The Kingdom

Fargo Adventures #3

by Clive Cussler

Whether it's lost treasure or missing persons, the Fargos find themselves in a heap of trouble every time... When Texas oil baron Charlie King contacts Sam and Remi Fargo he has an unusual request. He hired an investigator - and good friend of the pair - to locate his missing father in the Far East. But now the investigator has vanished. Would Sam and Remi be willing to look for them both? Though something about the request doesn't quite add up, Sam and Remi agree to help out. It's a journey that takes the Fargos to Tibet, Nepal, Bulgaria, India, and China. They get mixed up with black-market fossils, a centuries-old puzzle chest, the ancient Nepali kingdom of Mustang, a balloon aircraft from a century before its time...and an extraordinary skeleton that might turn the history of human evolution on its head. Oh, and not a few unfriendly people with guns and itchy trigger fingers... The third Fargo adventure, The Kingdom is an action-packed summer read! This paperback book has 410 pages and measures: 17.7 x 11 x 2.5cm.

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

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2011

About the author

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been a while since Sam and Remi Fargo had been in Kathmandu, Nepal, but with a colleague missing somewhere in this vast country, they were determined to do their best to find him. They had their suspicions about the person who’d recruited them, and as time moved forward, it seemed they were right.

Searching through long tunnels in one of the deep cave systems in the area, Sam and Remi found more than they had bargained for. But it was the mine, hidden in the forests well away from Kathmandu and guarded by Chinese soldiers that turned their investigation on its head. What was going on? Had they stumbled onto something far more important – and dangerous - than they’d imagined?

The Kingdom is the 3rd in the Sam & Remi Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler, and was fast paced, intense and full of action. The adventures that the husband and wife team get up to are way over the top – obviously adrenalin junkies! Fun, entertaining, a little gruesome – highly readable. Recommended.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quickie Review

Clive Cussler is well-known for his action/adventure writings, and it's books like this one that prove why. Fun, engaging, exciting, and everything one could want from such a novel. If you haven't read anything by Mr. Cussler...what are you waiting for?

Content Concerns: Some violence, but nothing terribly graphic. The h-word and d-word are used about three or four times each.

Score: 4.25/5

[Andreea Daia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third installment in the Fargo Adventures was a little bit of a disappointment and not because of the writing issues, which I wrote about in my reviews for Spartan Gold and Lost Empire. No - in fact the writing style had gotten increasingly better from the first book. The useless details are almost gone and we are starting to see even some mild character development. It's true, we still don't know what Remi and Sam think, but occasionally Remi cries and Sam gets angry, which, if you read the first book, you know it is a great gain.

The broken part with "The Kingdom" is something that worked quite well in the first two novels, namely, the plot. Here are a few comments regarding the story issues:

1) The instances of unbelievable coincidences are increasing, to the point that, like Sam, I started exclaiming "Oh, come on!!" I can take one or two coincidences, but the Fargos seemed to have been born under a lucky star, so easy the author makes their search. Also, the entire knowledge brought in by Jake is utterly too much: he basically knows more about the artifacts than the Sentinels themselves.

2) The main discovery presented in The Kingdom is very far-fetched to be even remotely likely. If in the previous novels, the "discoveries" were believable, this time it is a concept that quite a few people today deny, in spite of the scientific proof. That in 1400, some remote folks were able to understand the meaning of their "discovery" is hard, very hard to swallow. I found salutary that the author attempts to portrait them so enlightened, but it is totally improbable.

3) Something must have hit Sam hard in the head during one of the previous books, because his actions at times don't make absolutely any sense. For instance, after an attempted attack, King (the bad guy) believes that they are dead. Now, what would a smart person do? I personally would try to keep it that way... but not Sam. Without any reason, he calls King to let him know that they are alive. He even pours gasoline over the fire and tries to stir the man's anger. And no, he didn't gain any intelligence from that discussion.

4) (This could be part of the previous bullet) It takes our main characters - treasure hunters, anthropologists - a couple of days to recognize that the wood they were using for the fire is in fact part of a priceless historical artifact. And let's not forget that earlier they used tens-of-thousand-year-old fossils as makeshift projectiles.

Additionally there are a few minor issues that irked me a little bit, and one (I'll save it for the last) that irked me a lot:

1) No matter how rich Sam's engineering invention made them years ago, trashing out cars, boats, helicopters, and planes every 40 pages must have put a serious dent in the couple's fortune. :)

2) In every third world country I ever stepped in, it is expected to tip the museum guides, even if a entrance pass was paid. In fact, if you take any city tour in any U.S. city, or pretty much any city on this planet, you are expected to tip the guide. Yet, not one single time, our very rich and generous couple thinks fit to part ways with a few dollars.

And the worse of all...

3) The author seem to believe that grave robbery is perfectly acceptable! The Fargos congratulate themselves in how great they are because, in spite of the temptation, they didn't steal artifacts form a museum, but stress out that it was just peachy to take whatever they liked from a grave. (It's true that they took items from graves in Spartan Gold, but in that case it was with the relatives' consent, so I consider that OK.) I do realize that I'm in minority when it comes to considering theft from a grave (nicknamed or not "archeological research") a crime, but these characters are supposed to be role models... Well, at least in my opinion, this helped with the character development by giving the couple some (very nasty) negative attributes: arrogance (to believe that they have any right to do that) and disrespect.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entry of the Fargo series has a Texas Oil man sending the two after a fellow investigator, who searched for the man's father. Of course, that's all a con, and the Fargos go all over the world, looking for the real treasure.

Shallow, but with some entertainment value.

[John Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clive Cussler covers are epic. Simple, clean and evocative, these covers for me are the kind that inspire you to buy the print version of a book even though it's more expensive than the Kindle version.

And Cussler's new novel, The Kingdom, is no different. With backgrounded Himalaya, snow and dark skies, the book puts you in comfortable-read mode even before you've cracked the spine.

I haven't read any Cussler before. Mostly, aside from the cover, I was drawn to this book by its interest and link in/to the kingdom of Lo Manthang (spelled Monthang in the book but I'll stick to Manthang) in Nepal.

By way of disclaimer, and like any writer would do, I was drawn to read Cussler's exploration of this mystical part of Nepal, because it is also forms the backdrop for crucial scenes in my own upcoming novel.

We are after all as Westerners, it seems, possessed with the idea of a secret Asian kingdom, variously known as Shangri-la or Shamballah, and The Kingdom of Lo in Nepal is one of the best settings to vent this Western Shangri-la fantasy.

The Kingdom starts with a bang. Dakhal, a Sentinel, protector of a magical artefact called the Golden Man, is pursued by evil forces trying to lay siege to the Golden Man. He skillfully throws his attackers off and presumably holes up in a cave, protecting the Golden Man, lost to posterity.

Fast forward to present day. Husband and wife adventure- and hero-team Sam and Remi Fargo are contacted by tycoon and all-round baddie Charles King to find his father who has gone missing in Nepal several years. The couple, used to hunting for treasures and historical artifacts, agree to take on the case. In reality, King is hoping to set them on a goose chase that he hopes will yield the Golden Man, for his own purposes.

Their search leads them to Kathmandu, having discovered a secret Devanagari (an ancient script of India and Nepal) parchment which they have translated by a local professional.

The Fargos will follow a set of clues that lead them to Tibet, Nepal, China, Venice and Siberia to uncover the secrets behind not only the ancient Golden Man legend, but also Charles King's nefarious business dealings.

The race leads to Shangri-la, an ancient complex overgrown with jungle, where they must battle King's wife and two diehard twin children to ensure that King doesn't lay hands on the mysterious artefact.

Along the way, Sam and Remi's characteristic humour and domesticity to approaching life-threatening situations is lighthearted and colourful.

I enjoyed this novel overall, not least because of its Lo Manthang setting, but also for the racy plot and diverse characters: evil where they need to be but not overly stereotypical or flat, and good characters who aren't too saintly, offset by quirkiness.

All round, a light, easy and enjoyable, well-researched read soaked in adventure. Four out of five stars.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Place names are trivial. It’s the meaning we attach to them that counts.”

At some point successful authors conclude they can sell books based on their name rather than the content. Apparently Clive Cussler reached that point when writing this book. It is the kind of fast-paced Indiana-Jones-type action adventure readers expect from Cussler, with all the technobabble and product placement appropriate to the genre.

I’m sure Grant Blackwood is a capable person, but someone should have proofread the text. It is rife with howling non sequiturs, of which a few are offered: “razed to the ground,” “cantering slowly,” “a sheaf of blueprints,” and “a scientist by nature and training” (both in 1677). My favorite paragraph included: “The single-engine Piper Cub …. Sitting on opposite sides of the aisle…. The engines began to wind down.” And that doesn’t touch the logical and plot contradictions.

“We won’t stumble into the hands of [redacted], I can assure you.” We know what will happen next.

[Lchamp · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of all the "cussler books" I have read, this is by far the worst. Of course, it was not written by Clive Cussler. His name is just the largest on the cover. The actual author was Grant Blackwood and it is a spinoff of a character Cussler introduced in one of his novels.

I found it very difficult to 'suspend disbelief' while reading this novel. Some of the actions seemed contrary to laws of physics and there were large 'black holes' in the story where the protagonists were in the middle of a rather suspenseful situation and then...they were back home with little explanation of how they got away with the exploit.

I doubt that I will follow any further exploits of the Fargo characters.

[Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the first two, I have found this book to be seriously lacking in detail and deliverance, as well as believable plot line. Clive Cussler is a favorite author of mine, so the faults of these first three books in the Fargo Adventure series must lie with the co-author, Grant Blackwood. While the story was good, the characters in story have such cardboard personalities, it's rather boring - like watching paint dry. Getting to know and understand the characters is something the author doesn't allow. Sad, truly. I give this book a generous two stars only for the history and travel. It lacks the last three stars for disallowing intimate knowledge about the primary characters, the secondary characters, and mission they are on (what the heck made them become so involved? After getting their friend home, the Fargos could have simply walked away. WHY did the keep going? WHAT was driving them?) The author does not explain certain things which simply leaves the reader stumped. How did Karna know how to open the box, and how did he know there were discs in them? How did he know there were chemicals there that would turn the disc into an unidentifiable lump of gold? Also, ENOUGH with the technology items! What? - Does the co-author get paid for each time he mentions a gadget of some sort? iPhones, iPads, HydroWorc, etc., etc., etc..and what's with the Canon G10 Remi has? The Fargos obviously have enough money to buy all the handy gadgets listed in the book; why go with such a low-grade point-and-shoot camera? One of the flights they took leaving from San Diego, CA was said to be 36 hrs (or there abouts). I Googled it and found (even with delays) the flight should have been about 19 hrs. There is a ton of non-factual data in this series the rating them two stars is very generous, indeed!

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is absolutely indecipherable, which is kind of a shame, because I could like Sam and Remi Fargo as protagonists --- if Cussler (or really Blackwood) was a better writer, they could be the Nick and Nora Charles of the Cussler Universe. Instead, he settles for describing them from the outside only, so we get clear descriptions of their food and drink habits (high-end all the way). Anyway, it takes place largely in Tibet and Nepal and the Himalayas, and even at one point drops into Shangri-La. Which is all kind of interesting as a backdrop to a ludicrously convoluted storyline that is both under and over-plotted at the same time. There is also some casual racism slung around. Blond twins have sinister Asiatic features from their Dragon Lady mother. Seriously, people refer to her as "Dragon Lady". Terry and the Pirates is a long way to go for a descriptor.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been prepared for the absurdity of the indestructible incredible Fargos by the book #2 in this series, I found Kingdom to be more fun. Once I knew not to expect any top notch writing, once I was ready for the silly caricature like characters and mindless action adventure, this was in fact kind of fun. What I like most about the series is the historical research and the spectacular geographic locales. This time it's mostly Nepal, Tibet and wvwn (why not)...Shangri La. Scott Brick does a good job of reading the book as always. This is about not a particularly challenging reading or listening, this is shallow over the top escapist entertainment and once you know what to expect you might very well be entertained. Good for walks and bike rides alike.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scott Brick has been my Storytime narrator for about 10 years now. But not even his familiar and reassuring voice/narration could save this novel.

As an avid audiobook reader, this book truly just became background noise when I was working or cleaning, etc. I couldn’t honestly recap what the objective or the direction was here.

This is my first time to the series but it’s unlikely that I’ll continue further.

probably one of the most underwhelming an inactive adventure novels I can think of. Meh.

Bonus star for Scott Brick being apart of the project

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fargo series is the weakest of Cussler's franchises, but still entertaining. This particular one moves faster than most, breezing through the requisite historical prologues and jumping in to the action. The Antagonist is a bit two dimensional, although with a few interesting familial quirks; and the denouement, when it finally comes, is rushed and a bit unsatisfactory. Still a pleasant beach-read, but not a classic.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it.... BUT... there were factual errors I caught, and compass directions given didn't match the real world. Someone can't read a map. In previous books in this series, I've noticed this same discrepancy in direction. I'm not sure which author writes which parts of the book, but if this continues, I may quit reading this particular series.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really!!?? One ridiculous scenario after another with an all to convenient ending, and sickly moments of loving interaction and humour at the most inopportune moments. Potential never fulfilled I'm afraid.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing better than reading a good book on a cold and snowing day! Too bad it was a re-read! Lol 🌻

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid effort by this writing team. History, action, enemies, treasure, hunters, murder an mayhem. Its all happening here. Love this genre - its like reading an action movie.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook. Sam and Remi Fargo are professional treasure hunters. They are like Indiana Jones. The book begins by setting a stage in ancient China with a sentinel traveling with a mysterious box and guarding it with his life. The book also describes a giant dirigible being built many centuries ago. In the present time Sam and Remi are told by an eccentric, very wealthy oil tycoon that a friend of theirs had been hired to find a treasure by him and has disappeared. Sam and Remi travel to Tibet to find their friend. They encounter the rich man’s creepy offspring - twins who leave the Fargos suspicious about the plan. It turns out they are being used to find the ancient box said to hold the bones of the “Golden Man”. Once the Fargos figure out that they are helping a mad man, they must find the treasure without alerting the rich man of their movements. Globetrotting from one perilous situation to another, Sam and Remi dodge death while exchanging light banter. They are uncovering clues about the artifact and where it might be hidden while trying to stay a step ahead of the murderous twins and their ruthless mother.

[Tyler Hetland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This man is a wizard with prologues and then weaving a story so immersive that you forget about it. Then all of a sudden the MCs happen upon the cover art and I love it when a plan comes together. The Fargo Adventures are quite different than the Oregon Files and Im not sure which ones I like more yet. Sam and Remi seem to be a little less prepared than Juan and his crew but it also feels more relatable. This story specifically seemed to fall into the channels of disbelief but entertainment value is through the roof. It was fun traveling through Nepal and Tibet with many of their names and places presented in other languages. The ending showed up really quickly but there weren't any loose ends which I appreciate. Cussler still remains one of my favourite authors.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the dynamic duo strikes again...this time thwarting the obscure machinations of a Texas billionaire in Nepal, of all places. The plot is thin, but the action moves things along quite nicely, thank you very much. Sam and Remi get around with seemingly super human abilities, including not suffering from jet lag or sleep, but manage to maintain some of their hedonistic pleasures...when they can. I'm still not sure what the point of their quest was...or the meaning of the 'Theurang' really was (evolutionary dead end clade or just an important relic?), but I'm sure it's important to the future of the world.

The '3' rating says that I liked it...you might as well.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third in the series, in this adventure, the Fargos get a call from a wealthy American who is searching for his lost father - and who in the process of doing so, lost a friend of theirs. Determined to find their friend, regardless of the fact that they feel that Mr. King is being less than honest with them, they stumble on a discovery that may lead them to fabled Shangri-la, and uncover a dangerous truth.

Another fun adventure - clean and exciting, just the way I like them.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just one question - why aren't these books being made into movies?

Remember Hart to Hart?

[Florence Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining.

A mix of adventure, suspense, history, and archeology. A great combo. Even if it's far fetched. Great entertainment.

One bad word B*&(*^d.

[Ellen Spes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good historical adventure/travel log.

[Anna Renker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it! Mysterious adventure. Might look into more books like this.

[Michael Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is my 2nd favorite in the series behind Wrath of Poseidon. Was nice having more of a unique plot than some of the others. Definitely recommend.

[Samyann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is specific to the first seven books of the Fargo series by Clive Cussler in audiobook format narrated by Scott Brick. All are published by Penguin Audio and are in the area of eleven to twelve hours of listening. Some of The Fargo Adventures have been co-authored with Grant Blackwood, Thomas Perry, Russell Blake or Robin Burcell. Early writings by Clive Cussler did not involve co-authors, however Cussler is in his mid-80s at this writing. All of these books cover a specific era of ancient history and are rich with detail. There is a great deal of historical research, ergo co-authors. The Fargo Adventures series is in the tradition of all Cussler works, i.e., mysteries wrapped around history, a formula that defines his basic plot structure. The difference, in my opinion, is the married couple lead characters in this series, Sam and Remi Fargo, as opposed to the type A macho men, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell.

The entire series revolves around ancient treasure, excavation, archeological digs, etc. Think DaVinci Code on steroids with a brilliant engineer and his historian wife as the lead characters, Sam and Remi. Or possibly Nick and Nora or Jonathan and Jennifer Hart with satellite cell phones and iPads. The leads chase clues galore across the world involving everything from deep sea diving to mountain climbing to hot air balloon escapes to spelunking. Exotic cities, exclusive hotels, and sumptuous dining experiences of the locales are explicitly described in each story. Remi and Sam are experts at and can do anything and are very philanthropic. All of their finds are turned over to the local governments or historical societies. The two are not ‘in it for the money’, but rather the adventure. At their California home/office is Selma and her staff. Selma is a researcher who finds answers to the most obscure elements of ancient history, makes travel and equipment arrangements for Sam and Remi, and knows what they need before they need it. The pair independently wealthy enough to have enviable lives traveling the world and getting themselves in and out of trouble, turning the tables on bad guys along the way. Although Sam and Remi are married and deeply in love, the entire series is squeaky clean, i.e., chaste kisses on cheeks. No gratuitous sex, no language issues as is true of all Cussler writing. Don’t hesitate to present as gifts to anyone.

Regarding Scott Brick’s audiobook performances … well … it’s Scott Brick, ergo not much to say. He does a particularly great job with obscure accents and pronunciations. Male and female voices unique, no trouble discerning who-says-what-to-who, nice timing and tempo, solid productions.

Spartan Gold, 2009 = Napoleonic history that begins with Sam and Remi finding a Nazi-era German mini-sub while scuba diving. Ancient bottles of wine found in the sub have them hunting for Napoleon’s lost cellar and more treasure.

Lost Empire, 2010 = Aztec history. Very convoluted, complex story. Clues galore poof away during the story and are wrapped up in neat package in the Epilog. Not my favorite, but finding a mystery (no spoiler) in the Krakatoa volcanic ash is a very cool element of the plot.

The Kingdom, 2011 = Nepal history. Sam and Remi are sucked into a mystery taking them from an egomaniacal Texas baron to Shangri-La!

The Tombs, 2012 = A narcissistic maniac believes he is a descendent of Attila the Hun. Other greedy creeps simply want the riches found in a cadre of tombs, which results in a search for Attila’s final resting place - another tomb.

The Mayan Secrets, 2013, opens in the 16th century with the sheltering of a book containing Mayan history. Sam and Remi battle to preserve a book found in an ancient clay pot. The resulting mayhem begins a wild adventure.

In The Eye of Heaven, 2014, Cussler should have been tougher in the supervision of co-authoring, as the character of Remi has changed to be more of a liability for Sam - she acts like a spoiled child, often wanting to go home. The book might be better if he sent her. The two argue about strategy rather than scheme together as in previous novels - way too much ’sneering'. That, and after all they’ve been through, Remi is jealous? Really? That said, the story: How do ancient artifacts from the interior of Mexico wind up in the hull of a Viking ship found west of Greenland buried in glacial ice? Thus is the mystery of The Eye of Heaven.

The Solomon Curse, 2015. Beneath the waters off the coast of Guatemala lay the structures of a village or town. A wealthy tycoon in Australia is up to no good. There are ancient tales of gold and jewels and yep: Giants! Sam and Remi spelunk their way through adventures and march through jungles to find treasure, dead bodies, and ancient dead bodies. Not quite as ‘thrilling’ as some of the books, but an enjoyable read.

Since the books stand alone, jump in anywhere. Recommended for adventure lovers interested in ‘clean’ reads. Not great literature, just fun reading.

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

+ at times a gripping read

- too many too good to be true scenarios
- way too descriptive and detaillistic
- the book dragged on in places

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying these books and the stories. I believe there was some language, but I'm not sure, but there were no sex scenes. The Fargos treat each other well with kindness, respect, and adoration. Good examples to put in my mind. The mystery and action are good and you never know where they will end up.

[Marcee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy how Remi and Sam Fargo work together through every challenge in their amazing world of world travel, scientific and historic discovery, intrigue, and mayhem. This time Texas oil tycoon Charlie King engages their interest in searching for Sam's friend, Frank Alton, who's gone missing while tracing King's long-vanished archaeologist father in Nepal. As convoluted as that sounds, the plot is, of course, even more mysterious and suspenseful. Along the way, I learned some about Nepali history, folklore, and linguistics; contemporary Chinese-Nepali relations; the existence of black market fossil trade; the Eastern Orthodox Church and its missionary work; and the early history of aeronautics. Oh, also that the word Mustang, when used in reference to the district in western Nepal, is pronounced moos-TAHNG.

While convoluted, the plot and characters aren't deep. They're like a contemporary Indiana Jones story, if Mr. Jones was more of an engineer, had once worked for a secretive government entity, had a beautiful, perfectly-complementary wife with whom he always worked and traveled. These quasi-Joneses--the Fargos--would be independently-wealthy and generous, good-natured (Jones is more surly), and tech-savvy. I classify the series as fantasy, not because there are specifically magical entities or powers at work, but because the married protagonists never disagree, seem to do want to do anything separate from one another, always come out okay in the end despite often overwhelming odds, have unlimited finances and staff to handle mundanities as well as laborious research elements. The authors downplay the time-consuming, tedious, and strenuous elements of archaeological, anthropological, and paleontological research and incorporate more explosive situations than a field worker in any of those discipline would typically expect, I think. That said, I enjoy the couple's repartee; the solving of puzzles; the survey of places, people, history, and cultures; and the appreciation professional researchers get in this series. I wish that there was a "separating history from fiction" section at the end of the books, though, as Steve Berry puts at the end of his "Cotton Malone" stories.

The following are passages I enjoyed. While some do indicate treacherous situations, these are so common to the series that I don't think they're spoilers. If you don't want to risk any foreknowledge, stop reading this review now.

Ch. 7, Chobar Gorge, Nepal
At the bottom, they found themselves facing not a trail but a rickety suspension bridge, its left side affixed to the cliff by lag bolts. Vines had overrun the bridge, so tightly twisted around the supports and wires that the structure looked half man-made, half organic.
"I have the distinct feeling that we're looking down the rabbit hole," Remi murmured.
"Come on," Sam said. "It's quaint."
"With you, I've come to equate that word with 'hazardous.'"
"I'm crushed."
"Can you see how far it goes?"
"No. Keep ahold of the cliff side. If the span goes, the vines will probably hold."
"Another lovely word, 'probably.'"

Below the words was a crudely painted skull and crossbones. Remi smiled. "Look, Sam, it's the universal symbol for 'quaint.'"
"Funny lady," he replied. "Ready to spelunk?"
"Have I ever said no to that question?"
"Never, bless your heart."

Ch. 12
"Lesson learned," Sam said. "No crosswalks in Nepal."
"And goats have the right-of-way," Remi added.

Ch. 13
Sam: "We're going to need more than pictures, though. How do you feel about a bit of skullduggery?"
Remi: "I'm a big fan of skullduggery."

Sam lowered the binoculars and looked sideways at Remi. "You're not going to believe this. It's Crouching Tiger, Scary Lady herself," he said...

Ch. 14
He [Sam] unslung the rifle and examined it. "This is sate-of-the-art."
[Remi] "Can you handle it?"
"Safety, trigger, magazine . . . hole where the bullet comes out. I think I'll manage."

end of Ch. 16: Moonlight Guest House, Jomsom, Dhawalagiri, Nepal:
Sam shut the door. From the bathroom he heard Remi say, "Sam, look at this."
He found a wide-eyed Remi standing beside a gigantic copper claw-foot tub. "It's a Beasley."
"I think the more common term is 'bathtub,' Remi."
"Very funny. Beasley are rare, Sam. The last one was made in the late nineteenth century. ...[worth ~$12K] This is a treasure, Sam."
"And it's the size of a Studebaker. Don't even think of trying to fit it into your carry-on."

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the Fargo Adventure archeology series starring Sam and Remi Fargo, millionaires with a fascination for historical treasures and a gold code about their preservation.

My Take
Think a married and intrepid Indiana Jones! Sam and Remi do it all…hiking, spelunking, climbing, inventing, shooting, kayaking, breaking and entering… Fortunately, it's all in a good cause as they sell the treasures they find or donate them to museums, libraries, and institutions. Amidst all the madcap adventuring, they look death in the face with a quip and a laugh making you look forward to the next installment in the Fargo Adventures!

In this story, we're on the trail of a precious treasure, the Theurang. I just love the irony when we discover the true nature of this treasure. For it is indeed a treasure beyond belief. In the meantime Sam and Remi run into a crooked Chinese general, a corrupt billionaire and his psychotic family, traitors, scholars, and new-found friends as we travel the world on the trail of this treasure's location. And get some questions answered about the real Shangri-La.

Such a treat to read about an intelligent, good-natured, inventive couple who care. As always, I do love a Cussler tale!

The Story
Sam and Remi get caught up trying to find a missing Frank only to discover that King Charlie is using them to find an ancient artifact. An artifact for which his father, Lewis "Bully" King, spent his life looking. Now if the Fargos can only evade the Kings and the Chinese army as they explore caves, hike forests, and drop out of the Nepalese skies in their grand search for clues to the lost treasure of Lo Mustang.

The Characters
Sam Fargo is a Caltech-trained engineer while Remi Fargo has an anthropology and history major from Boston College. Both are action-oriented with a love of detecting archeological artifacts. Sam's invention of an argon laser scanner has made them incredibly wealthy and when their company was bought out, they used the money to set up the Fargo Foundation. The foundation's funding now comes from the treasures they find along the way.

Selma who used to managed the Library of Congress' Special Collections Divisions until lured away by the Fargos with the promise of unlimited funding and research time with her assistants, Pete Jeffcoat (archeology) and Wendy Corden (social sciences), handles the research for the Fargos on their adventures and with respect to their acquisitions.

Rube Haywood is their friend and a CIA operative perfectly willing to ferret out information for them just as they love to pass tips and evidence to him.

Frank Alton is a former San Diego policeman turned private detective. Married to Judy, the couple has dinner with the Fargos once a month. Now, it seems that Frank has been missing for 10 days while doing a job for King Charlie.

Charles "King Charlie" King made his fortune the really hard way. From the ground up and kicking anybody in the face or having them "disappear". Now he's after an ancient artifact purely to be able to destroy it for his own personal vengeance. Zhilan Hsu is both administrative assistant and consort. Russell and Marjorie are their under-the-thumb children.

Jack Karna is a British researcher who got caught up in the history of the ancient kingdom of Lo Mustang over 30 years ago. And has been writing its history ever since.

The Cover and Title
The cover is too exciting with its 400+ years-in-the-past hot air balloon crashing into the side of a Mount Everest of a mountain in Nepal. It's not exactly accurate, as Cussler describes it as having three cages for balloons…

I'm guessing that the title, The Kingdom, refers to Lo Mustang, an old kingdom invaded back in the late 1400s, which sent its greatest treasure out of the land and into hiding.