A Russian cargo ship sinks in the shallow waters of the Bering Strait, and somehow vanishes without a trace.
In the Colorado Plateau Desert, a cowboy follows a river of sand into an undiscovered ruin.
A tunnel-boring operation between the Alaskan and Siberian peninsulas is stalled when its largest burrowing machine disappears into an abyss.
Sam Reilly leads a search and rescue mission for the missing ship and crew. What should be a simple operation quickly turns into something much more dangerous. He soon learns that all three strange events are irrevocably interwoven, and unlocking their connection may just hold the key to the survival of the human race.
Christopher Cartwright writes spellbinding mysteries and suspense novels. Often with a backdrop of ocean adventure. Born in 1983, he has a background as a paramedic, and is an avid sailor and SCUBA diver.
He holds degrees in paramedics, nursing and emergency management.
Chris currently lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.
The Aleutian Portal Sam Reilly, Book 8 By: Christopher Cartwright Narrated by: David Gilmore This is an Audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. This book takes three different events in different places and some how they come together. Lots of twists, adventure, action, and thrills as usual. Love these books. The narration was on par as usual too!
Suspending my disbelief was very hard for this novel and I nearly put it down several times. This is book 8 in the series and I have not read any others. The story ends without an ending. By this I mean that although the subplot wraps up there is a bigger plot that continues. Okay, I didn't know what happened before in this series and that lack of information clouds how I view this book. Will I continue to read more? In a word NO. I don't have a desire to read the first seven or continue reading book 9. The whole plot is too unbelievable for me to continue .
Iam pretty sure the main characters were well developed earlier in the series but they speared flat and I didn't know them or learn much about them in this book
Here's a bit of advice: Don't pick up a book that's in the middle of a series without reading the earlier ones. But you probably already knew that.
The first half of this book is rather good. A series of enigmatic events set a fascinating chain of events in motion.
It is what the author did with this set up that caused me to rate the book so poorly. There is no logic to the progression of the book. The plot has more holes than the wreck of the Titanic.
Having read all books in this series, which are excellent by the way, this one doesn't disappoint. The ending has one anticipating the next book. Don't keep us waiting long Christopher.
Brief synopsis from the book cover: A Russian cargo ship sinks in the shallow waters of the Bering Strait, and somehow vanishes without a trace.
In the Colorado Plateau Desert, a cowboy follows a river of sand into an undiscovered ruin.
A tunnel-boring operation between the Alaskan and Siberian peninsulas is stalled when its largest burrowing machine disappears into an abyss.
Sam Reilly leads a search and rescue mission for the missing ship and crew. What should be a simple operation quickly turns into something much more dangerous. He soon learns that all three strange events are irrevocably interwoven, and unlocking their connection may just hold the key to the survival of the human race.My rating:
Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars Writing: 3.5 out of 5 stars Character development: 4 out of 5 stars Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Recommended for readers of:
Action and Adventure
Review:
This is book has lots of action, a bit of mystery and suspense. The book is nicely written. The main character is a real hero but his actions are not over the top, this made him likeable and fairly realistic.
The plot was interesting but it fell a bit flat towards the end, plenty of unexplained events and loose ends. The great strength of the series so far was the fact that all the actions and events were well explained and that each book was kind of a standalone adventure that was concluded at the end of the book. This was not really the case in this book.
This is book eight in the Sam Reilly series. This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so if you want to know what happens next you have to read the next book in the series. I generally prefer books that have a proper ending. So far most books in the series could be read as a standalone.
Overall this is an interesting story with plenty of excitement. The characters are heroic and likeable without being unrealistic. The story is a captivating mixture of action and suspense.
This one in particular had very tense elements and a super strange connection between two plot lines that I personally loved. I couldn’t predict at all where this was going.
I love this series. I think they could use a a lot of editing, less details about ships, weaponry, cars, etc. and more emphasis on the intense scenes. Many times throughout the series, I find myself feeling nervous, claustrophobic, in suspense, and flipping pages to get to the next scenes, which I enjoy a lot. Those bits that draw on about specific details, brand names, or mechanics take me out of the action sometimes.
I do also question if there are enough edits to paraphrase information about locations found online. I love that in this series, I find myself googling places I’ve never heard of, and I often find the travel to be the most immersive element. However, when I do a search online to look up a place and get a visual while reading, I often come across a very very similarly written article to the books.
Two other issues: there is an overarching plot that is the most interesting bit, but in the later books, some of the original details don’t seem to add up anymore. I may not be far enough to see it come together, so take that with a grain of salt. And, the descriptions of female characters can be a little jarring. Every woman seems to be fit, with lithe muscles and perfect teeth and a Lara Croft personality. Even more bookish, older, or one-off female characters are subject to this brush over. I enjoy the individuality of each one’s backstories, but I think some variety in appearance, or at least better initial descriptions than their…physical attributes…would be appreciated, too!
All of that being said, I’ve almost caught up to the currently published book and I have no intention of stopping the series. I loved the Uncharted games, and this reminds me heavily of that style. Action, adventure, thrilling discoveries, and an overarching plot which is generally well thought out.
This book, part of the Sam Reilly Series, takes us on a journey of mystery, danger, and unbelievable events. When a large cargo ship suddenly disappears in the Bering Straits near the Aleutian Islands, Sam Reilly and his crew is dispatched by the Secretary of Defense to locate the ship and retrieve a specific cargo container, contents top secret. The sudden disappearance of the ship is a complete mystery since no trace of the ship can be found. At the same time a strange, unnatural event takes place in the Colorado Plateau Desert when a man is caught up in strong wind current and is sucked into a previously unknown, hidden cave while investigating some ancient American Indian ruins. Although both events appear to be independent phenomenon, we soon learn that more is involved than anyone realizes or is willing to tell. I thought the story was fast paced, action packed, and kept the reader riveted in anticipation of what would develop as the story went along. The characters were well developed but the world building was confusing at times. I had to re-read several parts of chapters, in various sections, just to figure out what was happening and which characters were involved. The plot was overwhelming at times and the premise was in the realm of science fiction, but that was expected. If you like a fast paced, action thriller with plot twist around every corner, this book is for you.
This book started out with a really cool mystery. Something (the Aleutian Portal of the title) is connecting a spot in Colorado with a spot below the Bering Strait—so much so that an amazing and destructive wind is blowing Colorado desert dirt into a mining tunnel that is 3000 miles away. I did not like the solution to this mystery, but it was a very cool problem that for most of the book Sam Reilly is not aware of. (He’s focused on one end of the problem under the Bering.)
Then there’s an ancient meteorite which is somehow connected to the end of the world and the U.S. is trying to get it back in their hands while a Russian billionaire is trying to get it into his hands. Smack in the middle is Sam Reilly who is trying to keep it out of both groups’ possession. It’s a fast-moving story, but I wish Cartwright had come up with a better explanation for his Aleutian Portal. There are moments that strain the reader’s suspension of disbelief and the secret 3000 mile train tracks certainly broke mine.
This is one of those "beyond belief" type of adventures, but an exciting yarn. This is my fifth Sam Reilly book and I do like his character and those of his friends and teammates. The author writes a lot of technical stuff that I'd prefer to gloss over, but that's his style and I won't deduct a star for that. Some people probably love knowing all the details of the Hummer, steam engine and weapons used in the book. This one features a Russian cargo ship that sinks and vanishes in the shallow waters of the Bering Strait, along with a strange, very strong wind that sucks a cowboy in Colorado into the earth. The fact that these things are related makes for a very interesting story. Of course, there are bad guys who wreck havoc as well, and a wonderful discovery in the desert canyon near Mesa Verde.
I've read most the other book preceding this one and whilst the overall theme is the same - Sam & Tom trying to save the world - this one tended to be even more far-fetched than previous ones. Interestingly this one seems to finish mid-story and leaves the reader - assuming they are still wanting to read this type of adventure - waiting for the next in the series to complete the story. But since there are now over 20 in the series you might be reading or waiting for quite a while to get to the final conclusion. A light hearted and simple to read adventure story - assuming you can gloss over how the hero and cohorts get around some of the fantastic antics that envelops them - which can be read in a couple sitting if you're so inclined
Another fantastic book! A lot of action and suspense. The story moved quickly and never missed any related sequence in the storyline. There was deception and secrets were being kept from key players in the book. The book picked up seamlessly from the previous books in the series. It is important to read the books in the correct order, as it ties in events from the previous books. This makes reading the book so much more enjoyable because it adds closure to previous events. It also explains the significance of those events. Very well written. The author did his due diligence as far researching historical events that played into the storyline of the book. Well worth the time spent reading this fantastic book.
Sam Reilly and crew are tasked to find a freighter that has vanished in the waters near the Aleutian islands. They don't find it but are then diverted to Big Diomede island where a large scale boring operation is taking place. There has been a strange occurrence where the massive drilling machine has disappeared down a hole and Sam's crews is asked to find it after earlier searches have ended up in missing searchers. The beginning of a strange adventure that leads from the Aleutians to Texas and involves gunrunners, a drug cartel and the search for an ancient artifact that holds the secret to earth's survival. Plenty of action in this one.
Three different events converge into one for Sam Reilly and his partner Tom. Now he has to figure out exactly where a container ship went down with a container that the Secretary of Defense wants found yesterday. Then he gets called to salvage a tunnel bower that disappeared. While this is going on in the Bering Strait, a young man goes missing in Colorado. How can all these incidents be connected? Only Sam & his team can figure it out. I couldn’t put this down for long, had to keep coming back to finish reading it.
A Russian cargo ship vanishes in The Aleutian Islands, and American tunnel boring machine goes missing. Sam Reilly and his elite team are called in. They hope to find survivors and salvage whatever they can. When a Stetson hat from Colorado mysteriously appears in an Alaskan Tunnel, things begin to go haywire and the good guys are at a big disadvantage. Can they unravel the mystery and bring anyone back alive? An outstanding adventure by an outstanding author!
The action continues to fly fast and furious with Sam Reilly and his crew still working alongside the Secretary of Defense but communications are not as open as they once were and each is pursuing a slightly different agenda though their end purposes are much the same. Are the race of Master Builders now extinct or simply awaiting the exact moment to appear to " help " and to help whom? Is the human race about to become virtually extinct or can a rabbit be pulled from a magical top hat?
This book starts out with a lot of action before Sam and his crew is called in to retrieve a mysterious shipping box that no one will tell hm as to why. A freak event that ends up consuming a large ship and individual people on another end makes this read not easy to put down. Besides the mysterious events shrouded in mystery, there are also other problems with drugs and gun runners. So the action just never stops! Is a fast read for me as I couldn't put the book down. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Christopher Cartwright's imagination is vast and entertaining! I've enjoyed all eight of the Sam Reilly books. The ninth is waiting for me when I finish this. Some in this series I have enjoyed more than others. The Aleutian Portal ranks probably second. I have loved the character building, the relationships of Sam and his cohorts, and the storylines. I am glad I took the plunge with The Last Airship! It's been a fun ride.
The Aleutian Portal, my eighth read from author Christopher Cartwright & the eighth book in the highly entertaining Sam Reilly series. Well-written and captivating with well-developed main characters reminding one of Dan Brown’s writing as well as the character of Indiana Jones. I’ll be reading more by this author as I already own more books in the series! (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Action and adventure with a James Bond type character working for the government and himself. One issue with this story, the James Bond character at one point is worried about death and hanging on with white knuckles, this didn't fit the character who is always the first to jump into a mission with no hesitation counting on his team gadgets and/or smarts to get out of trouble
Another truly enthralling Sam Reilly book. I never fail to be totally flabbergasted by the themes and action that this author produces. It is totally mind blowing the situations that Sam Reilly gets involved in and sur Ives to tell the tale. Another superb novel which draws you in, grips you and leaves you totally exhausted as if I was you that played the lead character.
There is a lot of action in the plot. It is reminiscent of Clive Cussler`s Dirk Pitt. The concept is interesting, of lava tunes going so far. The story is divided into several different places by chapters until the author brings the plot together. The ending doesn't finish the story. It leads to the next book. There isn’t much character development. Maybe that was done in the first book of the series. But the action is good and makes for quick reading.
I am inclined towards lots of poetic license but this books is a stretch with respect to plausibility. Nevertheless less, I enjoyed the read and the ideas. The writer sounds like he has some experience with some of the weapons but it is not clear if he has ever ridden a Russian motorcycle 3,000 miles. In three days. Suspect a lot of coordination for gas would be needed since no gas stations in lava tubes. Still, it was fun.
I have not read a story quite like this one but I can say that I was surprised that it wasn’t ending the way I thought. I will also say I don’t enjoy books that let you hang with no real ending. This was an exciting book and I enjoyed the action and twists of the story, the characters were believable and kept me interested and looking for more action. I recommend this author and book to everyone who likes action.
This is my first Sam Reilly book. It has left me hanging at both ends. Clearly there is a previous book about the Master Race since this book has so many references to it.
I liked to he characters, which, for me is key, more important than the story, the action kept coming, the interplay of the characters on both sides of the story was also and interesting conjunction.
Can't wait to get all the books and start reading them in order.
Sam Reilly is saving the world again. If you like the current action hero type Hollywood produces then you will not be disappointed in a Sam Reilly thriller adventure book. Unbelievable action scenes, villains to hate, state of the art "toys," world politics, and amazing survival scenes are all present in each of his books. Plus his stories have a historical treasure relic in the mix. We listen to the audible books while we are driving long distances to keep ourselves entertained.
Sam and his pals are tasked with finding a Russian ship that dissapeared.Of course he finds much more than anticipated!Fast paced,full of well timed humor,Sam never lets us down. David Gilmore was ,once again,a terrific narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
Even though it was entirely unbelievable, it was certainly a thriller. One could never tell what was going to happen next. The characters helped to tie each of the different paths of the story together. If you're interested in an enjoyable thriller, this is the book to read.
I had not read any of the other books prior to book 8. I didn't realize it was a series until the last 1/4 of the book when a reference was made to a previous story that clued me in... there must be more. Yet the story stood alone and was highly entertaining and thought provoking .
Wanted to like this book. Unfortunately many years ago I read many of the Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt books. This book is along those lines although mired down in useless info that brings little to the book. The characters are flat . The deaths are soon forgotten and the plot never ends. Won’t be buying any more just not interested in the story line.