The Spy

Clive Cussler & Justin Scott

Language: English

Publisher: Berkley

Published: Mar 14, 2011

Description:

SUMMARY:
Isaac Bell is on the hunt for the killer of some of America's finest minds ...1908. When a brilliant American battleship gun designer kills himself, his grief-stricken daughter is deeply suspicious. She turns to the legendary Van Dorn Detective Agency where chief investigator Isaac Bell finds clues that indicate murder. Uncovering more suspicious deaths, Bell realises that someone - an elusive spy - is orchestrating the destruction of America's brightest technological minds. And the murders all connect to a top-secret project known as Hull 44. As Bell gets closer to the truth and the spy himself he is pitted against German, Japanese, and British agents. More than the future of his country is at stake - it's the fate of the world.

SUMMARY:
Isaac Bell is on the hunt for the killer of some of America's finest minds ...1908. When a brilliant American battleship gun designer kills himself, his grief-stricken daughter is deeply suspicious. She turns to the legendary Van Dorn Detective Agency where chief investigator Isaac Bell finds clues that indicate murder. Uncovering more suspicious deaths, Bell realises that someone - an elusive spy - is orchestrating the destruction of America's brightest technological minds. And the murders all connect to a top-secret project known as Hull 44. As Bell gets closer to the truth and the spy himself he is pitted against German, Japanese, and British agents. More than the future of his country is at stake - it's the fate of the world.

From Publishers Weekly

Set 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)
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From

Cussler, 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 it—and Cussler and Scott provide us with a ton of fun. This is a fine thriller, rich in character, period detail, and suspense. --David Pitt