The bootlegger by Clive Cussler

"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.

The Striker by Clive Cussler

"The Striker" by Clive Cussler with Justin Scott. This book is published by Penguin in 2014 and has 384 pages. This is a Isaac Bell mystery, but it's a prequel. This is Isaac Bell's first individual case in year 1902.

There is an accident of a train carrying coal out of the mine. Isaac Bell, disguised as a miner, tries to unsuccessfully stop it. Someone has sabotaged the train. Someone tries to incite a mob to kill Isaac and others. Someone is trying to pitch the miners against mine owners. It's not just the saboteur at work, it's a provocateur.

Can Isaac Bell crack his first independent case? Can he convince his boss Joseph Van Dorn that there is a provocateur?

Isaac Bell mysteries are period mysteries. They revolve around locomotives (rail and road). Coal and mining are essential ingredients in this book. Creating trouble between miners and owners, letting coal production come to stand still and buying mines cheap is an elaborate plot. However this plot had similarities with plot of his previous book 'The wrecker'.

The provocateur has the advantage of knowing the Van Dorns and monitoring their movements but Isaac Bell is disadvantaged as he does not know the identity and motivation of the provocateur (Well! That's why the game's on, isn't it?).

It's a classic case of a protégé gone bad, in this case it's the first protégé of Joseph Van Dorn. As you may have guessed he is pursued by latest protégé, Isaac Bell.

As usual Cussler has created atmosphere of  old time very convincingly and easily. Readers are transported in 1902 (a different world all together) and feel at home. There is also a time leap of 10 years in epilogue.

Narration is fast, dynamic and exciting. There is a right mix of action and emotion. The story has deception, sabotage, romance, chases, fights and detective work. In short all ingredients that make the book enjoyable are present.

Read it, it's different.

The Spy by Clive Cussler

"The Spy" by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott. This book is published by Penguin books in 2011 and has 472 pages. This is the 3rd novel of Isaac Bell series.

The year is 1908. A number if murders take place. They are made to look like accidents. The men who are murdered are brilliant minds of US ship building. Men who specialized in ship design, armor design , gun design, turbine design etc. All of them are related to 'The great white fleet' of USA.

Van Dorn detective agency is requested to investigate and determine if these are murders. Their star investigator Isaac Bell is roped in. Isaac Bell's investigation leads to 'The spy' whose identity is a mystery.

What is 'Hull 44'? What does he want? How are American gangsters and Chinese gangs related? What are they after? Who is 'The Spy'?

Isaac Bell adventures are period adventures. It's the time when cables were used for fast communication, telephones were rarity and mobiles were not invented. Aeroplanes did not exist. Trains were fastest mode of transport and fast cars were called locomobil. Creating an atmosphere of 1908 in a thriller is not easy. Author does it easily.

Clive Cussler has delivered another thriller. I particularly like Isaac Bell thrillers because it is more difficult to write a thriller without gizmos and HiFi weapons. Although reader is used to modern day gadgets, he does not find them lacking in these books. Reader is transported to 1908.

The story has a constant pace. The suspense is maintained. Although you know who the spy is in later part of the book you don't understand why he is doing it. Time leap of ten years at the end of book seemed unnecessary. All the ingredients of thriller are present in this book. There are train and car chases, boat and submarine chases, beautiful ladies, suspense and fights. All in all its a good thriller.

It's a  good book. Read for a change if you are a first timer. Read it if you are an Isaac Bell fan.