Devil's gate by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

"Devil's gate" by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown - A Cussler thriller!

This book is published by Penguin in 2013 and has 496 pages. This is Book 9 of 'NUMA files'. 

Pirates use a strange weapon to down a freighter. Near Portugal, Kurt Austin and Joe Zhawala discover a natural rock formation on sea bottom, with strong but shifting magnetic field. It's named Devil's gate. An African Dictator, Gemma, is trying to perfect a WMD. Add to it a plane lost at sea in 1945 carrying a Russian defector and two trunks.

What was in those trunks? What WMD is Gemma developing? Why attack the freighter? What's in the natural rock formation, The Devil's gate?

 

Here the WMD is remote electromagnetic weapon. A weapon that can take out all electrical and instrumentation systems. The weapon requires super conductors. Devil's gate provides a natural super conductor that doesn't need super cooling. Or does it? The stage is set, the fight is on. Washington is under threat. 

The story has all the ingredients. Fight and rescue on a burning ship. A WMD. A crazy African dictator. A scientific discovery. Humanoid robot that can go to water depths human can't. Daring fight scenes. Plane landing in football field during ongoing match. Underwater facility. Battles of wits and tactics. A beautiful damsel in distress. A noble hero. All these ingredients ensure that the book is not disliked. Add to it Clive Cussler's gripping narration and you have a good thriller. 

We may see the beautiful Russian scientist, Katarina, in future book of the series. This story tests Kurt and Joe's friendship. It also revives an old rivalry. 

It's a Cussler thriller. The prologue happens only 50-60 years ago. Epilogue is a bit stretched. How America doesn't find out about Gemma's plans?

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Epilogue. 

What did I like? Concept of Devil's gate. 

Read if you are reading the series.