff.
Who are the bootleggers? Why is Van Dorn after them? What will Isaac Bell find? Is there more to it than what meets the eyes?
The smuggling of alcohol from international waters using high speed small crafts, it's dilution and sale in black market, corruption & violence that comes with it are depicted in great detail. It was a thriving business in America in 1920s. People made millions in this business while spinning off other illegal businesses.
I was curious to know why a Clive Cussler thriller is based on prohibition and bootleggers. Certainly it doesn't have enough spice for a thriller. After reading it becomes clear that bootlegging is only tip of the iceberg and there is a more sinister plot. Here the Comintern, Russian communist propaganda arm for international operations, has stepped into bootlegging in order to mask the real agenda and finance it.
The story is fast paced. It involves daredevil adventures of Isaac Bell. In this book he pilots flying boat, high speed water craft and flying yacht. There is a beautiful lady on the wrong side who likes Isaac. There is a battle of wits, daredevilry, skills and agenda between Bell and the Bootlegger.
The story is fast. The book keeps you interested till the end. It's a high tech thriller of that period. Finally Isaac saves the day.
For a change locomotives and railroads do not play an important role in this Isaac Bell thriller.
If you like Cussler and Bell adventures, read it.
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