From Publishers WeeklyThis latest NUMA adventure from Cussler and Brown features the heroic members of the National Underwater and Marine AgencyKurt Austin, Dirk Pitt, Joe Zavala, et al.battling yet another madman who hopes to conquer the world. But crazed scientist Maxmillian Thero's weapon is unique: it uses of zero-point energy to create machines capable of causing continent-shattering earthquakes. Narrator Scott Brick is skilled at creating accentsa much-needed talent considering that Thero has marked both Australia and Russia as his main targets. Brick treats the book's Aussies, male and female, to a credible, near musical twang. His Russian accents are solid, especially the voice he uses for an oddly likeable Moscow assassin. When it comes to most of the NUMA world-savers, Austin and Pitt included, Brick uses an all-purpose, broadcast-quality stalwart tone, though the down-to-earth Zavala's comments have an added touch of Brooklyn sarcasm. It's the voice of Thero that presents the biggest challenge. The authors describe it as being the result of vocal chords damaged in an intense fire that nearly killed the man and drove him mad. Brick's croak is so effectively garbled and strained one hopes he has his own award-winning voice properly insured against misuse. A Putnam hardcover. (May)From BooklistEven if Kurt Austin, of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), isnt looking for trouble, it somehow has a way of finding him. Attending a conference in Sydney, Austin just happens to be nearby when a powerboat crashes into the Sydney Opera House. Kurt pulls an injured man out of the wreckage; the man dies but not before muttering a cryptic message (The heart . . . of Tartarus) that Austin immediately recognizes as a reference to the deepest prison of the underworld. Then, after Austin notices that the dead man has symptoms of the bends, he starts looking for a mystery deep under the water, but he doesnt expect to find a Bondian megalomaniac who has harnessed the massively destructive power of zero-point energy and is threatening to wreak havoc upon the planet. Unless, of course, Austin and his NUMA team can stop him. The NUMA books are sort of midrange Cussler, not as well crafted as his Isaac Bell series but more exciting than the Oregon Files. Fans of the previous NUMA adventures will find much to enjoy here. --David Pitt Just about the best storyteller in the business. New York Post Nobody does it betternobody! Stephen CoontsCLIVE CUSSLERhas no equal. Publishers Weekly ZERO HOUR is A nonstop action thriller. The Associated Press can you blog about books Zero Hour (The NUMA Files)
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful. Cussler wins with this oneBy Shirley CodyCussler and Brown pack Zero Hour with action, humor, a psycho with a split personality trying to get revenge by ending the world with zero point energy. All our favorite characters are in this one: Kurt Austin, Dirk Pitt, James Sandecker, Joe Zavala, Hiram Yaeger, Paul and Gamay Trout. As always, Kurt gets in trouble but manages to get out of it with his off the cuff schemes and, with Joe, saves the day. Hiram has now get more computer genius with virtual reality and fact finding, even, again, logging onto supposedly secure and off limits sites. Thero, the villain, has a split personality of both father and son (who was killed) with the father wanting revenge and the son wanting to stop him. Real action and a plausible scenario. This is the third book that Cussler writes with Graham Brown and all three are excellent. I am a fan of Graham Brown's sole writing also, having read his Black Rain and Black Sun. The only thing I missed was Cussler himself popping up as a character in the book!9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Another fun adventure for Kurt AustinBy William D. CurnuttCussler and Brown give us another good adventure in the life of Kurt Austin and his friends. Kurt has gone on vacation to Australia. He is at a conference, but frankly he is bored. I understand that feeling, often times conferences don't always live up to the liveliness that they offer in their advertising. Kurt has decided to take the afternoon off and is leaving the auditorium when he runs into a beautiful young woman, yeah how coincidental. They have a brief exchange but Ms. Anderson says that she is going back into the conference.But before that can happen a small motorized boat is heading at a very high rate of speed towards the shore where Kurt is standing. The boat is being chased by a helicopter and the men in the copter are shooting at the boat. The boat crashes on to shore and throws one of it's occupants out, the other is caught in the wreckage. Kurt rushes in to try and save the driver, but he is stuck and before Kurt can do anything another round of bullets from the helicopter end the drivers life.Kurt turns his attention to the passenger to see Ms. Anderson running through the melee to drag the man to safety. Kurt does his thing in finding a way to dispatch the helicopter, unfortunately he sends it crashing into the Sidney Opera House (this will make some people unhappy). Now the authorities show up and the real adventure starts.It turns out the Aussies were tracking these men and hoping to meet with them to get the low down on a "mad scientist" who has developed a machine called the Zero Energy Machine that can harness great stores of energy from the earths core and deliver it anywhere in the world he wants to bring about major destruction, such as earthquakes.Well, for Austin the vacation is over. He finds himself intrigued by the problem, but not invited to join the Aussies to help find the scientist. So, he calls Joe and decides that they will set out on their own to discover what is going on.Well, in true Clive Cussler fashion the story develops fast, Kurt and Joe find themselves in the middle of a major conflict alongside the beautiful Ms. Anderson. During the story they will run afoul of the Australians, the Russians and maybe even some of their own countrymen.But in true Cussler fashion they will work out all the details, make friends of some of their enemies, do things that are heroic and some that are just down right stupid, but successful. In the end the world will be saved, the girl will be saved and Kurt and Joe will end up working harder on their vacation than they often do on their assignments.The book is fast paced, interesting, thoughtful and loaded with tension and fun. If you are a Clive Cussler fan you will enjoy the book.Have fun!5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Not like it used to beBy Jonathan P. GwynI'm pretty down on the whole assembly line era of Clive Kessler books these days. it used to be that a new customer book was a special occasion every two years and each adventure was epic. now, books like this are coming out every other month and all seem rather short and mundane. zero hour reads like more of an outline of a story that should then be turned into a real novel. where is the world threat and the great payoff reward for defeating the enemy? this story featuring the Dirk and al clones is easily forgettable. one of the few things I found interesting was the few times the split personality villain was featured. unfortunately I know that I will forget what this book is even about in a month or two....but still remember a great deal of raise the titanic, vixen 03 , shock wave, Cyclops and Atlantis found. but these other series by co authors all feel like cliffs notes versions of real Dirk pit stories. I used to wait months for the new book...now I go to the store and see 4-5 cussler books I've never heard of. Clive gave up and cashed in.