Clive Cussler The Corsican Shadow

Dirk Pitt® #27

by Dirk Cussler

In May, 1940, as the German army blitzes Europe and Parisians flee their city, the chief curator of the Musee de l’Armee is ordered to get a mysterious piece of cargo out of the country. When he arrives at the port of Le Havre and learns that his intended ship has been sunk, he places the object on a decrepit steamer that sails out under German fire.

In the present day, National Underwater and Marine Agency Director Dirk Pitt is on a diving expedition in the English Channel when he discovers a cache of uncut diamonds on a shipwreck. When the diamonds are stolen, Pitt and the NUMA agency find themselves up against a murderous cabal that soon reveals far more destructive plans than mere theft. Vital water treatment facilities around the globe are being targeted—placing the world’s population in grave peril.

From the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to the depths of the Irish Sea to the islands of the Caribbean, only Dirk Pitt and his children, Summer and Dirk Jr., can locate the treasure that will preserve the soul of a nation...and save the world from catastrophe.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Mystery, Action, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

528 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2023

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels always delight. Protagonists like Giordino and the Pitts (including Summer) who all have a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humor, give life to the terrible threats they routinely face.

They face a stream of threats in The Corsican Shadow. Villains Villard and Nassar’s devious plan to contaminate water supplies on three continents is nicely woven into NUMA’s (National Underwater and Marine Agency) research schedule.

Managing not to get blow up, shot, or kidnapped, the team rushes around the world heading off the villains while hoping to track down long lost diamonds and the lost body of Napoleon. WOW.

Great fun and great action, which is what we have come to expect of the Pitts. -Tom L.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty standard by the numbers Cussler adventure. It lacks the magic of earlier Dirk Pitt stories but it’s an entertaining and enjoyable way to pass the time.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it just me or has the Clive Cussler empire finally died? His other series – Issac Bell, Sam and Remi Fargo, the Juan guy, Kurt Austin, have been on life support but I expected better from his son. Clive hasn’t written a novel by himself in 20 years so I didn’t think it would make much difference but here we are with The Corsican Shadow and I just don’t care.

The son is writing to formula but the execution is sloppy. Don’t test me on this. If you put a Clive manuscript and a Dirk manuscript in front of me I probably wouldn’t be able to separate them out. Still, perception is everything, and I perceive Clive is dead.

There is plenty of maritime action and historical shipwrecks, but the characters are putting me to sleep. Dirk Pitt got married for no reason that serves the books and I never really liked the twins anyway. I’m pretty sure that’s on Clive’s son. Hijinks and capers that used to be fun are just silly now. Maybe if Dirk wrote the next one in anime.

https://criticusbookreviews.wordpress...

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirk Pitt and the gang are on the case when some corporate terrorists decide the only way to save their company is to destroy fresh water sources. There's also treasure involved. And Napoleon's bones are found...again! Isn't this something like the fourth time they've been found in the Cussler-verse? Will we ever know the truth about poor Leon?

Not bad, but the villain was at best, underwhelming.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirk Cussler continues the legacy his father left for him. Pitt and Giordino on one hand and the twins on a separate, but related adventure contains all the expected derring do, dangers, escapes from said dangers.
An enjoyable enough story, but a couple of technical mishaps that Clive wouldn't have missed.

[Mike Wardrop · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a really low threshold for Clive Cussler books. They’re always bad.

Even by those standards, this is REALLY bad.

[Jo Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this one. J7st wasn't getting much out of it

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thriller that rightly leverages historical facts and effectively integrates this fascinating information with the Author's fictional narrative. A lot of serious, manly roughhousing and catty female behavior is described.

One swiped historical fact is the French Surcouf. It was the largest submarine in the world when it was built in 1926. It was constructed to be 350 feet long and with a beam of over 29 feet. The Surcouf as a gun-armed cruiser submarine included two 8-inch guns, anti-aircraft guns, and a floatplane. It was built with two 1700 horsepower electric motors with an approximate range of ten thousand nautical miles. 

The Free French leadership sent the Surcouf to the Pacific theater, but rumors circulate that she is going to liberate Martinique from the Vichy regime. On February 18, 1942, the Surcouf vanishes without a trace in the Caribbean Sea, possibly after colliding with the US freighter Thompson Lykes, although this is not definitely established.

 If one assumes the Thompson Lykes incident was indeed the event of Surcouf's sinking, then the wreck would lie 3,000 m (9,800 ft) deep at 10°40′N 79°32′W.

The submarine's test depth was 80 m (260 ft). Operations complement: 8 officers and 110 men.

A second swiped historical fact is that Les Invalides (the tallest church building in Paris at a height of 107 meters) became Napoleon’s final resting place beginning about 20 years after he died on the British island of Saint Helena. In 1841, the government decided to exhume Napoleon’s body from UK territory (i.e., Saint Helena) and give him a proper burial in France—as a political effort to unite the French people and increase the government’s popularity.

Brought back to Invalides, the ebony sarcophagus was on display for twenty years before being placed in the porphyry sarcophagus, in which it has stood ever since. The body of Napoléon lies inside a coffin, itself nested in four other coffins made of different materials: tinplate, mahogany, lead, ebony. There is no document, account or testimony to suggest it has been opened since 15 October 1840.

The Author integrates these historical facts into a fictional narrative involving the Surcouf's transport of Napoleon Bonaparte's remains and his multiple coffins along with two well-made aluminum valises full of gem quality diamonds to Josephine Bonaparte's ancestral home in Martinique. This destination is use of the third historical fact.

Read this book for its entertainment value and for the bonus of abundant details about several interesting historical facts.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dirk Pitt/NUMA series and the legacy of Clive Cussler carries on...Since the beginnings, with the original stories, there has been a very successful formula to them all...Pitt and his NUMA associates forestall a criminal mastermind's plan for the World and discover or solve a major historical mystery along the way...Always great fun and page-turning thriller...With "Clive Cussler’s The Corsican Shadow," by Dirk Cussler we have just that...The NUMA crew stops the efforts of a criminal enterprise to control some of the World's fresh water supplies and discover missing remains important to French national pride...It's all Good here!

[Morgan B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars- as has been the case since the “super kids” were forced into this series for no reason, the parts of the book that involve them are boring and the parts that involve Dirk and Al are awesome.

[Paul B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitt gets his car

The first of the book wasn’t like Clive Cussler but the short chapters were great it let you connect the story together and this kept you the edge of your seat

[Jen Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Clive Cussler books for decades and was scared for the series after his passing. But now with his son Dirk, taking up the helm, the series doesn't miss a beat. This adventure has all the usual cast, Dirk, Al, Summer and Dirk Jr, plus all the rest of the NUMA crew. I love how everyone's story is mixed in and Dirk Sr always rescues everyone. The story of the mystery crate and lost diamonds takes you all over the globe. Its just another great story of NUMA.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual the world is in peril. As usual, NUMA races to the rescue. This one has a dozen or so different ports of call and wraps uncut diamonds, water shortages, and high-tech sabotage all into another neat package. Never a dull moment in this page-turner, even if the coincidences are a bit over the top. Fun beach read if you are looking for an alternative to "meet-cute" romances.

[Karl Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to catch up with Dirk, Al and the rest of the Numa crew. The twins are all growled up and firmly in the family business. This one follows the formula. An easy, entertaining read. Learned some history, learned some technology. And the good guys won.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Globetrotting in search of the most famous Corsican of all time, Napoleon himself and his treasure? Fun as the author's books always are.

[Cher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mechanical writing style, poorly drawn characters, and unbelievable plot. Won’t be reading anything else by Cussler any time soon!

[Vincent Vander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just don't.

[Zane Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this from a little free library near my parents house when I was home. There is not much literary finesse in this book but the story was exciting enough to keep me hooked.

[Seth Hendershot · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for water treatment plants

[Craig Carignan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read. I bit more realistic and believable.

[Robert Lenear · Rating 5 out of 5]

divinely written

I wasn’t sure how this book would read since the true author is resting in sleep, I’m very happy as I’m sure Clive would be with the way this book turned out. I have read all of Clive’s books and I loved all of them he was a master story teller and I’m going to miss his writing.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it to be a bit of a slow start. However it picked up by part 2 and I couldn’t put it down

[Stanley Haupt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It is an excellent read. I'm looking forward to the next Dirk Pitt adventure.

[Fred Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

great Cussler plot and book

[Lonnie Pressley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner

Fast to the action. Keeps you engaged and you won't want to put it down. Definitely recommend. Can't wait for the next adventure.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been such a long time since we have had a new Dirk Pitt novel (although I seem to have missed The Devil’s Sea). It was a joy to revisit old friends.

As with all the books in this series, this was an exciting and enjoyable tale.

[D. Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beach read. And it-could-happen scary.

[Gary]

An excellent read . A very interesting story line.
I particularly liked the ending.

[Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dirk Pitt Series, now written by Dirk Cussler, does not skip a beat. The Cliff hangers don’t stop and the reader’s enjoyment, at least mine, lasts through the novel.