From BooklistThe latest Oregon Files adventure opens with Juan Cabrillo breaking into a Russian supermax prison to free a friend, the man who had helped outfit Cabrillos ship, the Oregon, with its high-tech hardware. Shot during the escape, the man soon dies but not before uttering his cryptic last words, about an eerie boat, the Aral Sea, and a name: Tesla. Cabrillo soonone might say almost too slickly soonfinds the boat, a pleasure craft built in Pennsylvania for George Westinghouse, who had been a big booster of inventor Nikola Teslas alternating current (AC) electrical system in the late nineteenth century. That pleasure boat vanished at sea in 1902. But what did a mysterious blue cloud have to do with the disappearance, and how did the boat turn up in the Aral Sea, 10,000 miles from where it vanished? And what does any of this have to do with a modern-day superweapon that could change the face of the world forever? The Oregon Files stories dont represent Cusslers finest work, but fans can depend on them to deliver action and adventure, if not full-bodied characters. --David Pitt RousingThe conclusion is the usual Cussler nail-biter.Publishers WeeklyFull of action, death-defying escapes, heart-stopping scenes, and a cast of characters that you will not forget.Suspense MagazineFans can depend on [the Oregon Files] to deliver action and adventure.Booklist About the AuthorClive Cussleris the author or coauthor of over fifty previous books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt, NUMA Files,OregonFiles, Isaac Bell, and Sam and Remi Fargo. His nonfiction works includeBuilt for Adventure:The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt, andBuilt to Thrill: More Classic Automobiles from Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt,plusThe Sea HuntersandThe Sea Hunters II; these describe the true adventures of the real NUMA, which, led by Cussler, searches for lost ships of historic significance. With his crew of volunteers, Cussler has discovered more than sixty ships, including the long-lost Confederate shipHunley.He lives in Colorado and Arizona.Jack Du Brul is the author of the Philip Mercer series. He holds a degree in international relations from George Washington University. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Debbie. how do you write the title of a book Mirage (The Oregon Files)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not an IllusionBy TH LeathermanWhat? TH Leatherman reviewing Clive Cussler? I enjoy good sci-fi, but I also enjoy a good adventure novel. Who better to review than one of the masters of this genre.Juan Cabrillo and the corporation have been called to service again. This time we have a Tesla twist on the story. The Oregon and her crew are back to solve the problem. A tramp freighter that perpetually looks like it's about to fall apart. A crew of specialists hiding just out of view ready to handle whatever the mission needs. The Oregon files is known for tactics, gadgets, and trickery and this book delivers. We start with a Russian prison break and just keep going. Page after page of action, action, action.If you're looking for an action/spy thriller, I highly suggest you pick up Mirage.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Better than most of Cussler's other works, but......By RegraeI grew up reading Alistar McLean and then went to the Dirk Pitt series. However after about 10 of them they sort of crashed and burned and I quit them. Then Cussler start the Oregon FIles and then I came back and back again with each novel. I truly believe that Du Brul is the reason they are so good along with the point that they come out slowly and not every other month like the rest of Cussler's series.The story is great. Let's be real here, these stories are escapist fiction and believability is not that important, nor should stand in the way of a rousing yarn. So Tesla and his inventions once again are used to frame this story. We have the Chairman seeking revenge for the death of a friend and ending up with a syfi problem with flying ships and Russian rouge navy admiral. The action is good and fast paced.Okay now for the three stars: I believe that books should be consistant in story line. Any time an author "zags" in the middle of a story and goes off to another story and back, that there should be a purpose for it, if not, then 3 stars for story line.For some reason, toward the end of the novel, Cussler takes off on a wild pirate chase concering missing money from the Iraq war. Just out of the blue we fight pirates and then back to the Russian. All for no reason. Don't get me wrong this little "zag" is well written and entertaining but ......what the heck?1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. More Cussler/DuBrul/Oregon Files funBy Christian D. OrrAnother fun-filled, action-packed, fast-paced adventure of Juan Cabrillo and his intrepid "Corporation," i.e. the crew of the tramp steamer cum super spy ship "Oregon." This time the plot involves a corrupt Russian admiral, naval stealth technology and a historical connection with the late unsung (relatively, that is) scientific genius Nikola Tesla and the mysterious (and probably apocryphal) Philadelphia Experiment.As eminently readable as all the other Oregon Files novels. However, a few technical nitpicks are in order:--while the JASDF's (Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces) first-line fighter plane is virtually a carbon copy of the F-16, it's actually called the Mitsubishi F-2.--The Uzi was invented in 1948, not 1950; the Israeli Army officially adopted it in 1951.--"Firing for effect" means to saturate the target once you've found the range, not mere warning shots.Nitpicks aside, another worthwhile reads from Messrs. Cussler and Du Brul.P.S. The sidebar adventure at the Port of Umm Qasr, Iraq--which coincidentally was the location of my last Middle Eastern contract assignment--was irrelevant to the main plotline, but nonetheless made me wax nostalgic and reminded me how much I actually miss working there!