Clive Cussler Cold Fire

NUMA Files #22

by Graham Brown

When a NATO weapon that could ensure peace or start World War Three vanishes in the Arctic, Kurt Austin and NUMA race to recover it before it falls into enemy hands in the latest novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series created by the “grand master of adventure” Clive Cussler.

In the frigid air high above the Arctic Ocean American C-17 carrying a cutting-edge laser of immense power, successfully shoots down a ballistic missile nearly four hundred miles away. Before the celebration can even begin, the aircraft goes dark, vanishing off radar and disappearing into mist at the top of the world.

As the details emerge it becomes obvious that the aircraft has been hijacked, the crew murdered at their stations. It’s last known was an heading that would take it directly to Russia, but the CIA insisted it never arrived. An odd signal suggests it crashed into the Arctic Ocean halfway between Norway and the North Pole. In a tense meeting the President asks how deep the waters are in that area. Not deep enough, is the answer.

Russian ships are seen putting out to sea in large numbers. Chinese vessels are spotted north of Norway. The only American asset in the area is a small research vessel operated by NUMA. The President orders NUMA to send it into the fray. Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala lead the search but soon find that all is not as it seems. The Chinese were waiting for the planes arrival, the Russians had expected it to land on their territory and now all three are closing in on a shooting war to keep the others from finding the missing plane.

With the rules of engagement suspended and lives hanging in the balance, Kurt and the NUMA special projects team pull on the threads connecting the mystery only to discover the great nations of the world being manipulated by a single man with a deadly plan of revenge.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Action

384 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2026

About the author

Graham Brown grew up in Illinois, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, moving often with his family. As far as he knows they weren't in the witness protection program or part of any top secret government agency - but then - would they really tell him?

A former pilot and lawyer and later part of a start up health care firm, Graham decided he hadn't had enough different careers yet and decided to become a writer.

A huge fan of Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton, Stephen King and television shows like the X-files and Lost, Graham's first novel Black Rain debuted in January 2010. The second Hawker/Laidlaw novel, Black Sun published in September 2010. Devil's Gate a Numa Files novel co-written with Clive Cussler published November 2011. The Eden Prophecy will be available January 31, 2012.

Reviews

[Todd]

Nonstop action from beginning to end. It all starts with a new laser technology to take missiles out of the air. Great idea, until the plane carrying it is hijacked, leaving 3 countries in a race to recover it along with the laser.

[Tommy Jacobs]

Very entertaining! No deep, life-changing message, but the plot is non-stop action that kept me guessing until the end!!

5/5 starts for pure entertainment

[Grandma Susan]

Kurt and Joe are saving the world again. This is a prolific series and always action packed. The author transports the reader right to the current scene. I listened to the audio book from my library. So thankful for libraries. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you, NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

[Jim Rickard]

Really good book

I just love this series. The plot is exciting and going to different parts on the globe was fun to read about.

[Jeff Guillory]

One of the better Clive Cussler books written by another. If you enjoy the NUMA Files series, this is a good one to pick up.

[Jaume Ayala]

Maybe Clive is gone (:-() but authors taking his series are keeping him alive.
I enjoyed this one as usual with any of the former Kurt Austin books.
Having Kurt & Joe is really similar to have Dirk & Al but I guess as they were getting older, somebody has to take NUMA action over!!!
The plot involves a smuggles looking for revenge, China, Rusia, Taiwan.... some plane battles, Arctic & tropic scenarios.... everything in one single book!!!!

[John Donati]

A high‑octane, globe‑spanning thriller that delivers exactly what you want from a Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala adventure. Cold Fire throws them straight into another crisis with world‑war stakes, and the tension never really lets up. The action comes fast, the danger feels real, and the plot keeps stacking complications until you’re wondering how they’ll wriggle out of this one.

Kurt and Joe tumble through one scrape after another—close calls, narrow escapes, and those trademark “how did they survive that?” moments. The finale, with its big fighter‑jet maneuvers and last‑second heroics, lands with satisfying flair and wraps the whole thing up in classic good‑guys‑prevail fashion.

A fun, high‑stakes ride that scratches the itch for action‑heavy thrillers, NUMA adventures, or just a reliably entertaining save‑the‑world story. Chalk another one up for the heroes.

[Linda]

It’s been awhile since I read a Cussler NUMA book. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Kurt Austin has replaced Dirk Pitt, but the character is just as good and Joe Zavala is a great sidekick. I got a kick out of the Seawolf class of submarines. When I worked that program it was in the design phase. .

[Dawn]

Kurt Austin and the NUMA gang are back in COLD FIRE and this time, the world is on the brink as a secret weapon goes missing right after a successful testing and with false leads abound, the President of the United States is racing against the clock as Chinese and Russian assets are converging in areas where this weapon may have crashed into. With Graham Brown back to take Kurt Austin and the gang on their next adventure, the readers of COLD FIRE will find they will be ont he edge of their seats as these amazing characters race against the clock to find a n advance missile and stop the world from going into World War III. Fast paced storyline, characters that evolve with each book and a storyline filled with twists and turns you don't see coming had me breathless right from page one to the last page. COLD FIRE delivers all that and more and I was thrilled to see the NUMA gang back with an even more complex case to solve and save the world from.

With the last book in the series, Desolation Code, having hints of heartbreak, COLD FIRE delivers something akin to the earlier books in the series that kept me glued to the pages of my kindle. I just couldn't put this one down. It was a fun adventure filled story that had me rooting for the good guys to beat those bad guys even as those bad guys seemed to not be all bad nor all good. This is escapism fiction at its best and one I sorely needed with all the chaos of the real world bearing down on me. Graham Brown continues Clive Cussler's action p acked series with a bang that I keep coming back for more. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy fun action packed series with characters that just walk off the pages and into your living room. COLD FIRE is pure fun and I can't wait to see where we go with the NUMA gang next or what trouble they will find.

This is an Objective Review and not an Endorsement. ARC given by Penguin Putnam and Netgalley.

[Ron]

👎👎👎👎

I literally could not finish this book. The previous book was horrendous and this book was just too idiotic to continue.

The book opens up with Kurt and his sidekick in a firefight with terrorists on a burning ship, while helping the Chinese military.

Apparently in this universe United States does not have any trained Black ops Special forces people that can do this. However these two guys from basically a salvage and oceanic scientific service are the right guys for that job.

Zoom forward the two top guys at the organization he works for managed to have other things to do the night of a party at the White House.

When the president is called into the situation room, the vice president who used to be Kurt's boss takes him to The situation room ( unknown how he got in there or whether or not he has situation clearance).

When the people in charge talk about what's happened. Not one of the military people, political people, national security experts are intelligence agency Representatives had any idea what to do. They were totally flummoxed.

However, the underwater salvage guy in oceanic research specialist spoke up and set them straight on what happened and what they should do next.

The president didn't know who he was. But once he told the president his name suddenly he knew that this was Kurt Austin the man who had saved the world many times in the past.

At that point this book went from potential interest to two ridiculous to even consider wasting my time reading.

Clearly this author has lost interest in the character, he simply might be writing out his contract.

I have been trying for nearly a week to read this book and I keep finding more and more excuses to delay it because of the absolute stupid ridiculous storyline.

Boston used to be one of the better characters in the NUMA verse. Now it's just a complete waste of time.

[Nick]

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another fun installment of the adventures of Kurt and Joe!

Focused on a timely in the battle of global powers, once again we find Kurt and Joe racing to solve the day.

I’ve been a long fan of this series, and in what is now the 22nd book in the series, the reader gets to sit back, suspend belief, and escape into a cozy above the top adventure with our heroes. Graham Brown delivers exactly what you’d expect here, and even though you can see it coming, it still delivers.

The nice thing about these books is that while it is a series, you really can pick up each book individually and read it if its your first one, any background is provided and if you start here, there’s really nothing in the previous 21 books that would make you feel at a loss in reading this.

All of that said, these stories need to be viewed as what they are, escapism high adventure. Sure its not realistic two giant bombers are going to be racing each other across the sky tying to better each other, but its sure fun reading while it happens!

While I enjoyed this story, there were a couple pieces that I noticed were a bit off. There was the subplot of the third nation that was looking for the high tech laser that just kinda faded away without resolution and it was unexpected to see the Trouts have as little involvement in this story as they normally do. While generally fast paced overall the overall flow had a few more bumps along the way than usual for the story.

Fans of the series will enjoy this great adventure, and if you haven’t read one, its with the pick up for a nice escape.

[Sue H]

I've never found a Clive Cussler NUMA Files adventure that I didn't love. Perhaps I am an adrenaline junkie but I also enjoy the characters, science, and technology the books present. Graham Brown continues Cussler's mission with a tale incorporating new laser technology, artificial intelligence, great characters of Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala, and thrills and suspense a minute. It always amazing to me that NUMA scientific researchers have so much knowledge and skills with performing CIA grade espionage and the tech, equipment, and fighting skills that go along with it!

As usual, America's adversaries are the Chinese and Russians. Graham takes advantage of the the global warming effects of the Polar region losing frozen seas and waterways (which enables China and Russia a quicker route to the Atlantic Ocean) near Norway as he places the crisis of a missing American C-17 testing a cutting edge laser in the Arctic Ocean. The last GPS coordinates indicate the plane went down here. Kurt and Joe have the closest vessel to the area and the President tasks them with checking it out. With Russia and China sending ships, the clock is ticking as to who will get there first but......there is no evidence the plane is there or ever was! So where is it, who is responsible, and what do they want?

I loved the story and look forward to more tales by Graham Brown as well as also investigating Mr Brown's other thriller titles.

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Publishers for allowing me to read the ARC of Cold Fire!

[Ricki]

High over the Arctic circle, there's a test of a cutting edge military laser when suddenly, the plane is hijacked and disappears. Last signals appear the plane was headed for Russia or went down in the ocean. The Russians & Chinese are converging on the area to find the new weapon for themselves or at least parts of it.

The only American assets in the area, a NUMA ship is joined by Kurt Austin & sidekick Joe Zavala. The ship is attacked by the Chinese, and is almost sunk. Salvaged short of sinking, it heads toward Norway for repairs, landing in a small town with the Chinese attack ship and the Russians in port.
There are car & snowmobile chases while locating the plane & sinking it. Unfortunately, the crucial laser parts are already gone.

The president's staff feels there's no more to be done but Kurt comes up with a lead, finds the laser and the man behind all the chaos Ahab. There's some serious flying under/over bridges in China chasing the laser & trying to save everyone from WWIII.

Lots of excitement, unbelievable stunts and heroics by two of NUMA's top specialists.

[Jordan Anderson]

Sometimes a book with a simpler, down to earth plot, a few locations, and only a handful of characters leads to a more enjoyable experience. And that’s the case with Cold Fire the 22nd (!) NUMA files novel.

As usual Kurt and Joe face off against bad guys, discover clues, and save everyone, but here, it all seems a bit more stripped down and back to the basics. Here, the 2 must find a high jacked plane with a dangerous laser and prevent a deadly attack against China that would lead to WWIII.

It’s a lot more straight forward and unlike previous books that tried to tap into contemporary topics, Cold Fire just puts the pedal to the metal and goes. There’s no complicated techno-thriller subplot. There’s not an inordinate amount of side quests and twists. Just a linear plot that works well and gets back to the basics of what made these so fun to begin with.

Sometimes you don’t need a series to continuously up the ante with each new release. Instead, that old maxim “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” very clearly applies here and makes Cold Fire one of the better books this series has had in years.

[Bob D]

Thanks to Putnam Publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Cold Fire" is the latest book in Clive Cussler's NUMA adventures. As with past stories, one does not need knowledge of the prior books in order to enjoy this entry.

Our story starts with the testing of a new US weapon near the Arctic Circle. The test was successful and would make most modern warfare obsolete. However, there is a saboteur amongst the flight credit and both the plane and weapon disappear.

Both the Chinese and Russian governments are aware of the weapon and take steps to locate and retrieve it prior to the US. Our NUMA team is selected to retake or destroy the weapon prior to our adversaries and our story accelerates from here.

The author deftly mixes in detailed descriptions of weaponry and technology without bringing the story to a standstill, or bore the reader with a lecture on modern warfare and world politics. It is a well paced novel with a story that seems all too plausible. Overall, a solid 4 stars.

[Cynde]

The United States has developed a laser system capable of taking out any target , vaporizing missiles, planes, ships, anything that can be targeted from the plane it has been mounted in. They are performing the final test of the system, which is a success, when the plane is hijacked and effectively disappears off the face of the earth. The boys from NUMA are sent to find and recover the parts of the laser. Through dangerous adventures and the added involvement of Chinese and Russian, Joe and Kurt think they have discovered the plane. They find it stripped of vital parts and a message from an adversary they thought was long dead promising revenge on them and the Chinese before he self-destructs the plane. The daring adventures continue as Kurt and Joe try to figure out what this revenge plan is. They will have to risk everything to save the world once again. The plot is filled with nail-biting, edge of your seat action. It is a delight to read !!!!

[Mark]

The fantasy‑tinged geopolitical thrillers of Clive Cussler continue under Graham Brown, who reliably keeps the NUMA engine humming..."Cold Fire" sends Kurt Austin, Joe Zavala, and the Trout's racing to stop the world from tipping into WWIII after an advanced American weapons system is hijacked over the Arctic. It’s classic NUMA territory with high stakes, icy settings, and a villain with ambitions big enough to crack the globe in half...There’s nothing groundbreaking here, just a well‑oiled formula executed by a writer who knows exactly how to deliver the brand’s signature blend of science, danger, and globe‑trotting heroics. The action is nonstop, the pacing brisk, and the set pieces hit with the expected punch...In short, more nail‑biting, edge‑of‑your‑seat fun from Graham Brown's imitation of Clive Cussler!

[Amy]

This series does not disappoint adrenaline seekers! The 22nd installment of Clive Cussler's NUMA Files series is wild and really far-fetched! Cold Fire takes Kurt and Joe all the way to the frozen Arctic to stop a global conspiracy, and the page turning thriller plot is definitely out there. Tracking a missing laser super-weapon across the Arctic while trying to prevent World War III felt a bit too extreme, even for a NUMA Files book. Kurt Austin and the crew still have great character moments, but the storyline didn't completely hit the mark for me. A fun read, but definitely not my favorite installment in the series.

[J.]

Kurt and Joe are back to their wild adventures for NUMA. A sophisticated laser weapon is successfully tested and then stolen by an unknown adversary. Is it China, Russia, or someone seeking the highest bidder for this high tech weapon? One crazy, narrow escape after another keeps the action revved up constantly and makes a fun, escapist read. The story does a good job of continuing Clive Cussler’s NUMA files series.
Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Drew Thomson]

Another fine novel from the NUMA files.

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala and NUMA hurry to recover an extremely dangerous weapon after it vanishes in the Arctic. The aircraft it was on has been hijacked.

Kurt and Joe, along with Paul and Gamay Trout need to find out what happened to the weapon before the Russians or Chinese get to it.

The United States, Russia and China are being manipulated by a single man out for deadly revenge.

[Theresa]

Prologue: a combined American and Chinese mission led by Kurt and Joe to rescue a burning freighter that had been captured by terrorists.

Near the Arctic Circle, a C-17 carrying an experimental laser on a mission to test its defensive capabilities is hijacked. It’s Kurt and Joe's job to find it and recover it before it’s sold to the Chinese or Russians.

Fave scenes: extending the search area, the unknown sonar blip, surfing the reef, and rust wall.

[KerryO]

Reading a NUMA thriller is the next best thing to a new Dirk Pitt adventure! Kurt Austin is a great stand-in for Pitt and NUMA thrillers always highlight a new weapon, concept, and an interesting solution to the problem the protagonists face. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Sheldon]

Kurt, Austin and Joe Zavala go through another cliffhanger of a book to save the world from devastation once again. Clive Cussler may have gone to the next world but Graham Brown has carried on his tradition in a most suitable manner. Anyway, give it a listen or read you’re going to have some fun if you like this type of a thriller.

[Neville]

A new lazer weapon has been taken by one of the designers while being tested and it looks like it will be sold to the highest bidder. The aircraft has gone down in the Arctic with all but one of the crew, dead. Austin and Zavala are brought in to try and find the aircraft and its cargo before it falls into either Russian, Chinese or terrorist organisation.

[Natalie Runolfson]

If you like other Clive Cussler books, you will enjoy this one too. I enjoyed the adventure that was taken with Kurt and Joe. It was well paced and the adventure they went on was intriguing. Another good addition to the NUMA files

[Vickie Raynor]

Action from the first page! It made my brain work overtime to do the science in my head and I was so impressed with the deductions to get out of the worst situations. The entire book was action overload. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Whew! Book provided by NetGalley.

[Mylene]

Maybe I should read this as just another book. But it claims to be part of Cussler's NUMA series.
I don't know what I miss, but I miss something. Humor? Some relaxation amidst all the violence? I don't know, but I think I give up on this series (just like I did on Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell).

[Doug]

This was an entertaining story of a high powered laser weapon hijacked by an unknown entity after which the big 3 countries America, China and Russia were mischievously pitted against one another. It's the kind of novel I often enjoy reading.

[Cathy Martin]

Graham Brown once again hits it out of the park with Cold Fire. A page turning action thriller with action, humor and a few twists and turns that will keep you up past your bedtime reading "just one more chapter."

[Chris Horton]

A good read and an exciting ending. Not quite up to the original Cussler books, the current writer doesn't quite match the energy and intensity of the originals.
Worth a read and I would recommend it fans of Cussler and this genre.