Rating: 
Summary: Dirk Wanna Be???
Review: Although an excellent read, fully in the tradition of previous Cussler books I found the main characters to be just Dirk and Al with new names and hobbies ( pistols instead of cars). I just cannot understand why Mr. Cussler felt the need to invent new characters and why he did so little to make them different. "A Dirk by any other name is still a Dirk". This should not detract from the fact that it is a VERY good book and is extremely hard to put down once started. I found that the book tended to flow a little better than previous books and wonder if this is the influence of Mr. Kemprecos. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!
Review: What a book! This is one of his best. A new series with new characters, and new adventures. I was a little upset that Clive Cussler's new book wasn't a Dirk Pitt novel, but all anger subsided when I started reading it. I could not put it down! Now I am excited about the new characters and the new series. I hope that there will be more Kurt and Joe adventures, as well as more Dirk and Al adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining thriller
Review: Marine archeologist Nina Kirov makes a discovery that may expose conclusively who was the first European to arrive in the Americas. However, instead of glory, Nina finds herself in danger as the minions of Texas business mogul Halcon attack her for no apparent reason. Only the efforts of Kurt Austin and his crew from the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) save her life. As Kurt and NUMA investigate, they learn that Columbus might have made a fifth voyage across the ocean blue. Proof seemingly resides inside the Andrea Doria, which sunk off New England four decades ago. However, neither are aware that Halcon has a wider agenda than interfering in the works of undersea archeologists. His plan simply calls for him to carve out his own country from the ruins he will make of Mexico and the Southwest United States. Only NUMA stands in his way of certain success. SERPENT is a typical Clive Cussler novel as the plot is filled with endless excitement, non-stop action, and quite a degree of entertainment. The story line requires some acceptance, but never lingers for a moment. The characters add to the overall fun even though their motives seem lacking, but the audience will not care one iota because the novel is enjoyable. Mr. Cussler and his writing partner, Paul Kemprecos, have scribed a pleasurable thriller that will entice fans of action tales to want many more novels from the NUMA files. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: After a while, they all become the same....
Review: I've read all of the Dirk Pitt books, so I bought this book knowing that I would inevitably compare Kurt Austin with Dirk Pitt. Even with the help of Paul Kemprecos, it was clearly evident that this would be yet another adventure straight from the Cussler formula machine. Every single Dirk Pitt novel is pretty much the same. There's 1) some kind of maritime accident/crime that happened in the past, 2) some kind of fantastic treasure or valuable cargo on it, 3) an evil psychopath that wants to destroy the world, 4) a woman in jeopardy, and 5) Dirk/Kurt to the rescue. Having said that, I thought this book was entertaining. Even though all of Cussler's books tend to be the same, I still thought it was a rip-roaring adventure. I couldn't really detect what value Kemprecos added, though. It was as if Cussler wrote this book himself. My only major complaint would be that I'm a little disappointed that since he was starting a new series, that Cussler couldn't even try to make it more unique. The pairing of a tall, thin Anglo Saxon man who collects strange things (cars/pistols) with a short, stocky, strong ethnic (Italian/Latino) partner who smokes cigars.... oh well. People complain that this is a Dirk/Al clone, and rightly so.
Rating:
Summary: good clean fun
Review: No one would call Cussler's work great literature, but even we literary snobs need our "trash" reading and for that, Cussler has been my favorite author since Raise the Titanic and Night Probe. Sometimes the dialogue is cheesy and the overuse of adjectives makes you laugh out loud, but to leave it at that would miss the point -- these books are action adventures, so mellow out! Although I liked Kurt and Joe, I miss my old friend Dirk Pitt (and good old Al). The two heros in the new series are so similar that I'm surprised he bothered to introduce new characters. Switch a hobby here and there (dueling pistols for antique cars) and change hair and eye color, and voila, Dirk becomes Kurt. As for the plot, the opening chapters are, as usual, riveting as we watch the horrifying crash of the Andrea Doria. It's a formula that has worked in many other Cussler books. This one pulls all the regular punches and will hold most readers' attention although the plot flags here and there (I too think too many switch offs between Cussler and his co-author). I found the end a bit too tidy -- the excitement wears off around the 2nd two thirds of the novel. Still, for NUMA fans, a worthwhile read which will keep you up at night turning pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Standard Fare
Review: As I've commented elsewhere, I don't know that I would ever have bought a Clive Cussler book on my own. As it happens, though, I was given three by someone I know, so I gave them a try. SERPENT is the last of the three and, although the heroes have changed (at least in name), the stories are all fundamentally similar. Each involves an outrageously fantastic plot and main characters that are almost irritatingly perfect. There's nothing wrong with this formula (I like James Bond, Indy Jones, et al as much as the next guy), but heroes need some vulnerabilities and Dirk Pitt/Kurt Austin don't seem to have any. There's little tension or suspense because it never seems that the main characters are in any serious danger.
With all that said, I liked SERPENT better than the other two Cussler books I read. Not sufficiently better to warrant more than three stars, but of the three it would be my first choice. The quality of the writing was better (fewer syntax problems) and I found the historical/archeological aspects interesting. As always, there's no lack of action and it keeps the reader entertained. It's an acceptable light read, but don't expect anything beyond that.
Rating:
Summary: After a while, they all become the same....
Review: I've read all of the Dirk Pitt books, so I bought this book knowing that I would inevitably compare Kurt Austin with Dirk Pitt. Even with the help of Paul Kemprecos, it was clearly evident that this would be yet another adventure straight from the Cussler formula machine. Every single Dirk Pitt novel is pretty much the same. There's 1) some kind of maritime accident/crime that happened in the past, 2) some kind of fantastic treasure or valuable cargo on it, 3) an evil psychopath that wants to destroy the world, 4) a woman in jeopardy, and 5) Dirk/Kurt to the rescue. Having said that, I thought this book was entertaining. Even though all of Cussler's books tend to be the same, I still thought it was a rip-roaring adventure. I couldn't really detect what value Kemprecos added, though. It was as if Cussler wrote this book himself. My only major complaint would be that I'm a little disappointed that since he was starting a new series, that Cussler couldn't even try to make it more unique. The pairing of a tall, thin Anglo Saxon man who collects strange things (cars/pistols) with a short, stocky, strong ethnic (Italian/Latino) partner who smokes cigars.... oh well. People complain that this is a Dirk/Al clone, and rightly so.
Rating:
Summary: Good Novel
Review: I'm not sure why some people are knocking these "NUMA File" books. I grew up loving the Dirk Pitt character and now I have new characters to learn about. I like the new series...
Rating:
Summary: First Cussler novel I've ever read - quite a story!
Review: I am a slow reader, having started this book nearly 6mo ago. But after reading the 1st chapter, where a young Italian waiter on the doomed Andrea Doria witnesses the murders of armed guards in the garage hold of the ship by masked assasins, I remained intrigued. What was in that armored truck anyway? The answer of course lies many chapters ahead. I was amazed at the amount of historical information on Mayan culture that Cussler wove into his plot, mixing fact with his own fiction in a perhaps preposterous, but I suppose plausible conclusion on what happened to Christopher Columbus after his "5th voyage". A great ending to a very entertaining novel. I'll now look for more of Cussler's works.
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