Inca Gold

Dirk Pitt® #12

by Clive Cussler, Howard McGillin (Narrator)

A chance rescue of two divers trapped in a Peruvian sinkhole leads series hero Dirk Pitt (Raise the Titanic! - Deep Six) into a search for lost treasure that involves grave robbers, art thieves and ancient curses. Cussler's latest adventure novel features terrorists who aren ' t really terrorists and a respected archeologist who is not what he seems; it all boils down to a race between Pitt and some unscrupulous crooks for a cache of Inca gold hidden away from the Spanish and lost since the 16th century. The villains, a society of art and antiquity smugglers called the Solpemachaco , want to get their hands on the Golden Body Suit of Tiapollo, which contains in its hieroglyphics a description of the Inca treasure's hidden burial place. Pitt ends up searching for a jade box containing a quipu , an Inca silver-and-gold metalwork map to the treasure. The box was stolen from the Indians by the Spanish, stolen from the Spanish by Francis Drake and then lost in the South American jungle, but readers who know Pitt know that that a 400-year-old missing clue is only a minor obstacle. Master storyteller Cussler keeps the action spinning as he weaves a number of incredible plotlines and coincidences into a believable and gripping story. It's pure escapist adventure, with a wry touch of humor and a certain self-referential glee (Cussler himself makes a cameo appearance), but the entertainment value meets the gold standard.

Genres: Adventure, Fiction, Thriller, Action, Mystery, Suspense, Historical Fiction

3 pages, Audio Cassette

First published June 2, 1994

About the author

Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.

Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.

In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.

Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).

Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.

Reviews

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inca treasure, priceless, hidden on an island in the beautiful Sea of Cortez for 500 years, worth one billion American dollars...only Clive Cussler would have the audacity to make this seem possible, if not probable. As always it has become his trademark in Dirk Pitt novels both the luckiest human on Earth and the unluckiest, we first travel back in time to begin the plot; during a civil war two rival brothers fight for the throne of the Inca Empire one to keep the other from capturing the vast gold artifacts takes all by ship, going north after a long voyage, finally arrives at their ultimate destination. The locals a superstitious group fear the Incas and leave the the gold alone when two of the bravest Indian natives disappear being somewhat too curious. The Spanish conquer Peru and the surrounding territories looting, killing, destroying... obliterating everything, greed has no limits. Back to the present , a bad situation in need of immediate help as two determined archaeologist are trapped in a sinkhole in the jungle, deep down in a murky watery cave quickly running out of oxygen. Good thing Dirk Pitt is nearby off the Peruvian coast on a boat with a helicopter, the Numa engineer along with best pal Al Giordino respond very fast to the distress signal. The rescue is quite successful but complications occur, the bad guys are persistent vicious thieves disguised as Shining Path rebels, who steal ancient treasures, kidnapping people and sell to unscrupulous rich collectors on the black market. Joining Dirk is pretty girlfriend congresswoman Loren Smith, colleague Rudi Gunn, and overseeing the entire project Admiral Sandecker his boss needless to say all close friends. The constant action- packed narrative permeates with desperate struggles in the rain forest, nervous high mountain climbing, dangerous helicopter flights, seemingly fruitless sea searches, the land has changed over the centuries, and the best though; an endless underwater river journey through the bowels of hell, painful to read but entertaining to digest not for the claustrophobic however the sadist will enjoy. Still the secret stream full of lethal rapids, sharp rocks breaking the green liquid surface, which can shred Pitt's little raft,
thick gloomy conditions in the grim dark underground
eerie tunnels, giant waterfalls where the government man Mr. Pitt needs to survive the indeterminable high plunge into the river while the ceiling gradually lowers and the air pockets vanishes, what now ?
Cliver Cussler is the great storyteller in the unlikely occurrences nevertheless exotic adventures which never stop, if given a chance he will grow on you but be sure to keep the lights on.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I could say, read my review for Sahara, but that would be unfair to this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. That said if you do read my review for Sahara you will see that I said these books are set around a central premise/set of circumstances with different characters and, situations and dilemmas added. It doesn't make them bad, and if you enjoy this type of almost non violent action adventure then, there are not many better writers than Mr Cussler.

As ever the book starts with an historical event, that sets the scene for the whole book. In this case it is the transportation of a fortune in Inca gold some time in the 16th century by a series of "golden giants" to a hidden cave in a land many moons from their homeland. Add in a touch of history with Francis Drake, Spaniards and the Golden Hind, and the scene is et for the usual involved story, with baddies you boo at and goodies you cheer.
Except its more than that, there are as ever some well rounded familiar characters (if you've previously read any Dirk Pitt book) and the writing is such that you are transported along at break neck speed but given a great view of all the proceedings. You smell the damp green sink hole, you feel the heat and humidity from the jungle and you can imagine the absolute blackness of the underground river.

As I said before, as long as you do not solely read this books, but intersperse with other mysteries or indeed other genres, then these are enjoyable, especially on a summer's day sitting on a comfy chair in the garden.

[Shruti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inca Gold is the twelfth book in the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler and the book that introduced me to the Grand Master of Adventure, as Cussler is rightly called. Each book in the series is an independent story and can be read irrespective of the order mentioned. The series follows Dirk Pitt, a marine engineer who often finds himself tangled up in a good mystery and very skillfully escapes the clutches of death every single time.

In Inca Gold, Dirk and his best friend, Al Giordino, attempt to locate a hoard of gold that was hidden by an ancient people, and that vanished five centuries ago, never to be seen again. Deciphering ancient codes that lead to the treasure and trying to defeat a global crime syndicate who are also desperately searching for the treasure—the two are forced to race against the clock while trying to stay alive.

A nail-biting adventure, coupled with thrilling story telling, this book is a treat! Highly recommend it.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

5.5-6/10

Some positives, some negatives to this one, mainly negatives though. I've read a Cussler novel before, Sahara, and don't remember it grating as much as this one. At times it felt like a bit of a chore getting through this but at other times I was able to knock the pages back.

The positives:

The long opening scene (about 100+ pages) was a great introduction to the characters and was laid out really well and was an easy read with action coming thick and fast.

The plot was half decent and you can't beat a good old treasure hunt with a good guy/bad guy(s) face off in the mix.

My edition had pictures........(struggling for anymore now).

The negatives:

The stupid conversions - Why did I constantly need to be reminded of how many km's there were in a mile? Or how many feet in a meter? I got used to glossing over those parts as they came in handy brackets but later on in the novel it's actually written into the character conversations. If I was talking to a friend and said I was going 2 miles down the road and he said "So about 3km then" I'd slowly back away until I was out of grabbing reach and cover those 2 miles (that's about 3km) quickly, checking they weren't following me. At one stage the editor got it wrong too and seemed to think that a mile was of shorter distance than a km which added to the constant beating of been told over and over.

Clive Cussler as a character - This was a low point for me. Admittedly you only learn it's Clive Cussler at the end of the section but when the characters said "He sure could spin a great yarn" I put my book down and looked at it grimly knowing there were at least 200 pages left.

Everyone in the book loving Dirk Pitt far too excessively - I think Clive Cussler wants to be this guy, especially when looking at his Wikipedia page. The way people were in awe of him all the time and the way women swooned at his feet just made me dislike the main character more and more. Plus I think his kill count must be up there with Pol Pot but nobody battered an eye lid and even the character showed no remorse.

Constantly reminded Dirk Pitt & Al Giordino were long-time friends - When Pitt said something crazy and people were shocked at his crazy plans and statements everyone looks at him like a mad man. Apart from Al who, in case you didn't remember after the 50th time of telling, were school friends and great pals. He just looked smugly like he had knowledge of an inside joke. Plus surely these plans aren't crazy at all as they always, always work.

People trying too hard to be funny - Stop with the stupid banter. It's not big and it's not clever.

Me, for not completely hating it! - I will no doubt read another in the future but it's not high on my list of things to get to next or even in the next couple of years. I'll cherry pick my way through the series until I can stand Dick Pitt et al no more. Yes, you read it right.

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you expect a story that resembles an action movie with Bruce Willis, then you won't be disappointed. This is exactly a story like that. Nice entertainment, although I admit that I did not like everything.

This is not my first story with Dirk Pitt. I've read Atlantis Found before, so I have some comparison. I don't know why, but I think I liked Pitt better in Atlantis Found, I think he had more peculiar charm in that one. This of course doesn't mean I don't like him in this book. Though his indestructibility and ability to survive any kind of death are almost grotesque. And probably in this book even more visible. At times, a pinch of realism could be useful.

The plot, or maybe I should say the idea for it is fine. I have not been interested so far in the cultures of the Incas and other civilizations from this period and area, so it is difficult for me to say to what extent the story is based on some facts or even legends. That is why I lack the perspective to find out where fiction mixes with the actual history. Certainly, the plot of this book sounds much more credible than the intricate intrigue in Atlantis Found that combines the threads of the lost Atlantis and the revival of the Third Reich. On the other hand, I regret it a little. That plot, detached from reality, captivated with its completeness, imagination and ability to combine all these unbelievable elements into one fairly coherent whole thing. Anyway, the plot of this book is fine and pretty entertaining.

What I didn't like are sometimes too detailed and too scientific explanations of some technical things. Very often they are woven into the action extremely clumsy. One of the characters asks how this or that works and the other answers him with all the technical details. This is very unnatural and sometimes simply boring. This is also goes over other dialogues, which sometimes also sound artificial and forced. Cussler makes sure that the reader knows what is going on all the time, he explains everything, even the obvious things. It's good that he tries to do this through the conversations of his characters and not just descriptions, but it leads to strange unnatural dialogs. I won't even mention that it annoys and disturbs.

Fans of the author's work will surely appreciate the fact that the author himself appears in this book as one of the less significant episodic characters.

On the whole, I liked this story although I expected better entertainment. I will certainly go for this author's books in the future. In this book, I think I liked the most the relationship between Pitt and Giordino.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything Clive Cussler is always entertaining but Inca Gold is my favorite. DO NOT read any Clive Cussler books that he co-wrote with his son Dirk Cussler because they are pretty boring. The books he has co-written with Paul Kemporas are pretty good.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Clive Cussler book and I was hooked from the very first 10 pages. High adventure and constant action.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ja een Dirk Pitt. Pitt , die toevallig in de buurt is als er twee archeologen in Peru niet meer uit een oude diepe bron komen waar zij duiken voor een archeologische opgraving. Deze actie rijdt een niets ontziende tegenstander in de wielen. Er ontspint zich weer een echte Dirk Pitt. Hij raakt namelijk verstikt in de netten van een bende gewelddadige kunstsmokkelaars die de legendarische schatten van de Inka's op het spoor zijn.

[Jessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una de las cosas que más amo del autor es que usa elementos reales en sus historias y a lo largo de la lectura me encanta ir investigando sobre los temas que tocan. . En esta ocasión descubrí un montón de cosas interesantes sobre las culturas peruanas.

Solo me quedé con una pequeña duda, ¿la tumba que menciona de Patty Lou Cutting es real? No encontré información sobre esto 🤔

[Patrick Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought some cacti the other day and repotted them near the chile plants. The prickly phallic looking one I named Dirk Pitt. Everyone should have a named cactus. Since this Pitt adventure takes place in Mexico and Pitt survives all odds (like surely my cactus will) I felt it an honor justly deserved. Is this the novel where Dirk and Al accidentally have sex with each other while thrusting in tandem at a Nogales brothel? No, no, that comes later. This is the adventure, like Orpheus, where they drift though an underground chasm in an updated version of the river Stix. Doing a inverted variation of the ‘mile high’ club, Cussler invents the mile ‘low’ club for those wishing to add to their list subterranean conquests (wink, wink, if you know what I mean). The plot of this novel is, once again, superfluous, and to be read for the authors inventive ‘adventure writing 101.’ If I am critical of his books, why do I keep reading them? Because they are freakin great, that’s why. The same way carnival rides are great. And Napoleon Dynamite. And lime flavored nachos. If you pick up a seventy-five cent copy at a used bookstore or flea market, be pleased. Now rip out the first half dozen chapters and begin where Al and Dirk head underground. The description of the caverns and the action sequences are brilliant (in a pop culture way). The author extends this sequence longer than any other I can recall. It is pure entertainment. After the dynamic duo survive (they always do—post coitus, no doubt) and bring Eurydice to the surface (sticking with the mythos here), throw the rest of the book away—you’ve done the best parts. Trust me. Oh okay, read it all if you want—I don’t care—but ‘Atlantis Found’ is better.

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Dirk Pitt adventure

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Intrattenimento puro, personaggi belli anche se forse un po’ stereotipati, interessanti nozioni sull’arte e la cultura dei popoli andini precolombiani, un protagonista che si fa adorare, situazioni spassose o intrippanti, appassionanti e coinvolgenti.

Libro letto per la All-Around-The-World Book Challenge ✈️, paese: Perù 🇵🇪

[Dawn Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This man seriously needs an editor. The bane of a published author is laziness in writing. Purple language, passive language and female characters that react in ways men would like but from a woman's perspective feel fake.

On the other hand, he sure knows how to pack action into a scene and this Dirk Pitt character is a cross between James Bond and Indiana Jones. Not much emotion, but one dangerous episode to the next in exotic locations.

[Dimitar Jovanovski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clive Cussler - the greatest adventure novelist and underwater explorer. This book is an excellent escape to the world of action and suspense, so much action and adventure packed in one little book. I liked the characters (especially the hero Dirk Pit and his humor), the mysteries and intrigues, the historical plot... Won't be the last read book written by Clive Cussler.

[Megan Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Total brain candy. I was addicted to Clive Cussler books for about a year, trying to de-stress myself from the honors classes I was taking in high school. And I imaged Dirk Pitt to be such a hottie, too!

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty slow through the first 75%, then really picked up the action to the end.

Another classic Cussler with a James Bond plot.
Peru, Mexico, boats, smugglers, treasure and a classic car.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vast amounts of gold the Inca possessed at the time of Pizarro is legendary, yet even as the Spaniards plundered the riches they began wondering if they had found everything. Inca Gold is the twelfth book in the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler as the titular character and his ever faithful friend Al Giordino begin their adventure with going on a rescue mission in the Andes only to end up needing rescue at the end in the Sea of Cortez.

In 1532 a fleet of ships sails in secret to an island in the middle of an inland sea. There they hide a magnificent treasure vaster than that any Pharaoh would ever possess. Then they disappear, leaving only a great stone demon to guard their hoard. In 1578 the legendary Sir Francis Drake captures a Spanish galleon filled with Inca gold and silver and the key to the lost treasure, which includes a gigantic chain of gold, a masterpiece of ancient technology so huge that it requires two hundred men to lift it and a large pile of diamonds worth more than 200 billion dollars that belonged to the last Inca. As the galleon is sailed by Drake's crew back to England, an underwater earthquake causes a massive tidal wave that sweeps it into the jungle. Only one man survives to tell the tale. In 1998 a group of archaeologists is nearly drowned while diving into the depths of a sacrificial pool high in the Andes of Peru. They are saved by the timely arrival of the renowned scuba diving hero Dirk Pitt, who is in the area on a marine expedition. Pitt soon finds out that his life has been placed in jeopardy as well by smugglers intent on uncovering the lost ancient Incan treasure. Soon, he, his faithful companions, and Dr. Shannon Kelsey, a beautiful young archaeologist, are plunged into a vicious, no-holds-barred struggle to survive. From then on it becomes a battle of wits in a race against time and danger to find the golden chain, as Pitt finds himself caught up in a struggle with a sinister international family syndicate that deal in stolen works of art, the smuggling of ancient artifacts, and art forgery worth many millions of dollars. The clash between the art thieves, the FBI and the Customs Service, a tribe of local Indians, and Pitt, along with his friends from NUMA, two of whom are captured and threatened with execution, rushes toward a wild climax in a subterranean world of darkness and death – for the real key to the mystery, as it turns out, is a previously unknown, unexplored underground river that runs through the ancient treasure chamber.

This is the book that originally got me into the Dirk Pitt series—via audiobook—and over twenty years later it very much holds up as a fun adventure yarn that keeps the pages turning. While the book isn’t perfect for various factors, the first being that the “main” antagonist went from being clever conman that kills when necessary to a raging would-be killer in one scene in the middle of the book that was jarring especially since his main henchman was already a wanton murderer who took pleasure in it. Cussler switches with his female “lead” with Dr. Kelsey being replaced mid-book with Pitt’s on-off flame Loren Smith, but for once Smith is fully fleshed out and not giving off damsel-in-distress vibe like previous books. The main positive of the book is that all the subplots are not only intriguing but have good characters like Billy Yuma that tie into the main plot as the book reaches its climax.

Inca Gold is the book I personally feel that the Dirk Pitt series began hitting its stride at least what I remember from the late-90s to the mid-00s. Clive Cussler mixes characters, plot, and action to create a real page-turning adventure that will make you take a look around for more of his titular character.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1578, Sir Francis Drake captures a Spanish galleon filled with Inca gold and silver and a key to a lost treasure. As the galleon is sailed back to England, an underwater earthquake causes a massive tidal wave sweeping it into the jungle, where it vanishes into history.

In 1998, a group of archaeologists diving in the depth of sacrificial pool high in the Andes of Peru are rescued from drowning in the nick of time by Dirk Pitt a NUMA agent who happens to be on a marine expedition near by. Their lives are once again in jeopardy when smugglers with the intent of uncovering lost ancient Inca treasures discover them. Captured by a family syndicate dealing in stolen works of art, they are threatened with execution and find themselves in a vortex of corruption, betrayal and death. Whatever the situation and the odds.....will Pitt be able to save everyone?

This book is an excellent escape to the world of action and suspense. The plot and characters and the adventure are fantastic. Dirk Pitt is a great hero, very cool under pressure, tough, determined and resourceful. In Inca Gold you also find light romance, just enough of technical details to keep ones interest without slowing down the pace. I was again introduced to a bizarre and tantalizing tale with an interesting array of villains, undersea treasure hunts and historic mysteries. Clive Cussler has once again proved his talent as a storyteller in this book.

[Mombus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book got thrown in the train station garbage pail this morning. It's about 700 pages long. And I got through 500. At that point in the book, if it's still a grueling effort to pick it up, something's not right. How does this book have 5 star ratings?? Are people just that simple-minded? It's sad. This novel totally lacks suspense, the element critical to this genre. It's kindergarten crap. It's predictable, boring, and cheesy as all hell. It's also pretty poorly written. Every chapter closes with a cringe-worthy attempt at a cliff hanger or twist, ala "And guess who was standing over her? TUPAC AMARU!!! wuhhh scary!" After meters was converted to feet for the 85th time, it was time to close this piece of garbage for good. What does it say when you read 2/3 of a book and could care less about the ending? Let me guess, the evil family of artifact traffickers all died, and Pitt and his friends won? And that'd even be fine if any part of this read was interesting. Gag me with a spoon. Never wasting a penny on another Cussler book. I really wanted to like this.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inca Gold by Clive Cussler
Genres: Mystery, Suspense
5 Solid Stars

This was my #1 top favorite of the Dirk Pitt's series that I read. Alas, it is also the last book of his I read.
Life just got crazy and I often had a hard time finding his books. You have to remember that back in the mid to late 90's, very few people had the internet much less a kindle. When you think about it, it makes it amazing that we can purchase a book and download it and read it all from a computer. You don't have to make special trips to a bookstore or wait for your local library to purchase a book.
It really is magical. And for me, this book was also magical.

The intrigue was top notch. I loved all the characters. The mystery and suspense was amazing for me.

This is also the 1st book my husband and I actually read together. So, a lot to love about this one.

[Michael Dawson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read a few of Clive cussler this one I didn't like the layout of the story and the writing style I thought was very dull. Everything that I was reading simply went in one ear and out the other so to speak. I didn't enjoy the storyline

[Sheherazahde · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was reading this novel I kept thinking that this was "porn for men" the way romance novels are "porn for women". It's not good writing but it clearly provides something its audience wants or it wouldn't be a bestseller.

The writing was surprising bad. The first Clive Cussler book I read was nonfiction, "The Sea Hunters II". I was impressed enough by it that I was looking forward to this novel. But in the first chapters I found clunky writing, idealized wish fulfillment characters, and long fetishizing passages describing every kind of machinery. Every measurement is given in Imperial units followed by the Metric conversion in parentheses. Which is annoying. And Cussler gives himself a cameo as a roadside diner operator. Which is amusing. Author cameos are odd.

The good people are for the most part handsome or beautiful. The bad people are mostly ugly. And there is very little ambiguity between the two. The general shape of the plot is pretty obvious. Dirk and his crew are looking for a lost treasure. The bad guys are also looking for the same lost treasure. Dirk is handsome, smart, courageous, daring, stoic, loyal, skilled, strong, pretty much unkillable, and takes decisive actions to achieve his goals. The bad guys are sneaky and duplicitous and do bad things to everyone around them. They encounter each other several times, resulting in fight scenes and daring escapes. And eventually the good guys win.

The female characters are all smart and successful as well as beautiful. They are archaeologists, politicians, amature race car drivers, and government assassins, as well as ex-models or actresses. To the author's credit Dirk is secure enough in his masculinity to let his beautiful successful girlfriend drive his cars. Although she does seem to need a lot or rescuing.

The writing was so bad that I assumed this must have been Cussler's first novel. But it is the 12th in the Dirk Pitt series and I found one site that listed this as the second best book in the series. Which goes back to the porn idea. Cussler clearly has a lot of devoted fans. They must enjoy this kind of "boys own adventure" the way some women enjoy romance novels. This is the kind of writing his fans want.

And there are things to love about this book. It is an unambiguous adventure. It is a fun book. It's interesting, it's informative. (Although some of the information is misleading i.e. no one has ever translated a quipu in the manner described in this novel. And I don't think any of the information about the mountain, the statue carved at its peak, or the underground river are true. There is an underground river on the yucatan peninsula, but none that I could find in northern Mexico. That is the trouble with fiction.)

My favorite part is the touch of the supernatural. In addition to the Inca death deity guarding the treasures, there are some religious icons that have been stolen from the local natives in Mexico. The story implies that the native gods are at least partially responsible for the good guys winning.

[Stefan-Iulian Tesoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a long book of mediocre quality and had a low priority in my round-robin reading list so it took me a few months to read this one. I don't usually read adventure based fiction so I don't have other sources for a comparison. There is a lot of action and adventure going on and it's obvious that the author did his fair share of research and documentation but I don't think that it's meant for people like me who like to overthink, I think it's rather intended for people that just want to kill some time having nothing else better to do. I kept finding holes in the plot and this book is quite obviously made with the intention to become the screenplay for a movie someday (there is already the movie Sahara made after the book with the same name by the same author), the heroes go through all kinds of adversities, evade and kill the bad guys, all ends well and the main hero gets the girl at the end (he gets two girls actually)...classic Hollywood movie. It's not shadenfreude, I don't get enjoyment from the misfortunes of others but it wouldn't be bad if some of the heroes would end up stone dead...it would only be more realistic.
The hero, Dirk Pitt, is some kind of superhero, he can climb near vertical cliffs and he can survive in situations that would kill an ordinary man, shoots a guy in his manhood (not cool dude, not cool), outmaneuvers weak adversaries and he is very smug about it. I nicknamed him Dick since he behaves like one and also likes to shoot the organ with the same scientific name.
The book is called Inca Gold and it is technically speaking Inca gold but the real actors that do all the gold moving action are the Chachapoyas which were Inca allies actually. I did some research and the Chachapoyas have some really neat fortresses hidden in the remote jungle that are worth visiting- but most of the people go to Machu Picchu instead. There were some rumors in the past that they might be descendants of another race than the local south american population since they look a bit different physically, however, the myth that they are descendants from europeans has been historically busted. In the book they are presented as being white, with blonde hair and with guardians reaching a towering height of almost 2.10 meters. Ridiculous! They are described as being practically northern europeans which makes me feel cheated because I was curious about the Incas and the likes, if I wanted to read something about northern europeans I would have read Beowulf. I think that this kind of cultural appropriation is just disrespectful.

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not Cussler gold, written some time ago and lacking the finesse that is more apparent in the more recent books I've read. This said, the effort made to create a complex and creative plot is evident here, contrasting positively against the slick production style which comes through in more recent books.

The usual premise of an archeological treasure gone missing and awaiting discovery in modern times by a gallant hero lest a malevolent organization use it for bad stuff is the core of course. I enjoy this stuff for something light to read on long haul flights, in this case to the UK. So the additional effort in this case made the read overly long and less enjoyable for the purpose I had in mind. Not that I can think of an alternative situation where it might be more tolerable. These stories are plot driven, so the extra characters introduced (there must be at least 20 in this one) don't get enough air time to draw sympathy, and end up blurring into the noise. There is also a campaign to introduce US readers to metric measurements, so every distance is described in both metric and imperial. This, like other details valiantly included (e.g. Geology), detracts from the action-centred story which is his strength.

This might be a good tutorial for things that don't work I'm the thriller action genre. I was ultimately too distracted by the noise to remain mentally engaged. At their best, these adventures, although obviously fiction, create fascination with the possible mysteries that are not yet uncovered. Not this time.

[Graham Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures. He is your natural hero, and this book doesn't disappoint. There are a couple of scenes where you know Pitt will come to the rescue at the last minute, but when he does you are still filled with that surge of pride. This book follows Cussler's later style with an historic story followed by the present day narrative. However, in this book, the present day feels a little split in two, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes you feel that there was an attempt to just drag the story out a little bit.

Two love interests for Pitt, Congresswoman Loren Smith and Dr Shannon Kelsey. And of course the bromance with Al Giordino continues from his other novels. The author himself makes an appearance part way through the story, following on the traditions of the previous books. And of course the cars, which, as the back page blurb reminds you, are cars that the author owns himself.

This is holiday fiction for guys. Guylit for want of a better term. It is enjoyable, fun, hard to put down, and when it is finished you are looking for the next book in the Dirk Pitt series. Suspend belief and just enjoy the ride.

[Stefan Goles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is an interesting story about Dirk Pitt, a NUMA agent who saves two archeologists from drowning. They are searching for an ancient Inca treasure containing a ton of silver and gold. However, the situation turns ugly when a family syndicate who deals with stealing ancient works of art, gets their hand on the ancient treasure. Pitt and his group of archeologists are forced to go into action and do whatever is neccessary to get the treasure back. This book is full of suspense and action, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way throughout, and I would definetely reccomend it to anyone looking for a good read.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time for another Clive Cussler Wednesday!

When a team of archaeologists are trapped in a well by artifact smugglers, Dirk Pitt just happens to be in the area. After rescuing the scientists and killing a whole lot of bandits, Pitt finds evidence of a huge cache of Inca Gold. Unfortunately, the artifact smugglers also know about it, and the two groups engage in a battle of wits to get to the treasure first.

One of the best Dirk Pitt books I've read thus far.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st Clive Cussler novel that I've read and to date, its the best one that I've read! (I've read 5 or 6 so far) Dirk Pitt is a true hero! I love this book and I could read it again .. This book has it all!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun adventure book - kind of like a cross between indiana jones and james bond.

[for-much-deliberation ...]

should be another great Dirk Pitt adventure