Night Probe!

Ahhh, old Clive Cussler novels were so fun and this is at the top of my list of his books. It's so much fun and what a twist. The whole Canadian angle is really fun.Cussler may be light reading even by bubblegum for the brain standards but this one, like all of his old stuff, is undeniably fun!

I became a hopelessly addicted Cussler fan after reading the incredible 'Raise The Titanic' in '79 (GEEZ! Has it been THAT long ago??) and ever since then, looking forward to a new Dirk Pitt novel is kinda like a hobby of mine...so you can imagine when 'Night Probe' came out what a thrill it was for me to buy and read it as quickly as possible. As usual, I wasn't disappointed one tiny bit. Another fantastic example of 'what if' by the Emperor of Action.What IF the US and England negotiated a treaty that in essence sold Canada to the Yankees...? Cussler introduces this exact situation with the opening pages of this adventure taking place on a train and a luxury ship. Both meet untimely ends, but not necessarily the way you are led to believe. Years later a reference to these documents is uncovered and soon after the race is on to find them by two countries, one bent on destroying them, the other for the purpose of collecting them intact. This is easily one of Cusslers most political novels, moving from the inner workings of the Prime Minister of Canada to the Oval Office and many points in between. If you remember the character of Foss Gly in 'Cyclops', you will be happy to find out that he makes his first appearance here in 'Night Probe', and as you can imagine, he is at his worst. 'Night Probe' definitely is one of Cusslers most intricately plotted novels, and what it may lack in action compared with some of his other stories, it more than makes up for in plot development and storyline details. Simply a great example of Cussler at his literary best. A fantastic book and worthy of any other Pitt adventure out there. Do yourself a supreme favor and get to know Dirk Pitt, and if you haven't done it yet, do it HERE. You will be most happy you did. Highly Recommended.

1914: United States undersecretary of state, Richard Essex, is traveling on the Manhattan Limited Train. With him is one of three copies of the North American Treaty. A document few government officials know about which will have an insurmountable effect on the future of the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. Meanwhile, on the very same evening and halfway across the world, Harvey Shields, deputy secretary of the British Foreign Office, carries a copy of the treaty with him while sailing on a ship called the Empress of Ireland. Coincidentally, the train carrying Richard Essex plunges through a gap in a bridge and sinks in the Hudson River, and the ship with Harvey Shields aboard collides with a coal collier and sinks in the St. Lawrence River. Neither man's corpse is recovered and the two copies of the treaty are gone with them. Canada's prime minister has the third copy, but since the treaty is not favorable to the Canadian's he destroys it. The matter is laid to rest. The North American Treaty is never to be. Those few officials who know of the pact keep their silence and the world never knows how close we came to rewriting history.1989: U.S. naval commander, Heidi Milligan, is writing a thesis when she comes across a letter written by Woodrow Wilson referring to the North American Treaty. Curious, she probes into the matter and discovers that even the most expert historians have no knowledge of any North American Treaty. When the word leaks out about Heidi's investigation, the U.S. and Great Britain do some detective work of their own and are stunned to learn that the treaty was indeed real. If a copy could be found, it would be valid even after seventy-five years. The United States would profit greatly from it but Great Britain would lose.Could an intact copy of the treaty be found underwater after all these years? Call in Dirk Pitt, director of special projects for the National Underwater Marine Agency. Dirk and his men take on the task of attempting to recover the treaty for the U.S. despite the remote probability of finding it. Great Britain, on the other hand, wants to find it first so they can destroy it, rendering it useless to the U.S. Brian Shaw, a retired top-notch spy is hired to lead the British crew on their search. The race begins!Cussler has put together a superb tale of mystery, espionage, history, and adventure. The action is non-stop as Dirk and his men battle it out underwater, on the ground, and in the air with British enemies. Expect lots of nail-biting tension as the plot twists and turns at an unrelenting pace. The surprise outcome will leave you breathless, shocked, and undoubtedly running back to the bookstore to purchase your next Dirk Pitt adventure.

Clive Cussler's books are one of my true guilty pleasures. It's similar to when you tell a friend whether they should see a movie or not--pay full price, matinee, wait till video, or don't bother. With books its--hardback, wait for paperback, hope your library has it, or don't bother. Clive Cussler is hardback all the way. Fortuneately for those of you new to the Dirk Pitt Novels, you can get hardback quality at a paperback prices.This is a great place to start this series. Dirk Pitt takes on James Bond--Ok not the REAL James Bond, but I'd like to think that the outcome would be the same. The entire North American Treaty concept is engrossing, and the plotting is fast and furious.This book is in the upper tier of Cussler Novels, along with Treasure, Cyclops, Dragon, and Deep Six. Enjoy.

I have always loved the way that Clive starts his stories with a distant event or tragedy, and then brings it to modern times. Night Probe offers two distant disasters that are somehow related. It's up to Dirk Pitt, Clive's main character, (and you) to solve the puzzle.I thought I had the mystery solved, (especially the missing train... just where is that thing hiding?) but one by one my guesses came up empty. I think I figured it all out about five seconds before Dirk did. (So, I did out-guess him, right?) It takes an exceptional author to pull that off. And Clive knows how to keep the reader happy.This book has ranked as one of the top ten books I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. (Of course, a lot of Clive's work is in my top ten.) Night Probe is a wonderful start to anyone just discovering Cussler's writing, or, if you've read his latest, exploring Dirk's past