Saturday, July 2, 2016

Three of A Kind - Clive Cussler (Part 3/3): Treasure

Treasure is a Clive Cussler novel published in 1988. It is another trademark Dirk Pitt adventure. I bought my copy in Mid Rivers Mall, in St. Peters, Missouri, way back 2010. I was on training there for a new job in Manila.


This book is one of those high-adrenaline chases and a treasure hunt worth dying for.



Are you ready to find the treasure?



The Storyline (from the back cover)

Three of A Kind - Clive Cussler (Part 3/3): Treasure
An ancient ship found in Greenland's frozen wastes... 
The priceless splendors of a lost civilization...
A plot to plunge the world into bloody chaos!
Charts of lost gold...breathtaking art and rare volumes...maps of hidden oil and mineral deposits that could change the world's balance of power. Now Dirk Pitt discovers that the secret trail to the treasures of Alexandria - a trail that plunges him into a brutal conspiracy for total domination of the globe. Zealots threaten to unseat the governments of  Egypt and Mexico, exposing America to invasion and economic collapse. Suddenly, from East to West, anarchists reach their deadly tentacles into the heart of the United States. And Dirk Pitt, the hard-hitting hero of Clive Cussler's smash bestsellers Sahara and Inca Gold is up against the most feared assassins known to man. An international band of terrorists is making its play for world power on the high seas--and Pitt is the only man alive who can stop them!


My One Cent


This is probably the most complicated and diabolical enterprise Dirk Pitt has to live through. Luckily and because of our hero's incredible powers of deduction, akin to Sherlock, he was able to again save the day and the world, from a possible chaos upon discovery of a long lost treasure. Of course, we can't roll out, not one, but two evil brothers raised from a family of crime, as his nemesis. They were schooled with one goal - to further the family business of greed, sparing no one, not even children as casualty. 

I say complicated because Dirk Pitt is up against two evil villains and their equally fanatical minions. Here is also one deadly and meticulous assassin who Dirk has to deal with. Perhaps, one of the few people who almost outwitted Pitt. Almost. Suleiman is like one of those antagonists that you wish were one of the good guys, as his talents were wasted on the wrong side. I felt sorry for him. As they say, if you live dangerously, death stalks you and deceit is your constant companion. I like how his character ended, at least for him, he gets retribution against the person who hired and betrayed him. I think revenge worked well here, among the bad guys. And to them, it is the only payment for the wrong done like an eye for an eye, life for betrayal, no short-changing. He is one of those worthy opponents of Pitt because of his cunning. 

And because Pitt is up against two devils, he has to call in reinforcements too. Enters, as expected, the partner in crime, the ever reliable Al Giordino and the master in logistics, Rudi Gunn. The powers of Hiram Yaegar's binary mind is also called in to play and help Dirk find the treasure. The US Special Forces also come in to the picture to aid Pitt and NUMA, as four very important people of three nations need to be rescued. This is one of those daring missions that Dirk can't fail as the life of his Senator dad is on the line. He is one of the four that he needs to rescue.

The story takes you to Greenland, Antarctica, the Aztec ruins in Mexico, Egypt and to the US-Mexico border. Really fascinating locales and backdrops. It's a cross-continent action-packed adventure you would not want to miss. Not to mention, the underwater explorations that keep you on edge.

If what this book purports is true, what an accomplishment it would have been. Imagine discovering again an enormous cache of knowledge and information of age-old great people, powerful dynasties and long-lost civilizations. It would have been one of human history's greatest, but I could only wish. That is how you become when you are so engrossed in Cussler's work, most of the time I wish Dirk Pitt were real and his expeditions and finds were real too. There was even a time when I wished Dirk Pitt could come to my rescue and solve one of my problems.

Clive Cussler is a lot like his novel's hero Dirk Pitt. He also loves searching for legendary gold mines and shipwrecks. In fact, he has discovered more than sixty lost ships with historic significance, with the help of his NUMA and its crew of volunteers. He also dotes on classic cars.



Sahara (1/3)
Night Probe (2/3) 

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