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NUMA Files #5

Killeralgen

Kurt Austin, leader of the National Underwater and Marine Agency's Special Assignments Team, battles international evildoers again in the fifth installment of this excellent series. There are several parallel a mysterious aviator has been found frozen in a massive glacier; a mutant seaweed is threatening to choke the world's oceans; a giant submarine is roaming the thermal vents of the deep sea area known as the Lost City; and the secretive, arms-dealing Fauchard family, run by ruthless black-widow Racine and her homicidal son, Emil, is up to no good. Also there's a mysterious 16th-century helmet, a search for the philosopher's stone and an island of filthy, mutant cannibals. Austin's love interest is lush, sensual Skye Labelle, an archeologist specializing in arms and armor. Kidnappings, hair's-breadth escapes, fierce battles, strange science, beautiful women and plenty of action add up to vintage Cussler. Of course, one of the secrets of the genre is to waste no time on ancillary "Before long, a cigar-shaped object came into view"; "Before long, they were stepping out of the cockpit onto the deck." Readers will find that, before long, they're racing through the pages as Austin and his band of merry men fight to stop the Fauchards from reaching the ultimate evildoer's world domination.

Paperback

First published July 22, 2004

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About the author

Paul Kemprecos

55 books106 followers
My fiction-writing career owes it start to the bad navigation of an 18th century pirate. For it was in 1717 that a ship, the Whydah went aground, reportedly carrying a fabulous treasure. In the 1980s, three salvage groups went head-to-head, competing to find the wreck. The controversy over the salvage got hot at times and I thought there might be a book in their story. I was working for a newspaper at the time.
I developed my own detective, an ex-cop, diver, fisherman, and PI named Aristotle “Soc” Socarides. He was more philosophical than hard-boiled. Making his first appearance in “Cool Blue Tomb,” the book won the Shamus award for Best Paperback novel. After many years in the newspaper business, I turned to writing fiction and churned out five more books in the series.
Clive Cussler blurbed: “There can be no better mystery writer in America than Paul Kemprecos.”
Despite the accolades, the Soc series lingered in mid-list hell. By the time I finished my last book, I was thinking about another career that might make me more money, like working in a 7-11.
Several months after the release of “Bluefin Blues,” Clive called and said a spin-off from the Dirk Pitt series was in the works. It would be called the NUMA Files and he wondered if I would be interested in tackling the job.
I took on the writing of “Serpent” which brought into being Kurt Austin and the NUMA Special Assignments Team. Austin had some carry-over from Soc, and another team member, Paul Trout, had been born on Cape Cod. The book made The New York Times bestseller list, as did every one of seven NUMA Files that followed, including “Polar Shift,” which bumped “The DaVinci Code” for first place.
After eight NUMA Files I went back to writing solo. I wrote an adventure book entitled, The Emerald Scepter, which introduced a new hero, Matinicus “Matt” Hawkins. I have been working on the re-release of my Soc series in digital and print, and in 2013, responding to numerous requests, I brought Soc back again in a seventh Socarides book entitled, Grey Lady. My wife Christi and I live on Cape Cod where she works as a financial advisor. We live in a circa 1865 farmhouse with two cats. We have three children and seven granddaughters.
To learn more about Paul Kemprecos, check out his website at http://www.paulkemprecos.com.

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5 stars
2,764 (30%)
4 stars
3,563 (39%)
3 stars
2,272 (25%)
2 stars
327 (3%)
1 star
69 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
Profile Image for Rob.
511 reviews174 followers
June 29, 2021
Book 5 in The Numa Files series published 2004.

2.5 stars

No doubt about it this was a full on adventure.
It reminded me very much of Matthew Reilly’s work, or maybe that should be Matthew Reilly’s books reminds me of Clive Cussler’s work.

If you have ever seen an Indiana Jones movie then you will know what to expect from this book.
It takes the ridiculous and pushes it to the nth degree.
For an adventure book it was a long read and after a while all the over the top the death defying escapes and the despicable acts of villainy just became too much for me. I just wanted it over with.
Adventure is just like everything else, if you get too much of it it all starts looking a bit mundane.

I might have enjoyed it more if it were 200 pages shorter.

Clive Cussler is a very successful author so I’m sure that for a lot of people this would be manna from heaven but alas this particular plate of manna wasn’t to my liking.
Profile Image for Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library).
4,927 reviews95 followers
July 26, 2019
What a crazy adventure!

From beginning to end, this novel brings intensity and action on a grand scale. It feels like an old-school serial, or even a video game; one breakneck scene after another. This book may have taken me three days to finish, but it was well worth it. It's easy to see why Clive Cussler is such a beloved writer.

I do have to mention one complaint: The language was a bit much, especially the repeated misuse of Jesus' name. If you don't care for profanity in your literature, you may want to avoid this.
Profile Image for Belinda Vlasbaard.
3,386 reviews105 followers
October 7, 2023
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

Quote: "Heeft de centrale contact met het observatorium?"
"Nee, de lijn is uitgevallen."
"Weten we of ze nog in leven zijn?"
"Kennelijk", zei Fortier haast op fluistertoon.
Dit nieuws kwam keihard aan bij Austin.

Quote: " we hebben gevraagd het watervliegtuig voor ons paraat te houden," zei hij tegen luitenant Muller. " we vliegen terug naar de Azoren en nemen een privé jet. Met een beetje geluk kunnen we morgen bij dat geheimzinnige eiland van u zijn."

Een nieuw avontuur voor Kurt Austin, dit keet bijgestaan door zijn vriend Joe en nieuw "vlam" Sky. Ik heb er weer van genoten. Avonturenroman ten top zeg maar.
Profile Image for Bogdan Gavriliuc.
117 reviews12 followers
September 13, 2011
Umm... I have mixed feelings about this book.

I liked it, because it's got some really good actions scenes, spec-ops types of situations, explosions, guns etc. It was fun. And the concepts brought up, such as immortality, the gorgonweed that would , the vague attempt at some interesting history.

But the problem is that all those concepts were only flashed in view for the plot, and never explored. I would have liked more talk about the immortality, or more elaboration on the red-eyed beasts.
Also the characters are very flat. Skye is the beautiful and feisty love interest, Austin the never-fail protagonist (who had so many cheesy one-liners I ended up getting sick of them).

By the way, I hate that antagonists need to give monologues before they theatrically attempt to eliminate their enemies. It's beyond unrealistic. Austin should have died several times. Also, there was not much reason for the antagonists to keep Skye alive in my opinion.

Why is it mixed feelings? Just because I didn't like parts of the plot, or most of the characters, doesn't mean I can't understand where this book belongs.
This is just a cheap fun thriller with adventurous over-the-top scenes. And once in a while, that is awesome. If that is what you want, you should put this on your to-read list.
Profile Image for Nu Jahat Jabin.
149 reviews241 followers
July 18, 2014
বহুত আগে পড়া। রিভিশন দিতে বসলাম,হাতের কাছে অনুবাদটা থাকার কারনে।
বইটা আগে ৪ স্টার দিছিলাম,এই বার পড়ার পরে ১ স্টার কমে ৩ এ আসছে।
এই প্যাচ ভাল লাগে নি। খুঁজতে আসছে লস্ট সিটি সেখান থেকে অস্ত্র ব্যবসায়ী পরিবারের ইতিহাস, যুদ্ধবাজি, এনজাইমোলজি এত দিকে ঢুকাটা একসময় ক্লান্তিকর লাগছে।
আবার সেই যুগ যুগ ধরে চলে আসা চিরকাল বেঁচে থাকার আকুতি। একসময় ফিলোসোফার স্টোনের আইডিয়ায় মুগ্ধ হতাম এখন হই না, এত বছর বাঁচার মানুষের শখ কই থেকে আসে আল্লাহ মাবুদ। শান্তি মরতে পারাটাও খুব একটা খারাপ হবার কথা না।

মিস করেছি পিট কে। অনেক আগে পড়ার কারনে মাথায় ছিল না যে এইখানে পিট নাই।

১২৮পেজে গিয়ে দেখি মশিয়ে অস্টিন হয়ে গেছে মশিয়ে রানা। সো অনুবাদের নাম্বার শূন্য। অনুবাদে কষ্ট না করে খুব সম্ভবত মাসুদ রানা থেকে কপি পেস্ট করেছে। -_-
Profile Image for Zabin.
39 reviews10 followers
Want to Read
November 16, 2020
ফ্রেঞ্চ আল্পসের জমাট বাধা বরফ থেকে পাওয়া গেল একটা লাশ। লাশের কাছে একটা পুরাতন প্লেন। ব্যাপারটা ধামাচাপা দেবার জন্য উঠে পড়ে লেগেছে এক অদৃশ্য শক্তি। একেরপর এক বিজ্ঞানীরা প্রাণ হারাচ্ছে রহস্যময়ভাবে। সাগরের নিচ থেকে হাইজ্যাক হয়ে গেল একটা সারমেরিন। পুরো ব্যাপারটার সাথে জড়িয়ে পড়ল কার্টি অস্টিন ও জোভালা। একের পর এক উদঘাটন ঘটতে লাগল রহস্যের।
Profile Image for Barbara Ford.
74 reviews6 followers
February 5, 2025
An action packed thriller conspiracy involving an ancient artifact, a power crazy family chasing eternal life and an algal weed ravaging the Atlantic's "Lost City". The story includes mutated humans, races against time and the Fauchard family (of the power crazy family etc.), who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Profile Image for Matt.
1,063 reviews
December 31, 2008
I like Cussler- but I found this one interesting in a different way. Its a cross between the NUMA files and X files. He tosses some sci-fi in there.
Profile Image for Kellyanne .
277 reviews13 followers
January 30, 2009
I love Cussler books as they are a way of relaxing and not too heavy. A fun filled adventure through and through!
Profile Image for Dimitri.
1,068 reviews273 followers
July 20, 2023
While entertaining enough, it's an inferior rehash of Sahara 's killer seaweed: the global threat is there, but too far away in the background to lend urgency to Austin & Zavala's fight against the villains, whose powers have become more superhuman over the years.
Profile Image for William Liggett.
Author 3 books242 followers
January 27, 2018
The novel Lost City by Clive Cussler, co-written by Paul Kemprecos, seemed long for a thriller. It was tied together by a unified evil plot, with a creepy villain assisted by strong, but cold-blooded crew of henchmen. The scenes involving a glacier in Switzerland were particularly appealing to me, but there was much more-deep Atlantic underwater exploration, an isolated island off Scotland, the city of Paris, and a medieval castle-like compound. The budding romance between the main character, Kurt, and a clever, young woman, Skye, kept the positive juices flowing in the face of the evil plans of the villain. The underlying scientific premise seemed a bit implausible, but the thrilling story line made it tolerable. I found this book engaging to the end. I really wanted to find out what happened, even though it might have been just as effective had it been shorter.
Profile Image for Meg.
65 reviews
January 29, 2014
Lost City was a 3 star for me (or more like a 2.5). It was an incredibly easy read, chock full of action, and brimming with exotic locales. Unfortunately, it was also predictable, a little heavy on the ridiculousness scale, and very, very sexist. Frankly, I spent part of the book interested (the beginning was quite gripping, actually), part of the book incredulous, and most of the book offended. All the characters were stereotyped to an extreme -- for goodness sakes, I could pick out every bad guy just by their description alone! And forbid any of the heroes be anything but drop-dead gorgeous! No surprises or unexpected twists in this one.

Maybe this is typical of the NUMA Files. This is the only one I have ever read (and the only one I ever plan to read). Frankly, I was not impressed. That said, Lost City still kept me entertained for a few days. Definitely a book to take on vacation when a bit of light reading is all you need.
Profile Image for Dee Haddrill.
1,989 reviews35 followers
January 2, 2012
Another typical installment in the NUMA series. While not my favourite of Cussler's five series', I do enjoy the NUMA books and this was no exception. One complaint would be that Austin and Zavala really didn't share a lot of time in this one, and their "bromance" is one of the things I like most about these books. Their dialogue is usually very witty and sharp, and it is in this one too, there just wasn't enough of it. Otherwise, a good story, and what you have come to expect from a Cussler book.
Profile Image for Jennifer Ulrich.
326 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2017
My favorite so far in the Kurt Austin series. This book weaves a historical mystery with a tale of the macabre and search for eternal youth. I loved the villains in this book! Not your typical special ops high tech witch hunt. Good old fashioned bad guys!

As well written as any other Cussler novel. My only beef being the ridiculous Kurt Austin skirt chase in every novel. He's not a player or joker. It really belittles his character. He can be suave and intelligent and sexy without a different girl in every novel.
Profile Image for Tyna.
404 reviews34 followers
January 31, 2020
”Orașul pierdut” este un thriller deosebit de captivant, în care aventura, misterul, suspansul, romantismul, binele și răul se împletesc într-un amestec  fascinant. Tușa SF ridică și mai mult nivelul de adrenalină, întrucât te trec fiorii citind despre o formațiune misterioasă din adâncul oceanului ce seamănă cu un oraș și în care se formează niște alge virulente care amenință să sufoce întreaga planetă.

Recenzia mea:

https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/ora...
Profile Image for Mandy F..
138 reviews3 followers
March 10, 2011
I had never picked up a Clive Cussler book before but took a plane ride and business trip a few years ago and bought it in an airport bookstore. I was intrigued by the story, by the descriptions and by the craziness of it all. I didn't think I was a sci-fi reader but I really did enjoy this book. I think Cussler is an excellent writer. Someday I should read more of his books!
Profile Image for David Ebel.
53 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2017
Another great story told by America's Storyteller

Lost City has just enough twists and turns to keep the reader to the edge of their seat. It was hard enough to put the novel that I lost sleep finishing it.
527 reviews8 followers
August 14, 2017
Fun book to read

I have this a 4 star for it kept my attention and it was a good fun read. I wish the ending had been developed a little bit more, but it was a good solid book all the way through. In a month or so I will read the next one on the series.
Profile Image for PJ.
159 reviews11 followers
October 2, 2025
Lost City by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos is an adrenaline-charged, globe-trotting adventure that’s classic Cussler packed with high-stakes action, larger-than-life villains, and enough plot twists to keep you hooked. It’s the fifth installment in The NUMA Files series, starring Kurt Austin and his team from the National Underwater and Maritime Agency (NUMA). This time, they’re diving into a tangled web of greed, science gone wrong, and secrets buried in both ice and the ocean’s depths.

The story kicks off with an eerie discovery: a body frozen in a glacier for 90 years in the French Alps. Naturally, this isn’t just a random corpse it’s tied to a dangerous secret, one that quickly pulls Kurt Austin and his crew into a mystery involving a virulent algal bloom wreaking havoc in the Atlantic’s Lost City trench. Oh, and there’s also a bloodthirsty, power-hungry family who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Think Bond villains, but with more maritime flair.

The book is fast-paced and cinematic, with vivid descriptions of underwater landscapes, glacial caves, and high-tech action sequences that make it feel like you’re watching a blockbuster. Kurt Austin is as cool and capable as ever, balancing brains with brawn as he navigates the chaos. The supporting cast, including his trusty NUMA team, adds depth and humor, though the villains are a bit cartoonishly evil (but hey, that’s half the fun in a Cussler novel).

One of the highlights is the way Cussler and Kemprecos weave cutting-edge science into the plot. The algal bloom subplot feels surprisingly timely, touching on environmental themes without getting preachy. That said, the science occasionally leans into the implausible, but let’s be real no one’s here for strict realism. It’s about the ride, and Lost City delivers on that front.

If there’s a critique, it’s that the plot can feel a bit overstuffed, with so many threads (glaciers, algae, secret experiments, ancient mysteries) that it occasionally loses focus. But the relentless action and sheer fun of the adventure more than make up for it

Lost City is pure escapism a thrilling mix of science, history, and action that’s perfect for fans of high-octane adventure. Whether you’re a longtime Cussler enthusiast or dipping your toes into the NUMA Files for the first time, this one won’t disappoint.

A fast-paced, over-the-top adventure that hits all the right beats for action junkies.
Profile Image for Sonya.
Author 4 books10 followers
June 9, 2017
I really loved reading Lost City by Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos. Of course, there are the usual thrills, adventure, mystery, evil, good, and romance involved in Clive Cussler's novels, but to me, this fictional story has a more of a possible futuristic or maybe current scare that concerns the world's ecological issues. I don't want to give anything away, but I believe anythings is possible and if it involves a person or a group that has power, money and no scruples and can't see beyond their nose or their own needs, disaster is sure to follow any of their selfish and evil plans.
I haven't learned how to hide spoilers, so don't read any further if you haven't read the book yet and I wasn't able to hide this part correctly. This is my first spoiler alert in any of my reviews.
Profile Image for Adam.
67 reviews2 followers
April 4, 2024
This book is thoroughly ridiculous and outrageously sexist, but Madame Fouchard made up for some of the disappointments by being a fantastic villain. It was all so predictable and surface-level, though. Cussler tried to do way too much with the book and it ended up being a jumbled mess. We didn’t need the mutant beasts, and we especially didn’t need the one-off chapter about the woman who first saw them. We didn’t need the algae to unrealistically threaten to turn the ocean solid, and we didn’t need Kurt to know that Skye had been kidnapped just to see him do a dozen other things before turning his attention to her. The title is also immensely misleading cuz we see the lost city hydrothermal vents ONE TIME and I literally listened to this book because I’m currently ~obsessed~ with the deep ocean and saw the title and was like umm YES. Not holding that against the book though lol. Just focusing on the fact that it feels like the book was written in one draft and Cussler was like… should I do a second draft or just release it and write another book instead?
Profile Image for Jeff Fambrough.
68 reviews
April 12, 2017
Kurt Austin is always getting in and out of situations, but when you are dealing with crazy lady's and them wanting to rule the world, you have to do what you have to do
Profile Image for Jordan Anderson.
1,832 reviews46 followers
December 23, 2020
Lost City is an enjoyable and fast paced novel but it’s also the moment when I think the NUMA files books started their downhill trend.

Unlike the previous 4 novels, nothing about Lost City really sticks out or is memorable. And that’s especially true because I read this one once before back in like 2005. Couldn’t even remember a single thing about it other than I wasn’t that impressed then and I’m not especially impressed now.

Just as the rest of the NUMA books, Austin and Zavala are indestructible and face off against bad guys and end up saving the day in the nick of time. Obviously these books are formulaic and I knew what to expect but even this book just felt more phoned in than the others. Even the antagonist’s motivations felt like the same from Serpent with some of the same set pieces as White Death. Austin is quickly becoming more of a copy of Pitt with each new story and it’s basically just interchangeable between the two. Same for Zavala and Giordino.
Profile Image for Shauna.
355 reviews
January 12, 2018
High in the French Alps, Dr. LeBlanc has a team researching effects of glacier movement. At the same time, but without collaboration, a NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) team is exploring the Lake “Lac du Dormeur”. Derek Rawlins arrives as the team of Dr. LeBlanc finds a man frozen in the glacier.

Kurt Austin and Skye LaBelle are 200 feet below the surface of the Lake aboard a submersible called the SEAmagine when they come across an underwater city.

The frozen man, the under water city and the secret of life that the Fauchard family in Greece have been looking for, bring these three locations and their people into a “Winner rules the World” or “Winner saves the World,” adventure
Profile Image for Bookman8.
277 reviews13 followers
January 29, 2013
this is a Kurt Austin (not Dirk Pitt) adventure. This is just a "mindless TV Book" that is for a change in pace. This is a formulaic adventure novel, a nice break from reading serious fiction.

It does make one more truly appreciate the difference between mass appeal best sellers, and truly well written works. It serves a purpose.
Profile Image for Eric.
60 reviews2 followers
May 5, 2008
This was a good book. I started it expecting a fun easy read that was engaging, and that's just what I got. I've read a few Clive Cussler books and this one goes up near the top of the list. A fun, rather mindless read. Perfect if that's what you're looking for.
531 reviews
September 2, 2009
Como não está classificado nos sites de fantasia ou fc esperava uma aventura com menos fantasismo do que aconteceu. É de facto uma leitura agradável mas que se esquece passado pouco tempo. Nada com o impacto dum Stieg Larsson. Uns livros marcam muito, outros nem tanto
88 reviews
May 26, 2013
Gave up at page 65. Meh. I'm not an arty highbrow type, loving Lee Child's Reacher books, but this felt very "he said, she said" and the characters had no character.

I may try another one because my dad loves them but there's plenty more books out there to invest my time in.
Profile Image for Whitney Evans.
125 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2017
This was my favorite book yet! The action and adventure started immediately and multiple dramas played out simultaneously before all coming together perfectly at the end. I read the 400+ page book in a matter of days.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews