From Publishers WeeklySet in 1908, bestseller Cussler and Scott's action-packed third adventure featuring Isaac Bell, head operative of the Van Dorn Detective Agency, leaves behind the railroad theme of the first two books (The Chase and The Wrecker), focusing instead on the espionage-riddled world of warship and armament manufacturing in the buildup to WWI. Someone is murdering the leading lights of America's naval research and development. When the indefatigable Bell looks into the supposed suicide of chief gun designer Arthur Langner, he uncovers a succession of possible international suspects, all of whom are attempting to disrupt America's development of a fleet of dreadnought battleships. Bell clashes with old enemies and new until the climactic battle, where he must stop a massive submarine attempting to sink the navy's newest battleship. The expanded area of interest will attract new readers to this exciting series in the Cussler franchise. (June) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistCussler, who made a name for himself more than 30 years ago with his Dirk Pitt thrillers, has lately been working with a variety of coauthors. With Scott, he wrote the second Isaac Bell thriller, The Wrecker (2009), which followed The Chase (2007). The Bell series has constituted a definite comeback for Cussler, whose previous novels were starting to feel a bit lethargic. This latest Bell adventure, set in 1908, continues the hot streak. Bell, the private investigator who bears more than a passing similarity to Sherlock Holmes (he's a master of disguise with a keen intellect and a knack for seeing the truth behind the misdirection), is called in to consult on a case involving the apparent suicide of a top designer of military weapons. The dead man's daughter suspects foul play, and soon Bell is convinced she's right, but can he unmask the villains and keep himself alive? Well, of course he can, but the fun is in seeing how he does itand Cussler and Scott provide us with a ton of fun. This is a fine thriller, rich in character, period detail, and suspense. --David PittAbout the AuthorClive Cussleris the author of more than fifty books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt, NUMA Files, Oregon Files, Isaac Bell, and Fargo. His life nearly parallels that of his hero Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers have discovered more than seventy-five lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Confederate submarineHunley, which was raised in 2000 with much press publicity. Like Pitt, Cussler collects classic automobiles. His collection features more than eighty examples of custom coachwork. Cussler lives in Arizona and Colorado.Justin Scottis the author of thirty-one novels, includingThe ShipkillerandNormandie Triangle; the Ben Abbott detective series; six thrillers under his pen name Paul Garrison; and his coauthorship with Cussler ofThe Wrecker,The Spy,The Race,The Thief,The Striker,The Bootlegger,The Assassin,The Gangster,andThe Cutthroat. Scott lives in Connecticut. how many books are in print The Spy (An Isaac Bell Adventure)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Isaac Bell and the navyBy M. R. RandazzoIn this 3rd novel, Isaac is involved with a case involving 3 "brothers" who are rampaging throughout several areas. He gets called into Van Dorm office in New York to meet a new client whose father had apparently just committed suicide. The daughter insists that her father could never do this, nor could he sell trade secrets to foreigners. Isaac agrees to look over crime scene as it hadn't been gone over by the navy, who was trying to keep this quiet. He finds evidence of forgery in the suicide note as the signature is more like the father's signature at a much younger age than current. Isaac makes a promise that the Van Dorn agency will look into the death as well as completing the capture of the 3 brother band. They are able through questioning figure out who set up the fake suicide but 2 other developers are also found dead. Bell is approached by a top Admiral who fought in the war with current President Theodore Roosevelt. He explains to Bell about the new ships being built and the new guns. He also explains about the shielding material needed for the new unmaded ships called Hull 44. There were only 5 people plus the Admiral who were involved in developing the means to achieve this. Of the 5, 3are dead, so the Van Dorn agency places the remaining 2 under 24 hour watch. This doesn't stop the attackers but they soon figure out that one person called the Spy is behind everything. Like all Bell stories, we get introduced to the suspect early in the story but only after Isaac Bell gets beat up a few times, does he realize who it is. Isaac and Marion finally decide on a stone for her ring and solve the crime.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Hey! The Spy is a Success! Read it.By Slicktek50I really like this series so I find it hard to find fault with the story. I didn't look for any faults as some others have in their reviews. I guess it might have been a little better but then books are written for our enjoyment and if it catches your interest right away then the writer has done their job. Sometimes, not always is the writer right on the button but then not everyone nor every book is destined to be the "Great American Novel".I have read what I would consider "dead" books and have struggled through them and then wanted to go burn the book. And they were books that fell within my interests. This book was far from being a dead book and I liked how well it tied in actual historical facts with the fictional story itself. So to the critics, try reading something else if you don't like the story. By the way, no books were burned or harmed in this review or any other review. They were just passed on to other readers. Enjoy!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Cussler Out Did Himself In This Mystery!By LuanneAs always Cussler kept me wanting to read. This mystery was filled with layers of subplots that kept unfolding as the book developed. It ties in nicely with the first two books which makes interesting as he enriches each character. Clive has some solid research in this book about submarines, torpedoes, and their early development. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a good mystery as well as historical fiction.