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Dirk Pitt® #24
Odessa Sea
As Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, Dirk Pitt has always had a knack for finding rouble. This time, though, trouble has found him . . .
On a NUMA mission to the Black Sea to locate the wreck of a lost Ottoman Empire ship, Pitt and his friend Al Giordino respond to an urgent Mayday from a nearby freighter.
But by the time they reach the area there's no one left alive - just dead bodies and the smell of sulphur in the air. When a massive blast from the stern suddenly scuttles the ship, Pitt and Giordino are lucky not to add to the death toll.
As they investigate the fate of the lost ship, they're plunged deep into an extraordinary series of discoveries.
And when connections emerge between a desperate attempt in 1917 o preserve the wealth and power of the Romanov empire, a Cold War bomber lost with a deadly cargo, modern-day nuclear smugglers and a brilliant engineer developing cutting-edge drone technology, Pitt is face with the most dangerous challenge of his career. One that will threaten the lives of his family and friends.
Packed with breathtaking suspense, switchback plotting and remarkable imagination, Odessa Sea proves once again that, when it comes to adventure, Clive Cussler is in a league of his own.
On a NUMA mission to the Black Sea to locate the wreck of a lost Ottoman Empire ship, Pitt and his friend Al Giordino respond to an urgent Mayday from a nearby freighter.
But by the time they reach the area there's no one left alive - just dead bodies and the smell of sulphur in the air. When a massive blast from the stern suddenly scuttles the ship, Pitt and Giordino are lucky not to add to the death toll.
As they investigate the fate of the lost ship, they're plunged deep into an extraordinary series of discoveries.
And when connections emerge between a desperate attempt in 1917 o preserve the wealth and power of the Romanov empire, a Cold War bomber lost with a deadly cargo, modern-day nuclear smugglers and a brilliant engineer developing cutting-edge drone technology, Pitt is face with the most dangerous challenge of his career. One that will threaten the lives of his family and friends.
Packed with breathtaking suspense, switchback plotting and remarkable imagination, Odessa Sea proves once again that, when it comes to adventure, Clive Cussler is in a league of his own.
480 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2016
2075 people are currently reading
3808 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
643 books8,519 followersCussler 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews
June 3, 2022
In Clive Cusslers Odess Sea Dirk Pitt The Director of The Numa and his team are in the Black Sea on a ship looking a lost Otterman shipwreck when they respond an urgent call. They barely escape with their lives been shot at by Eastern European organized crime and Russian Intelligence. This was awesome audiobook Clive Cussler will be missed as the awesome Author he was !!
April 6, 2017
Sigh. I don't know. I love Pitt and Giordano, but I am not sure how much longer I can tolerate the lazy writing behind them. This book read like a giant circle-jerk between Cussler and and his son, Dirk. I think, in fact, that Dirk must have written separate chapters and as a result it was repetitious in plot. To top it off it was unnecessarily long with needless characters and a sad trombone of an ending. The banter between Dirk and Al was non-existent. And, what was the deal with Perlmutter gallivanting around the world? Has Dirk even read any of his father's books? Perlmutter is a historian who likes to stay at home and drink good booze. Heavens sake, he's described as so fat he can barely move from room to room. Pathetic, Clive, just pathetic to let your beloved characters wallow in disarray at the hands of your son.
January 14, 2017
The first Clive Cussler novel I read was Raise the Titanic! when I was much younger. I have read a couple of his other books in years since then and I saw this book had a good rating (4+ stars on both Goodreads and Amazon) as well as some good reviews so I put a hold request in at my local library. I wanted to like this book. I really did. However, the further I got into the book the harder it got to give this a positive rating. As I was reading it reminded me of a Indiana Jones wannabe, a little bit of MacGyver, and sometimes the Tom Swift books I read as a boy. It is certainly an adventure story. On land, on the sea, under the sea. The only place there wasn't any action taking place was in outer space. Maybe Clive and Dirk's next book? Clive and Dirk should try their had at comic books. This "novel" certainly read like one. I would probably still read another book by this author. Or more accurately something he co-authors ... if there wasn't another book available. Maybe I will go back and read Raise the Titanic! and see if it was as good as remember.
May 25, 2025
A disjointed mess, shipwrecks, sunken planes, submarines, an atomic bomb, billions in gold, drones and I don’t know how much else all thrown together in an incoherent plot. The storyline involving Dirk’s children felt like it was only added to provide padding for the lackluster main premise.
April 2, 2020
First of all, I want to say I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my favorite adventure novelist. Mr. Clive Cussler, I will miss your thrilling adventures and your stories and characters! Secondly, I had a lot of mixed feelings regarding this entry in the beloved Dirk Pitt Series, one reason being, some of it just didn't feel like a Cussler book, a lot of it just felt been-there, done it, another reason being the story jumped around a lot, hard to follow at times, and a lot of characters to keep track of. So towards the end I debated giving it a 3 star or a 4-star rating, but in the conclusion there was a big twist I never saw coming, so for that, and for the action I'm giving it 4 stars.
While searching the Black Sea for the wreck of a sunken Ottoman Empire ship, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino receive a distress call from a nearby freighter. When they arrive though, all they find are dead bodies and the smell of sulfur in the air. The trail leads Pitt on what may be his most narrowing adventure yet, to track down a long sunken Cold War bomber containing deadly cargo that could cause massive devastation, but Pitt is not the only one searching for it, on the trail are rogue operatives looking to bring about World War III.
The second part of the story revolves around Dirk Jr. and Summer, who are on an adventure of their own, discover a shipwreck dating back to the time of the Romanov Empire, whilst trying to avoid a deadly GRU Operative who is also after the shipwreck and its precious cargo.
As I said up above, I'm very sad about Clive's passing, and my heart goes out to his family. I still have many more of his book to read, but none of them will ever match the thrill and adventure of the Dirk Pitt series!
RIP Mr. Clive Cussler, the master of Grand Adventure!!
While searching the Black Sea for the wreck of a sunken Ottoman Empire ship, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino receive a distress call from a nearby freighter. When they arrive though, all they find are dead bodies and the smell of sulfur in the air. The trail leads Pitt on what may be his most narrowing adventure yet, to track down a long sunken Cold War bomber containing deadly cargo that could cause massive devastation, but Pitt is not the only one searching for it, on the trail are rogue operatives looking to bring about World War III.
The second part of the story revolves around Dirk Jr. and Summer, who are on an adventure of their own, discover a shipwreck dating back to the time of the Romanov Empire, whilst trying to avoid a deadly GRU Operative who is also after the shipwreck and its precious cargo.
As I said up above, I'm very sad about Clive's passing, and my heart goes out to his family. I still have many more of his book to read, but none of them will ever match the thrill and adventure of the Dirk Pitt series!
RIP Mr. Clive Cussler, the master of Grand Adventure!!
January 20, 2017
Twenty-fourth in the Dirk Pitt action thriller series and revolving around Dirk, the director of NUMA, an oceanographic research organization.
My Take
There's plenty of action what with all the diving the Pitts and Giordano do looking for shipwrecks (of all kinds), the hijackings, the terrorist acts that make use of the seas, chase scenes that are mostly on the water with the occasional step onto shore (or boat!). And it's certainly thrilling with all the planned bombings of cities throughout the world. But it's lacking the tension.
It's also too easy that Dirk and Al keep showing up, johnny-on-the-spot, with good triumphing over evil…although evil can live to play again. Ah, well, that's just how the world works. There will always be good and evil with men who don't care who they kill. I would have been more sympathetic with Martin's aims if he'd been more selective.
The Cusslers try for suspense by withholding Martin's obsession with his "familiar metallic object" and his sadness. There's the red herring about Summer's safe. While Cussler makes his signature appearance during the chase scene on the Thames. Oh well.
I'm going with third-person omniscient as the point-of-view in Odessa Sea, partly due to the distance the Cusslers have introduced into the story, and partly because we do get occasional thoughts and feelings from more than one character.
I did enjoy being taken back in time as the Constellation fired off her cannons. As for the "rising up out of the seas astride that bomb"? L-O-L.
I suspect the Cusslers were in a hurry or weren't too concerned with Ana making any sense. For the position she holds, I'd've expected her to be smarter in her approaches to the bad guys.
And such a trick that gets played on them, *more laughter*.
The Story
A desperate attempt in 1917 to preserve the wealth and power of the Romanov Empire. A Cold War bomber lost with a deadly cargo. Mysterious deaths on the Black Sea linked to modern-day smugglers of nuclear materials.
At the center of it all is Dirk Pitt and his team from NUMA. As the danger escalates, there’s only one man who can avert catastrophe. From London to Washington, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the action never stops, as Pitt races to prevent the next global war.
The Characters
July 2017
Dirk Pitt is the director of NUMA. Al Giordino is Dirk's partner in action and excellent with engineering and mechanicals. Loren, a congresswoman from Colorado, is Dirk's wife.
The National Underwater and Marine Agency,
…a.k.a., NUMA, has a good reputation all around the world and cooperates with archeologists, scientists, law enforcement, and governments. Hiram Yaeger is the pony-tailed hippie in charge of IT; he designed and programmed Max, his holographic computer interface. Rudi Gunn is the deputy director.
Summer and Dirk, Jr., Pitt are twins and Dirk, Sr.'s children and just as fascinated with marine engineering and oceanography as their father. They're surveying glaciers off the coast of Norway aboard the Odin , a NUMA research ship. Jack Dahlgren is an underwater technology specialist. Captain Littleton is in command. Bill Stenseth is the captain of the Macedonia, a NUMA research vessel on the Black Sea. Chavez is the third officer. The Iberia is commandeered by Dirk and Summer in Greece. Dr. Georgi Dimitov, the Bulgarian Minister of Culture archeologist, hopes to find the Fethiye , one of the sultan's personal vessels lost in 1770.
Admiral James Sandecker had started up NUMA, but is now vice-president of the U.S. Jimenez is director of Homeland Security. Wayne Valero is the captain of the USS Constellation, a pre-Civil War sloop. The rest of the crew includes Vinson, Gwinn, Campbell, and Yates. Brian Kennedy is an oysterman with the Lorrraine, a skipjack.
Law enforcement and military
Ana Belova is an impetuous special investigator with Europol, a law enforcement agency for the European Union. Lieutenant Petar Palin is her partner from the Bulgarian Organized Crime Directorate, a Bulgarian lawman with a taste for sweets. Lieutenant Dukova is with the police in the port city of Burgas. The various U.S. Navy vessels that help out include the Aegis-class destroyer Truxton with Cmdr Deborah Kenfield, the XO, and the USS Newport News, a Los Angeles-class attack sub.
London
St. Julien Perlmutter is a renowned historian (and gourmand) who specializes in maritime history. He's also a friend of the Pitts. He likes Le Gavroche when he's in London. "James", a.k.a., Ravi, is his chauffeur. Dr. Charles Trehorne is a professor of nautical archeology at Oxford. Rosella is his wife. Bainbridge is a London banker at the Bank of England. Edith works at the National Archives in the Foreign Service Records section. Dr. Steven Miller is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon. The Sir Francis Drake is a tourist boat on the Thames. Terrence is a passenger aboard and a photographer.
Gibraltar
Major Cecil Hawker, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, is an expert on wartime fortifications on the Rock. The Anglo-Egyptian Bank has been in business since 1864. Finlay is the bank manager. Miss Oswald is the head teller. Alexander Vokokov is with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Crimean Star is captained by a drunk and was chartered by Nemco Holdings with ties to the Russian Mafia.
The Besso (soon to be the Nevena ) is a salvage vessel captained by Valentin Mankedo, a longtime enthusiast for diving for scrap and treasure in the Black Sea. He owns Thracia Salvage Company. Anton and Mikel work for him. Irmak runs a produce company. Ilya Vasko, Mankedo's partner, charters a tugboat, the Lauren Belle.
General Zakharin with the Russian Air Force has been getting richer. Colonel Arseny Markovich is in Kiev, commander of the 24th Territorial Battalion, a pro-government paramilitary force in Ukraine. President Vashenko of Russia shows up for a demonstration. Maxim Federov is the GRU's foreign intelligence field director.
"Viktor Mansfield" is not his real name, and he's a James Bond-type field agent for the Russians whose cover is as a wealthy Austrian playboy with possibly royal blood. An ex-Navy commando trained in underwater demolitions, he doesn't care who he kills. The Tavda is a research vessel and her GRU Spetsnaz special forces include Sergei. Martina and Ivan are agents who team up with Mansfield.
Captain Vladimir Popov commands the Krivak-class missile frigate Ladny and is eager to attack. The Novorossiysk is their competition in the war games.
Martin Hendriks, a Dutch industrialist, sold his aviation company. Gerard is the assistant that Cussler teases us with. Rose is his housekeeper in Bermuda.
Josef is one of the team that ran the Turkish border crossing.
1917, Black Sea
Captain Vadim Rostov commands the Russian destroyer Kerch. The Gnevny had to turn back. Admiral Kolchak is commander of the Imperial Navy in Russia.
Sir Leigh Hunt was a British Special Envoy to Russia and Tsar Nicholas II. He boarded the Canterbury to return to London. Count Benckendorff was the Russian ambassador to England. Lloyd George was the prime minister. Captain L. Marsh commanded the HMS Sentinel.
The Petrograd Treaty was signed February 20, 1917.
1955, Black Sea
Captain Dimitri Sarkhov is the pilot of the Tupolev Tu-4; Ivan Medev is the copilot. Vasily is the bombardier; Fodorsky is the navigator. Sergeant Alexander Krayevski was with the 57th Bomber Division.
The Cover and Title
The cover is destructive with that Russian bomber crashing into the ocean, one engine on fire, lightning sparking in the dark blue-green skies. One author's name is large in white with an orange outline while his son's name is all in white below it. The title is the reverse at the bottom: in orange with a white outline. The series information is below the title. And in white.
The title is where most of the action takes place, on the Odessa Sea.
My Take
There's plenty of action what with all the diving the Pitts and Giordano do looking for shipwrecks (of all kinds), the hijackings, the terrorist acts that make use of the seas, chase scenes that are mostly on the water with the occasional step onto shore (or boat!). And it's certainly thrilling with all the planned bombings of cities throughout the world. But it's lacking the tension.
It's also too easy that Dirk and Al keep showing up, johnny-on-the-spot, with good triumphing over evil…although evil can live to play again. Ah, well, that's just how the world works. There will always be good and evil with men who don't care who they kill. I would have been more sympathetic with Martin's aims if he'd been more selective.
The Cusslers try for suspense by withholding Martin's obsession with his "familiar metallic object" and his sadness. There's the red herring about Summer's safe. While Cussler makes his signature appearance during the chase scene on the Thames. Oh well.
I'm going with third-person omniscient as the point-of-view in Odessa Sea, partly due to the distance the Cusslers have introduced into the story, and partly because we do get occasional thoughts and feelings from more than one character.
I did enjoy being taken back in time as the Constellation fired off her cannons. As for the "rising up out of the seas astride that bomb"? L-O-L.
I suspect the Cusslers were in a hurry or weren't too concerned with Ana making any sense. For the position she holds, I'd've expected her to be smarter in her approaches to the bad guys.
And such a trick that gets played on them, *more laughter*.
The Story
A desperate attempt in 1917 to preserve the wealth and power of the Romanov Empire. A Cold War bomber lost with a deadly cargo. Mysterious deaths on the Black Sea linked to modern-day smugglers of nuclear materials.
At the center of it all is Dirk Pitt and his team from NUMA. As the danger escalates, there’s only one man who can avert catastrophe. From London to Washington, from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the action never stops, as Pitt races to prevent the next global war.
The Characters
July 2017
Dirk Pitt is the director of NUMA. Al Giordino is Dirk's partner in action and excellent with engineering and mechanicals. Loren, a congresswoman from Colorado, is Dirk's wife.
The National Underwater and Marine Agency,
…a.k.a., NUMA, has a good reputation all around the world and cooperates with archeologists, scientists, law enforcement, and governments. Hiram Yaeger is the pony-tailed hippie in charge of IT; he designed and programmed Max, his holographic computer interface. Rudi Gunn is the deputy director.
Summer and Dirk, Jr., Pitt are twins and Dirk, Sr.'s children and just as fascinated with marine engineering and oceanography as their father. They're surveying glaciers off the coast of Norway aboard the Odin , a NUMA research ship. Jack Dahlgren is an underwater technology specialist. Captain Littleton is in command. Bill Stenseth is the captain of the Macedonia, a NUMA research vessel on the Black Sea. Chavez is the third officer. The Iberia is commandeered by Dirk and Summer in Greece. Dr. Georgi Dimitov, the Bulgarian Minister of Culture archeologist, hopes to find the Fethiye , one of the sultan's personal vessels lost in 1770.
Admiral James Sandecker had started up NUMA, but is now vice-president of the U.S. Jimenez is director of Homeland Security. Wayne Valero is the captain of the USS Constellation, a pre-Civil War sloop. The rest of the crew includes Vinson, Gwinn, Campbell, and Yates. Brian Kennedy is an oysterman with the Lorrraine, a skipjack.
Law enforcement and military
Ana Belova is an impetuous special investigator with Europol, a law enforcement agency for the European Union. Lieutenant Petar Palin is her partner from the Bulgarian Organized Crime Directorate, a Bulgarian lawman with a taste for sweets. Lieutenant Dukova is with the police in the port city of Burgas. The various U.S. Navy vessels that help out include the Aegis-class destroyer Truxton with Cmdr Deborah Kenfield, the XO, and the USS Newport News, a Los Angeles-class attack sub.
London
St. Julien Perlmutter is a renowned historian (and gourmand) who specializes in maritime history. He's also a friend of the Pitts. He likes Le Gavroche when he's in London. "James", a.k.a., Ravi, is his chauffeur. Dr. Charles Trehorne is a professor of nautical archeology at Oxford. Rosella is his wife. Bainbridge is a London banker at the Bank of England. Edith works at the National Archives in the Foreign Service Records section. Dr. Steven Miller is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon. The Sir Francis Drake is a tourist boat on the Thames. Terrence is a passenger aboard and a photographer.
Gibraltar
Major Cecil Hawker, Royal Gibraltar Regiment, is an expert on wartime fortifications on the Rock. The Anglo-Egyptian Bank has been in business since 1864. Finlay is the bank manager. Miss Oswald is the head teller. Alexander Vokokov is with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Crimean Star is captained by a drunk and was chartered by Nemco Holdings with ties to the Russian Mafia.
The Besso (soon to be the Nevena ) is a salvage vessel captained by Valentin Mankedo, a longtime enthusiast for diving for scrap and treasure in the Black Sea. He owns Thracia Salvage Company. Anton and Mikel work for him. Irmak runs a produce company. Ilya Vasko, Mankedo's partner, charters a tugboat, the Lauren Belle.
General Zakharin with the Russian Air Force has been getting richer. Colonel Arseny Markovich is in Kiev, commander of the 24th Territorial Battalion, a pro-government paramilitary force in Ukraine. President Vashenko of Russia shows up for a demonstration. Maxim Federov is the GRU's foreign intelligence field director.
"Viktor Mansfield" is not his real name, and he's a James Bond-type field agent for the Russians whose cover is as a wealthy Austrian playboy with possibly royal blood. An ex-Navy commando trained in underwater demolitions, he doesn't care who he kills. The Tavda is a research vessel and her GRU Spetsnaz special forces include Sergei. Martina and Ivan are agents who team up with Mansfield.
Captain Vladimir Popov commands the Krivak-class missile frigate Ladny and is eager to attack. The Novorossiysk is their competition in the war games.
Martin Hendriks, a Dutch industrialist, sold his aviation company. Gerard is the assistant that Cussler teases us with. Rose is his housekeeper in Bermuda.
Josef is one of the team that ran the Turkish border crossing.
1917, Black Sea
Captain Vadim Rostov commands the Russian destroyer Kerch. The Gnevny had to turn back. Admiral Kolchak is commander of the Imperial Navy in Russia.
Sir Leigh Hunt was a British Special Envoy to Russia and Tsar Nicholas II. He boarded the Canterbury to return to London. Count Benckendorff was the Russian ambassador to England. Lloyd George was the prime minister. Captain L. Marsh commanded the HMS Sentinel.
The Petrograd Treaty was signed February 20, 1917.
1955, Black Sea
Captain Dimitri Sarkhov is the pilot of the Tupolev Tu-4; Ivan Medev is the copilot. Vasily is the bombardier; Fodorsky is the navigator. Sergeant Alexander Krayevski was with the 57th Bomber Division.
The Cover and Title
The cover is destructive with that Russian bomber crashing into the ocean, one engine on fire, lightning sparking in the dark blue-green skies. One author's name is large in white with an orange outline while his son's name is all in white below it. The title is the reverse at the bottom: in orange with a white outline. The series information is below the title. And in white.
The title is where most of the action takes place, on the Odessa Sea.
January 18, 2020
2.5. Probably not the best in the series as it is book 24.
November 6, 2018
Dirk Pitt, director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) and his sidekick Al Giordino, are in the Black Sea on a turquoise ship, looking for a lost Ottoman shipwreck, when they responds to an urgent mayday call. The two barely escape with their lives, with the crew of the sinking ship faring worse. Sound familiar? If so, that's how almost all Cussler's books start. Lots of explosions, subterfuge, kidnappings, weapons smuggling, underwater and on water disasters, lost gold, etc. So many plots and people, the Cusslers need a character summary before the book even starts, and yet, it's still kinda fun. The highlight of this one is detonating an underwater bomb to release hydrogen sulfide trapped in the Black Sea (and elsewhere) to create a deadly gas bubble to kill an entire city.
November 27, 2016
I have read a lot of Mr. Cusslers books but this just didn't provide the spark. You have two story lines going on and neither of them have to do with the other. Plus all the jumping back and forth is tough to follow. I didn't really like that The action don't start till the end either. Hopefully his next us better.
March 1, 2017
This latest book in the Dirk Pitt series starts off with not one, but two short historical vignettes related to Russia and the Black Sea.
Dirk Pitt and crew are minding their own business when they become involved with a pair of Europol police on the hunt for arms smugglers, which leads to a conspiracy to nuke Russia.
Concurrently, Dirk Jr. and Summer are minding their own business, when they get sucked into a Russian efforts to salvage gold and destroy all copies of a treaty the Romanovs signed with Great Britain in 1917.
Lots of derring do, and a method of destruction I'd never seen before make this a pretty good book.
Dirk Pitt and crew are minding their own business when they become involved with a pair of Europol police on the hunt for arms smugglers, which leads to a conspiracy to nuke Russia.
Concurrently, Dirk Jr. and Summer are minding their own business, when they get sucked into a Russian efforts to salvage gold and destroy all copies of a treaty the Romanovs signed with Great Britain in 1917.
Lots of derring do, and a method of destruction I'd never seen before make this a pretty good book.
January 6, 2018
Afraid the narration and the comfortable predictability of a Dirk Pitt novel caused me to drift away from the plot on occaision. a Bit of a twist for the villains at the end, though.
Submitted as Seasonal Reading Challenge Winter 2017 (-slash-2018) Task 30.6A: 25 or more distinct (Goodreads) works; 954: 06 JAN
Submitted as Seasonal Reading Challenge Winter 2017 (-slash-2018) Task 30.6A: 25 or more distinct (Goodreads) works; 954: 06 JAN
April 7, 2017
#24 in a very enjoyable and entertaining series! If like Dirk Pitt and the characters of NUMA, you will enjoy this book!
May 28, 2017
Another good book by the Cussler crew. A quick read.
November 12, 2017
It is February 1917, Black Sea as Russian Imperial Navy ship Kerch is under attack in Odessa by Ottoman warships. The ship is overwhelmed soon and obliterated Kerch sinks. The story then jumps to April 1955, as Tupolev Tu-4 carrying deadly cargo crashes on the Black Sea killing all. Present time and now our hero Dirk Pitt receives a mysterious Mayday signal from Crimean Star. When Pitt and Al reaches the spot they find all the crew except one dead with a foul odor in the air. Trouble finds Pitt, entering the Crimean Star opens the Pandora box and nonstop adventure for us.
There are many questions pops up while reading the novel such as what is the relation between Russian Tsar and British in World War I? Why Tech Billionaire and drone manufacturer Martin Hendriks finances a Bulgarian black market smuggler? Why Martin wants to start a war between US and Russia? all these are neatly answered by the author. The villains Mankedo and Martin Hendriks are more intelligent and calculative in their steps. Sometimes they outwit our hero Pitt. We can comprehend Clive's unique formula of intertwining four separate plots of the story and merging them in the final chapters without flaw.
Inclusion of Dirk Pitt Jr. and Summer Pitt characters adds the needed pace to the story, we can feel Pitt Jr. showing of his father Dirk Pitt skills and humour. That's not all St. Julien Perlmutter aids Pitt's kids in finding the lost treasure and they help in Dirk Pitt's adventure. I find that Pitt Jr. and Summer have shared Pitt's action parts.
I enjoyed the action scenes of Dirk Pitt, for example the technique used by Pitt from escaping from the closed tunnel, when the NUMA submersible was damaged by the villains the escape seems to be remote but the coolness of Dirk Pitt emerges once again, understanding the scientific fact of anoxic water and its importance in the destruction, getting hold the RDS-5 bomb in the climax and saving from disaster, what more a Dirk Pitt fan needs.
This novel is for Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt fans like me.
For review with images and book cover click the link below.
http://www.chromaring.com/2017/11/ode...
There are many questions pops up while reading the novel such as what is the relation between Russian Tsar and British in World War I? Why Tech Billionaire and drone manufacturer Martin Hendriks finances a Bulgarian black market smuggler? Why Martin wants to start a war between US and Russia? all these are neatly answered by the author. The villains Mankedo and Martin Hendriks are more intelligent and calculative in their steps. Sometimes they outwit our hero Pitt. We can comprehend Clive's unique formula of intertwining four separate plots of the story and merging them in the final chapters without flaw.
Inclusion of Dirk Pitt Jr. and Summer Pitt characters adds the needed pace to the story, we can feel Pitt Jr. showing of his father Dirk Pitt skills and humour. That's not all St. Julien Perlmutter aids Pitt's kids in finding the lost treasure and they help in Dirk Pitt's adventure. I find that Pitt Jr. and Summer have shared Pitt's action parts.
I enjoyed the action scenes of Dirk Pitt, for example the technique used by Pitt from escaping from the closed tunnel, when the NUMA submersible was damaged by the villains the escape seems to be remote but the coolness of Dirk Pitt emerges once again, understanding the scientific fact of anoxic water and its importance in the destruction, getting hold the RDS-5 bomb in the climax and saving from disaster, what more a Dirk Pitt fan needs.
This novel is for Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt fans like me.
For review with images and book cover click the link below.
http://www.chromaring.com/2017/11/ode...
July 31, 2018
4 strong stars!
I love a good adventure story. With authors like James Rollins, Wilbur Smith, Tom Clancy (the earlier works when he was actually writing his own books), and Clive Cussler, I know I'm in for thrilling, action filled adventure that will be a page turner throughout. With Cussler, you know what you'll get- a sunken ship (or plane or train) from many years ago on which is something important, political intrigue that eventually crosses paths with said sunken vessel, and lots of action.
In Odessa Sea, we find not one but at least 3 sunken ships and a plane. The political intrigue involves the conflict between the Ukraine and Russia. The sunken items for which they search are a long lost treasure and an important treaty.
As always, Dirk Pitt and colleagues recover the missing objects, but not before being the target of some very shady characters. Of course, Pitt triumphs in the end.
Yes this is definitely a formula book, as are all Cussler novels. But it is a great, fun read.
I love a good adventure story. With authors like James Rollins, Wilbur Smith, Tom Clancy (the earlier works when he was actually writing his own books), and Clive Cussler, I know I'm in for thrilling, action filled adventure that will be a page turner throughout. With Cussler, you know what you'll get- a sunken ship (or plane or train) from many years ago on which is something important, political intrigue that eventually crosses paths with said sunken vessel, and lots of action.
In Odessa Sea, we find not one but at least 3 sunken ships and a plane. The political intrigue involves the conflict between the Ukraine and Russia. The sunken items for which they search are a long lost treasure and an important treaty.
As always, Dirk Pitt and colleagues recover the missing objects, but not before being the target of some very shady characters. Of course, Pitt triumphs in the end.
Yes this is definitely a formula book, as are all Cussler novels. But it is a great, fun read.
April 22, 2020
This was not my first Dirk Pitt novel, I have been reading them a long time. I enjoyed the book, but at times I struggled with keeping up with the story line, since it jumped around a lot. I like how Cussler uses historical references and actual real world things in his story. The planes, cars, and the action on the ocean are good. He included a character reference at the front of the book that I also enjoyed and helped when I forgot who was who in the story, there were lots of characters. It has been many years since I have read one of his books, and I could not tell you how they may have changed. His son helped to write the book, so who knows which author had more influence. I have read some James Rollins books recently and Cussler compares to him in my book, so if you like James Rollins, you may like this one. I did learn about several old planes and ships in this tale, that in itself was worth the read.
January 30, 2020
Another exciting Dirk Pitt adventure. I love how I can always count on Dirk to keep me safe from the villains who are out there to destroy the world that I don't even know about. This one was filled with treasure hunts, shipwrecks and lots of action. You would think after reading all these books that I would have a better knowledge of port, starboard, bow and stern but even if I don't always know exactly which side of the boat they are on these are always fun to read.
April 3, 2023
Always fun to spend some time with Dirk and Giordino. Dirk's sister is in the one which is a nice change of pace. I always learn something reading these books.
February 16, 2020
Good but not that good..
Suddenly found a sunken ship..
gold..a bit history...
villain with a atom bomb...
Yet enjoyable...
Suddenly found a sunken ship..
gold..a bit history...
villain with a atom bomb...
Yet enjoyable...
January 4, 2017
Like many Cussler readers, I'm one who has ready most of them. And everyone involving the original hero, Dirk Pitt. It was Cussler's Pitt who drew many of us into reading the adventure/suspense genre. But I feel this one is a let down to those that have gone before. The dynamic duo of Pitt and Al Giordino have stood still and Dirk Cussler, the new writer, hasn't really developed them anymore. Certainly, Pitt is now the Director of NUMA, but he's still fundamentally the same.
But I can live with little development in these 2 if the story is great. And this one isn't. I think there's the potential for it to be but it's too convoluted with 3 bad guys with different agendas (one we don't find out about until the very end). There were times I just got confused. Having 2 of the bad guys with surnames starting with "M" is also one of those basic "no-nos" when creating characters simply added to the confusion.
Yes, there's stacks of adventure. We travel through various countries (Gibraltar was a highlight), go underwater (as we always do in a Pitt adventure), see lots of gadgets and fantastic ideas (like all the nuclear bombs that lie at the bottom of the oceans waiting to be discovered by bad guys) and get our good guys into all sorts of trouble. But because of the too many plots the pace lagged as we kept jumping from one story to another which is abrasive for a reader.
One of the things I've found in a lot of the recent Cussler novels is they're all about 100 pages too long. It's like there's this formula of the 450+ pages that needs to be met when in fact most of them, and especially Odessa Sea, would have been much better if it had been shorter with less agendas flying around.
I love the fact that the Cusslers have the children now carrying forward the Pitt legacy but they're still too one dimensional and uninteresting. I do wonder if these two should become the focus now with Dad and best buddy Al playing minor roles. That way we have the 1 main storyline and 2 lead characters who can be developed. How many brother and sister adventures do we have in mainstream media? Ah, none. Dad and his buddy can play "expert" roles like Julien Perlmutter, Hiriam Yaeger and the like have since the beginning.
I'm sure I'll read the next Pitt adventure in 2 years time.
But I can live with little development in these 2 if the story is great. And this one isn't. I think there's the potential for it to be but it's too convoluted with 3 bad guys with different agendas (one we don't find out about until the very end). There were times I just got confused. Having 2 of the bad guys with surnames starting with "M" is also one of those basic "no-nos" when creating characters simply added to the confusion.
Yes, there's stacks of adventure. We travel through various countries (Gibraltar was a highlight), go underwater (as we always do in a Pitt adventure), see lots of gadgets and fantastic ideas (like all the nuclear bombs that lie at the bottom of the oceans waiting to be discovered by bad guys) and get our good guys into all sorts of trouble. But because of the too many plots the pace lagged as we kept jumping from one story to another which is abrasive for a reader.
One of the things I've found in a lot of the recent Cussler novels is they're all about 100 pages too long. It's like there's this formula of the 450+ pages that needs to be met when in fact most of them, and especially Odessa Sea, would have been much better if it had been shorter with less agendas flying around.
I love the fact that the Cusslers have the children now carrying forward the Pitt legacy but they're still too one dimensional and uninteresting. I do wonder if these two should become the focus now with Dad and best buddy Al playing minor roles. That way we have the 1 main storyline and 2 lead characters who can be developed. How many brother and sister adventures do we have in mainstream media? Ah, none. Dad and his buddy can play "expert" roles like Julien Perlmutter, Hiriam Yaeger and the like have since the beginning.
I'm sure I'll read the next Pitt adventure in 2 years time.
December 20, 2016
I never ever thought that I would ever give such a low rating or have such a low opinion of a book as this one. This book was not written by Clive at all, but must have been totally written by his son; "Dirk". The writing was poorly written, the story line did not flow well, and the total lack of missing the usual banter between the characters is appalling as those bits of comedic comradery is what made the stories so good to read. I use to buy a Clive Cussler novel and read through it in the very night that I purchased it; but ever since Dirk has started "assisting" in writing with his father or for his father; the books have just become horrible renditions of books that should not be read.
Another comment to make is that in all the books that St. Julien Perlmutter appears (for the Pitt family members asking for assistance); he all of a sudden has a large part in another part of the world, when he almost never leaves his home (except for good dining of course).
Another comment to make is that in all the books that St. Julien Perlmutter appears (for the Pitt family members asking for assistance); he all of a sudden has a large part in another part of the world, when he almost never leaves his home (except for good dining of course).
December 4, 2016
A weaker entry in the Dirk Pitt series. The biggest problem was the main villain was under-developed and uninteresting. The villain in the Dirk, Jr. & Summer story line was much more fun, but their plot didn't really seem to have a point. The action scenes were good, though.
December 8, 2021
Three eras of Russian history in the last century converge in a dangerous combination of treasure, war, personal greed, and personal vengeance that affect four nations in various ways. Odessa Sea is the twenty-fourth book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series and the seventh cowritten with his son Dirk.
After three consecutive books that had fun narratives but were weighed down by tired tropes compared, the Cusslers wrote a book on par with their first three collaborative efforts. The backdrop of the still ongoing, even in 2021, Russo-Ukrainian war and an apparently duplicitous industrialist that appears to be selling weapons to both sides but with an agenda quite different was a great twist at the end of the book. The black-market smugglers-salvagers that the elder Pitt deals with throughout the book’s main subplot were competent villains, one half of which were stopped by Pitt and Giordino doing their thing while the other half were taken out by the antagonist of the second subplot. Dirk and Summer’s battle with a Russian spy to find missing Romanov gold was a fun mystery—that once again took them to London which is becoming a trope now—which featured the antagonist-antagonist battle and Summer for once not being a damsel-in-distress but showing she had the Pitt genes to take care of herself.
Odessa Sea is the penultimate collaboration between Clive and Dirk Cussler, but of the seven it probably is the best overall book featuring two intriguing subplots that interact in interesting ways without being weighed down by the tired tropes that hampered their previous three efforts.
After three consecutive books that had fun narratives but were weighed down by tired tropes compared, the Cusslers wrote a book on par with their first three collaborative efforts. The backdrop of the still ongoing, even in 2021, Russo-Ukrainian war and an apparently duplicitous industrialist that appears to be selling weapons to both sides but with an agenda quite different was a great twist at the end of the book. The black-market smugglers-salvagers that the elder Pitt deals with throughout the book’s main subplot were competent villains, one half of which were stopped by Pitt and Giordino doing their thing while the other half were taken out by the antagonist of the second subplot. Dirk and Summer’s battle with a Russian spy to find missing Romanov gold was a fun mystery—that once again took them to London which is becoming a trope now—which featured the antagonist-antagonist battle and Summer for once not being a damsel-in-distress but showing she had the Pitt genes to take care of herself.
Odessa Sea is the penultimate collaboration between Clive and Dirk Cussler, but of the seven it probably is the best overall book featuring two intriguing subplots that interact in interesting ways without being weighed down by the tired tropes that hampered their previous three efforts.
March 19, 2022
I often have a problem with how Cussler has to twist plotlines into German pretzels to get Dirk, NUMA, and the kids onto the same page by the final chapters. Not really a problem here, as the various searches and accidental discoveries make far more sense than in several of the other novels. The speed of the book approached some of the novels with a younger Dirk, which is always a good thing as well.
One warning though, the villain of the piece deals with the invasion of Ukraine (when the Russians annexed Crimea) by trying to slaughter a large number of Russians and drag the US into a shooting war with Putin. That's right, this is one of those books that now runs parallel with recent events. It is like finishing a certain Tom Clancy novel in the month of September in 2001. Weird to say the least.
A solid adventure novel for anyone who likes their men manly and their villains over the top.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
One warning though, the villain of the piece deals with the invasion of Ukraine (when the Russians annexed Crimea) by trying to slaughter a large number of Russians and drag the US into a shooting war with Putin. That's right, this is one of those books that now runs parallel with recent events. It is like finishing a certain Tom Clancy novel in the month of September in 2001. Weird to say the least.
A solid adventure novel for anyone who likes their men manly and their villains over the top.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
July 13, 2024
Loved it! Adventurous. Fun. Filled with bits of history. I had only read one other Clive Cussler book, and this one was better. It's well written without the contrived violence or sexual content that one finds in James Patterson books.
June 28, 2025
About 150 pages too long. This one is a very slow read and far too often was filled with stale dialogue. I knew that was going to be the case though when characters from the NUMA files were involved as I found that series to be stale writing too.
The action sequences were boring which is unfortunate as those are usually the best parts of Cussler’s books that help keep intrigue and flow going.
The action sequences were boring which is unfortunate as those are usually the best parts of Cussler’s books that help keep intrigue and flow going.
August 30, 2018
Continuing my streak of reading easy books while having a new born! Easy, fluffy, fun reading. :)
Read for popsugar 2018 prompt:
A book set at sea
Read for popsugar 2018 prompt:
A book set at sea
September 8, 2020
I need to reread this at a later date. For some reason I couldn't focus and pay attention!
May 31, 2017
I wanted to give this more stars, I really did. I've been a Dirk Pitt fan for decades but this one was wearing thin for me. It's been years since I've read a Pitt novel due to the sameness of them. Since I've been gone, everyone seems to have produced a son named Dirk :)
There was plenty of action and some Bondish scenes of high improbability but I think this all suffered in the long run for going on way too long. I think I'm good for a few more years with this series, just felt like checking in to see how the characters have grown over the years I have been away.
There was plenty of action and some Bondish scenes of high improbability but I think this all suffered in the long run for going on way too long. I think I'm good for a few more years with this series, just felt like checking in to see how the characters have grown over the years I have been away.
November 16, 2016
Dirk Pitt saves the day in this excellent thriller!!
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