Black Wind

“Black Wind,” by Clive Cussler is a novel about a World War II chemical warfare experiment, that was lost to sea by the end of the war. This warfare they were testing was a modified form of arsenic gas, that had they released on the US, would have had terrifying results. This novel is set in present day, and begins when Dirk Pitt, the hero in Clive Cussler’s series, is in the far North tracking seals, when they all die within five minutes. After testing the seals, they found trace amounts of arsenic leading Dirk and his team on a wild goose chase for the killer.

This is a very light read, as most of Clive Cussler novels are and is very enjoyable. There are a few plot twists and suspenseful parts that keep the reader glued to the novel. This is an fictional action novel and is written in a way that everyone can understand it and keep up with it. I quite enjoy reading his novels because of the dry humor, the car chases, and the saves-the-world hero Dirk Pitt.

Action novels must be exciting and thrilling otherwise the reader is turned off from the book, and will not read it. This novel is not one of the best action novels I have read, but certainly not the worst, it provides a joyful read for anyone who wants to relax for a couple of hours.

The Cry of the Halidon

“The Cry of the Halidon,” by Robert Ludlum is a decent thriller novel. This novel does not provide the usual Ludlum material, and at times was dull. This novel is about a man named Alexander Tarquin McCauliff, he is a geologist who leads a team, hired by a company called Dunstone to the Jamaican jungles. He finds out from the British Intelligence who approach him early in the book that Dunstone, is a dishonest company, and had sent a previous team who have not been found. A man named Hammond, with the British Intelligence agency guides Alexander on a adventure that would change anyone’s life.

I have read a few other Ludlum novels, such as the "Bourne Ultimatum," but this one is far below the usual quality of Ludlum’s novels. This novel did not have many unexpected plot twists so the reader became bored of the plot. There were no mysterious figures or benefactors contributing to the plot. The plot was laid out from square one and did not deviate from the original plan.

Thriller novels are meant to be gripping, suspenseful and exciting. This book did not meet any of those standards. Robert Ludlum fell very short on this novel, and it is most definitely not one of his better works.

I would not recommend this book, but I would recommend the author, because Robert Ludlum has some excellent novels. He is consistently a good writer except for this hiccup in his writing career.

The Bourne Ultimatum

“The Bourne Ultimatum,” by Robert Ludlum is an excellent fiction spy thriller. The novel is about a man named David Webb, field name “Jason Bourne,” who is being stalked by a terrorist code-named the Jackal. David Webb worked for the C.I.A. and was their top agent; however, sick of their games he retired to become an oriental studies professor. However, his arch-rival, Jackal had other ideas and is hunting him and his family down in order to finish his job.

This is the last in the Bourne trilogy and by far the best novel of the three. The novel captivated me right until the very last word and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. The suspense in this novel was almost unbearable which led me to finish the novel in a single week-end.

A spy thriller is supposed to be suspenseful, have plot-twists and be full of action. Robert Ludlum fills this role completely and it shows because this was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. This novel is a great example of what a spy thriller is supposed to be. As well, the other Bourne trilogy novels were also excellent spy thrillers and would recommend them to reader’s interested in apprehensive spy thrillers.

Robert Ludlum is an excellent author who has created a very good trilogy about a spy. I have read a number of his books and there is a common theme amongst them, there are always one or two main characters that is up against an unstoppable enemy with vast resources. He uses many exclamation marks throughout his novel because much of his novel consists of action, so they are necessary.

Last Man Standing

“Last Man Standing,” by David Baldacci is a mystery fiction about a man, Web London who was part of a Hostage Rescue team that was ambushed and slaughtered. The team was fed invalid information that a drug operation was going on in the building they were storming. Upon entering the courtyard the team was ambushed and cut down by multiple remote-controlled machine guns. However, Web London froze just before entering the courtyard and dropped just as bullets started passing over his head.

Being on the Hostage Rescue Team, part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation leads for a secluded life. Web had been on the team for a record of five years, which is unheard of because of the stress and danger comes with the job. The Hostage Rescue Team does exactly what its name states, rescues hostages. This team makes up most of life; his friends are from the team. After being called a traitor and a coward by his team’s family members and most of the country, he tries to unravel the mystery that surrounds the ambush. He is led on a wild-goose chase to try to find the culprits for the murder of his team.

David Baldacci is a good writer, and his novels are very interesting. “Last Man Standing,” is a good mystery fiction. Mystery fiction should be written in a way that the reader is kept guessing throughout the novel, and with many possible outcomes. This is exactly what David Baldacci does, which makes the book a very enjoyable, light read.

However, I do have one criticism; there are too many characters in the novel. I constantly had to flip to an earlier passage in the book to figure out who this character was. This was irritating, but I would still recommend the novel.