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Isaac Bell #11
The Titanic Secret
'The Adventure King' Sunday Express
THE NEW ISAAC BELL & DIRK PITT ADVENTURE FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
When Isaac Bell attempts to decipher the mysterious deaths of nine men, he encounters a secret so powerful it could dictate the fate of the world . . .
A century apart, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell team up to unlock the truth about the most famous maritime disaster of all time - the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic.
Present day
Dirk Pitt is forced to make a daring rescue at the excavation site of an antiquated submarine in the waters around New York City.
His reward is a document left behind a century earlier by legendary detective Isaac Bell - a document that re-opens a historical mystery . . .
1911 Colorado
Isaac Bell is asked to look into an unexplained tragedy at Little Angel Mine. His dangerous quest to answer that riddle leads to something much bigger - the discovery of a rare element with extraordinary powers and of virtually incalculable value.
As he discovers that there are people who will do anything to control the substance, Isaac Bell must find out how far he'll go to stop them . . .
Delivering explosive action, knife-edge plotting and page-turning intrigue, The Titanic Secret proves once again that Clive Cussler is the best in the business.
Praise for Clive Cussler
'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail
'Just about the best in the business' New York Post
'Nobody does it better . . . nobody!' Stephen Coonts
THE NEW ISAAC BELL & DIRK PITT ADVENTURE FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
When Isaac Bell attempts to decipher the mysterious deaths of nine men, he encounters a secret so powerful it could dictate the fate of the world . . .
A century apart, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell team up to unlock the truth about the most famous maritime disaster of all time - the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic.
Present day
Dirk Pitt is forced to make a daring rescue at the excavation site of an antiquated submarine in the waters around New York City.
His reward is a document left behind a century earlier by legendary detective Isaac Bell - a document that re-opens a historical mystery . . .
1911 Colorado
Isaac Bell is asked to look into an unexplained tragedy at Little Angel Mine. His dangerous quest to answer that riddle leads to something much bigger - the discovery of a rare element with extraordinary powers and of virtually incalculable value.
As he discovers that there are people who will do anything to control the substance, Isaac Bell must find out how far he'll go to stop them . . .
Delivering explosive action, knife-edge plotting and page-turning intrigue, The Titanic Secret proves once again that Clive Cussler is the best in the business.
Praise for Clive Cussler
'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail
'Just about the best in the business' New York Post
'Nobody does it better . . . nobody!' Stephen Coonts
Hardcover
First published September 10, 2019
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About the author
Clive Cussler
645 books8,525 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 465 reviews
September 19, 2019
I wonder how many of the links to Raise the Titanic will be lost on newer readers. This book stands on its own, but it made me nostalgic for the original, so early in the Pitt series. I think I'll have to revisit it next. Actually, that makes me wonder... will this book have a noticeable impact on the sales of Raise the Titanic? Hmmm....
May 18, 2025
It was nice to get some backstory and to address some questions that were left unanswered in Cussler’s famous Raise the Titanic novel but this seemed too long and drawn out. It would have been much better as a novella.
December 22, 2019
Raise The Titanic is probably the best known of all of Cussler's books. It's the book that cemented him at the top of the food chain.
I was disappointed to see he and his co-writer cannibalize it to make this book. Was a deadline approaching a little too fast?
Isaac Bell gets involved in the events that led to Raise The Titanic, after some bookending by Dirk Pitt.
Left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
I was disappointed to see he and his co-writer cannibalize it to make this book. Was a deadline approaching a little too fast?
Isaac Bell gets involved in the events that led to Raise The Titanic, after some bookending by Dirk Pitt.
Left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
December 1, 2025
The ending was quite a shock. It was interesting that 2 Clive Cussler’s series were joined in this book. This is a prolific and enjoyable series. One I will eventually reread. Isaac Bell is such an interesting and memorable main character. Outstanding narration. Highly recommend.
Read
September 28, 2019Dnf. Normally I really enjoy the Isaac Bell adventures. Plus anything related to the Titanic intrigues me. But by page 200 I realised I had lost interest in the book - many pages back. Th
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2020
Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell in the same novel!
Isaac Bell and Dirk Pitt in the same novel (though obviously at different timeframes in the storyline) how cool is THAT!
Wow, holy crap, what a trip down Memory Lane here, with characters from both “Raise the Titanic!” as well as obvious ancestors of characters in other old-school Cussler novels: Joshua Hays Brewster, Jake Hobart, Foster Gly (Foss Gly’s grandfather, I presume), Yves Massard, Ragnar Fyrie, etc.
5% sequel to “Raise the Titanic!” and 95% prequel, only with extra plot twists and intrigue added to the original backstory of “RTT.”
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
—p. 3: Pitt describing the UN as “‘bunch of overfed and overindulged bureaucrats who decide nothing other than the agenda for the next round of meetings,’” haha, effing priceless!!
—p. 4: Byzanium, another trip down Memory Lane!
—p. 29: “He knew from experience that all he needed was a long shower, three or so shots of Don Julio Blanco tequila, and a soft bed.” Aahh, the tequila, classic Dirk Pitt right there!
—p. 42: “The gun now in his steady fist was something new, something no one in the room had ever seen, a sleek and lethal amalgam of modern industrial design and brutal form following deadly function. The weapon was still in its development phase, but the Army was eager to begin deploying what they’d already designated as the M1911 automatic pistol but which those that had used it simply called the .45.” Aahh, pistol nostalgia!
—p. 43: “Bell used his thumb to draw back the automatic’s hammer.” Aw jeez, frickin’ Hollywood-esque Condition Two carry of a single-action autopistol!
Lead bullets instead of FMJ?
—p. 60: Yep, no such thing as coincidence in investigative work!
—p. 69: Typical MSM reporter, scared sh*tless of firearms!
—pp. 102-103: “He showed Bell the blood on his palm as reason to not shake hands...... Bell laid a hand on Tony Wickersham’s good shoulder as a good-bye gesture and shook the doctor’s hand anyway before heading back to the hotel with the manager.” Huh??
—p. 121: “jerkwater town—so named because the engineer jerked a chain to get water flowing from the towering cisterns—“ Learn something new every day.
—p. 122: Oh goody, there’s Marion!
—p. 125: “Paris being Paris, one does not act the tourist unless elegantly turned out at all times.” Vive Le Bon Vivant!
—p. 126: “He knew practically everybody from every stratum of society, from politician to prostitute—who, in Henri’s eyes, were one and the same.” Happily and Habitually Hobnobbing with the wHores of the Hill, haha!
—Letters of introduction, wow, how old-school.
—p. 172: “Bell spent the next hour at the desk in his room meticulously cleaning and greasing his Colt .45—John Browning preferred grease on the slide versus gun oil—and the two spare magazines.” Hmmm, first I’ve heard about this....
—p. 189: Ragnar Fyrie! Ancestor of Kristjan/Kristie Fyrie by any chance?
—p. 206: “At its strongest, the native drink called akvavit is eighty proof. Bell had just handed over a bottle of West Virginia low-holler white lightning flavored with Georgia peaches. It was ninety-five percent alcohol.” Hooo-doggie!
—p. 219: “‘“A soulless person may feel nothing at the death of one of these magnificent animals, but I remember every single one I’ve hunted and rendered into oil to light homes for men who think up better and faster ways to perpetuate the slaughter.’” Wow, profound.
—p. 278: “He dropped the box magazine from the .45’ s grip when the last round was still in the chamber so he wouldn’t lose time pulling his aim off target to recock the pistol.” Um, you mean re-racking the slide on the pistol.
—p. 293: “Bell pulled the .45 from the kidney holster at his back and racked the slide with a mechanical finality that cut the last of the laughter.” What? I thought he was out of ammo??
“There was also a pair of open-bed trucks—what the English were calling lorries, after the verb ‘lurry,’ which meant ‘to haul.’” Wow, learn something new every day.
—p. 294: “He silently decocked his .45, resafetied it, and slid it into the holster at the base of his spine.” Um, okay, with a 1911 or any other single-action autopistol, you can’t manipulate the thumb safety once it’s decocked!
Isaac Bell and Dirk Pitt in the same novel (though obviously at different timeframes in the storyline) how cool is THAT!
Wow, holy crap, what a trip down Memory Lane here, with characters from both “Raise the Titanic!” as well as obvious ancestors of characters in other old-school Cussler novels: Joshua Hays Brewster, Jake Hobart, Foster Gly (Foss Gly’s grandfather, I presume), Yves Massard, Ragnar Fyrie, etc.
5% sequel to “Raise the Titanic!” and 95% prequel, only with extra plot twists and intrigue added to the original backstory of “RTT.”
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
—p. 3: Pitt describing the UN as “‘bunch of overfed and overindulged bureaucrats who decide nothing other than the agenda for the next round of meetings,’” haha, effing priceless!!
—p. 4: Byzanium, another trip down Memory Lane!
—p. 29: “He knew from experience that all he needed was a long shower, three or so shots of Don Julio Blanco tequila, and a soft bed.” Aahh, the tequila, classic Dirk Pitt right there!
—p. 42: “The gun now in his steady fist was something new, something no one in the room had ever seen, a sleek and lethal amalgam of modern industrial design and brutal form following deadly function. The weapon was still in its development phase, but the Army was eager to begin deploying what they’d already designated as the M1911 automatic pistol but which those that had used it simply called the .45.” Aahh, pistol nostalgia!
—p. 43: “Bell used his thumb to draw back the automatic’s hammer.” Aw jeez, frickin’ Hollywood-esque Condition Two carry of a single-action autopistol!
Lead bullets instead of FMJ?
—p. 60: Yep, no such thing as coincidence in investigative work!
—p. 69: Typical MSM reporter, scared sh*tless of firearms!
—pp. 102-103: “He showed Bell the blood on his palm as reason to not shake hands...... Bell laid a hand on Tony Wickersham’s good shoulder as a good-bye gesture and shook the doctor’s hand anyway before heading back to the hotel with the manager.” Huh??
—p. 121: “jerkwater town—so named because the engineer jerked a chain to get water flowing from the towering cisterns—“ Learn something new every day.
—p. 122: Oh goody, there’s Marion!
—p. 125: “Paris being Paris, one does not act the tourist unless elegantly turned out at all times.” Vive Le Bon Vivant!
—p. 126: “He knew practically everybody from every stratum of society, from politician to prostitute—who, in Henri’s eyes, were one and the same.” Happily and Habitually Hobnobbing with the wHores of the Hill, haha!
—Letters of introduction, wow, how old-school.
—p. 172: “Bell spent the next hour at the desk in his room meticulously cleaning and greasing his Colt .45—John Browning preferred grease on the slide versus gun oil—and the two spare magazines.” Hmmm, first I’ve heard about this....
—p. 189: Ragnar Fyrie! Ancestor of Kristjan/Kristie Fyrie by any chance?
—p. 206: “At its strongest, the native drink called akvavit is eighty proof. Bell had just handed over a bottle of West Virginia low-holler white lightning flavored with Georgia peaches. It was ninety-five percent alcohol.” Hooo-doggie!
—p. 219: “‘“A soulless person may feel nothing at the death of one of these magnificent animals, but I remember every single one I’ve hunted and rendered into oil to light homes for men who think up better and faster ways to perpetuate the slaughter.’” Wow, profound.
—p. 278: “He dropped the box magazine from the .45’ s grip when the last round was still in the chamber so he wouldn’t lose time pulling his aim off target to recock the pistol.” Um, you mean re-racking the slide on the pistol.
—p. 293: “Bell pulled the .45 from the kidney holster at his back and racked the slide with a mechanical finality that cut the last of the laughter.” What? I thought he was out of ammo??
“There was also a pair of open-bed trucks—what the English were calling lorries, after the verb ‘lurry,’ which meant ‘to haul.’” Wow, learn something new every day.
—p. 294: “He silently decocked his .45, resafetied it, and slid it into the holster at the base of his spine.” Um, okay, with a 1911 or any other single-action autopistol, you can’t manipulate the thumb safety once it’s decocked!
June 25, 2024
4 Stars for The Titanic Secret: Isaac Bell, Book 11 (audiobook) by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul read by Scott Brick.
This is an action packed Isaac Bell adventure with a little bit of Dirk Pitt thrown in for fun.
This is an action packed Isaac Bell adventure with a little bit of Dirk Pitt thrown in for fun.
December 9, 2019
Great tie-in to Raise The Titanic, done well, must read for any Clive Cussler fans!
September 24, 2020
This one really surprised me as I felt it was out of character with the other books. I must admit the Isaac Bell series is probably my least favorite of all the Clive Cussler series, but I still read them all. However I had always seen Isaac as a honest and honorable man, who would never kill in cold blood or without justification. In this one he seemed to be massacring people left right and centre, and sure they were bad people, but it just didn't sit well with me. 3 stars where otherwise it would have been 4* but for that and the fact I felt the current day start-up story with Dirk Pitt was a bit contrived and there for padding.
September 18, 2019
Liked the first half of the book but the second half was too drawn out.
September 22, 2019
A fun historic mystery adventure with Dirk Pitt doing the opening and closing. FYI, this isn't a story that focuses on the Titanic.
October 5, 2019
I am a huge Dirk Pitt fan and so when I heard that the latest Isaac Bell thriller features Dirk I could not resist. The Titanic element drew me in to. Raising of the Titanic was the first Cussler novel I read many years ago and so the idea of reading a prequel to this was irresistible. It's very easy to work out which of the authors wrote what, with Cussler doing the prologue and epilogue with Dirk, and Jack Du Brul writing the rest, which is set in 1911 and 1912, although the influence of Cussler is everywhere, especially in the numerous scenes on trains and in vintage vehicles. Isaac is a likeable hero - an Edwardian Dirk, really - and he stars here in a very exciting thriller which covers a fair bit of the globe. But the mistake of calling Newcastle-upon-Tyne (in NE England) a coastal city on the English Channel is pretty unforgiveable and shabby. Also, the Titanic is right there on the cover but don't expect to find her in these pages. A fun read but not the best written of Cussler's books - perhaps it's the historical setting which has made the prose rather stilted and laboured. The action scenes are where this thriller does its job properly and happily there are a fair few of them.
October 19, 2019
For the most part this is another great Isaac Bell book. 2 things kept me from giving it 5 stars...
The first 3rd of the book felt like I had read it before therefore too much of it was a rehash of combining 2 books together.
The other thing was that this didn't feel like the Isaac Bell I know and like. There wasn't enough detective work in it and he was way way more violent and murderous than usual.
The first 3rd of the book felt like I had read it before therefore too much of it was a rehash of combining 2 books together.
The other thing was that this didn't feel like the Isaac Bell I know and like. There wasn't enough detective work in it and he was way way more violent and murderous than usual.
December 1, 2019
Enjoyable and entertaining. Made me nostalgic when I first read Raise the Titanic! many years ago...gets that good scavenger/treasure hunting/National Treasure vibe going.
What would be great next: take the two Titanic books and put them into a series on Prime, Netflix or Hulu...or a huge budget with Disney +
What would be great next: take the two Titanic books and put them into a series on Prime, Netflix or Hulu...or a huge budget with Disney +
September 18, 2019
Somewhat boring and disappointing. I was looking forward to the action and adventure of tying a new and old story together. More of a mystery than a great Cussler adventure. I’ll still read every book in his series. But, they’re getting flat.
August 19, 2020
The only reason I picked up this book is because I was curious about the author. I see people reading these books but they’re never recommended to me and so I wondered what I was missing and what my friends were missing. Is there a secret Cussler club we were unaware of? I did a quick search on Goodreads and found that this book has really high ratings (4.16/5) so I put it on hold at the library and here we are.
Do you remember those Dos Equis beer commercials with “The most interesting man in the world?” I feel like Cussler believes he has written the most interesting man. One quick look at the back cover of this book (a photo of the author smoking a cigar in a wine cellar while wearing a 70’s leisure suit) reveals a lot, in my opinion. Maybe Cussler himself believes he’s the most interesting man because he wrote an interesting man? I hate to judge a book by its cover but... that author photo is an excellent glimpse into what I encountered.
While there were no leisure suits in this story (time period is before the Titanic sunk), this guy makes jokes about needing to get back to his wife *wink wink chuckle chuckle*, can scuba dive, predict his opponents moves, take a boat to the freezing cold, calls bruises contusions, is an expert marksman, yadda yadda yadda. You get it. “The most interesting man.”
In some ways I was reminded of the fast paced adventures of a Dan Brown book (which I enjoy) but the problem (I feel) is that this story was so non-stop, action packed, most interesting man alive nonsense that I was in a constant state of eye rolling. Did you ever see the movie Sahara? It’s the only film adaption of one of Cusslers stories. And guess what? It wasn’t good. Nonstop action that never takes a breath and requires you to forgive and overlook a lot of the mental gymnastics required to make this story line come even close to reality.
So goes the book.
Will I read another Clive Cussler story? No. It’s not my taste. But I can see why it has a following. If you want a ridiculous non stop action packed story from page one up to the last sentence look no further. If this book was candy, I’d say it’s a gummy bear. Lots of people love it but I have zero interest in eating one even if I had a whole bowl of them sitting in front of me.
Do you remember those Dos Equis beer commercials with “The most interesting man in the world?” I feel like Cussler believes he has written the most interesting man. One quick look at the back cover of this book (a photo of the author smoking a cigar in a wine cellar while wearing a 70’s leisure suit) reveals a lot, in my opinion. Maybe Cussler himself believes he’s the most interesting man because he wrote an interesting man? I hate to judge a book by its cover but... that author photo is an excellent glimpse into what I encountered.
While there were no leisure suits in this story (time period is before the Titanic sunk), this guy makes jokes about needing to get back to his wife *wink wink chuckle chuckle*, can scuba dive, predict his opponents moves, take a boat to the freezing cold, calls bruises contusions, is an expert marksman, yadda yadda yadda. You get it. “The most interesting man.”
In some ways I was reminded of the fast paced adventures of a Dan Brown book (which I enjoy) but the problem (I feel) is that this story was so non-stop, action packed, most interesting man alive nonsense that I was in a constant state of eye rolling. Did you ever see the movie Sahara? It’s the only film adaption of one of Cusslers stories. And guess what? It wasn’t good. Nonstop action that never takes a breath and requires you to forgive and overlook a lot of the mental gymnastics required to make this story line come even close to reality.
So goes the book.
Will I read another Clive Cussler story? No. It’s not my taste. But I can see why it has a following. If you want a ridiculous non stop action packed story from page one up to the last sentence look no further. If this book was candy, I’d say it’s a gummy bear. Lots of people love it but I have zero interest in eating one even if I had a whole bowl of them sitting in front of me.
October 18, 2019
3.75* I enjoy the Isaac Bell Series - it's set at the turn-of-the-20th century and things are exciting. Technology is just ramping up. Horses and buggies are being replaced with automobiles. Plane travel is not a thing yet. People travel by trains and ships. This book ties in with Clive Cussler's 1st book, Raise the Titanic. Cussler's original hero, Dirk Pitt, does make an appearance at the beginning of the book, setting up the rest of the story with Isaac Bell. I've probably mentioned this before, but I enjoy listening to audiobooks of Clive Cussler books. This series, especially, feels like a radio serial of the old days (do they still have those?). It's action-packed and fast-paced, just like the other Cussler books.
September 1, 2025
The framing chapters with Dirk Pitt are a nice addition to a Bell story - necessary because of Cusslers use of the Titanic in the past but also handled smoothly enough that no knowledge of that book is needed to enjoy this one. Alas, a dozen or so disposables is necessary for an attrition chase like this one, and far to few of the redshirts are fleshed out before being offed, but the story itself still fits well into the established story-lines both for Bell and for Pitt - with the promise of more adventure to come.
November 26, 2024
It just seems like every book in the Isaac Bell series is better than the last one. This book lived up to those standards. The story revolves around the element Byzantium, which I guess is used in constructing nuclear weapons in its refined form. Isaac Bell goes on a quest to find nine missing miners and discover the secret of their disappearance. Overall a very good story and quite the page turner!!
April 29, 2020
I picked this book up thinking it was a Dirk Pitt novel, I was disappointed when I realised it wasn't. I kept reading and I'm so glad I did. Isaac Bell is a wonderful character and this novel was no stop action. I'll be reading more Isaac Bell stories.
October 8, 2021
It has been a long time since I read an Isaac Bell book and it was great to read his exciting and exhausting adventures. Best quote: “He knew practically everybody from every stratum of society, from politician to prostitute – who in Henri’s eyes were one and the same.”
October 17, 2019
Good read, fast pace and action with historical significance! I'm going to read "Raise the Titanic " now with Dirk Pitt.
February 16, 2020
Second book this year that I havent finished.
Just not my cup of tea.
Read 50% then gave up
Just not my cup of tea.
Read 50% then gave up
November 18, 2022
I found this book to be terribly slow a lot of talking not as much action as you'd expect from an adventure book
April 24, 2023
Author: Clive Cussler
Page Count: 422 pages
Published Date: 10th September 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ⭐
SYNOPSIS:
A century apart, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell team up to unlock the truth about the most famous maritime disaster of all time. In the present day, Dirk Pitt is must make a daring rescue from inside an antiquated submersible in the waters around New York City. His reward afterwards is a document left behind a century earlier by legendary detective Isaac Bell--a document that re-opens a historical mystery...
In 1911 Colorado, Isaac Bell is asked to look into an unexplained tragedy at Little Angel Mine, a disaster in which nine people died. His dangerous quest to answer that riddle leads to a larger one centered on a rare element with extraordinary powers and of virtually incalculable value. As he discovers that there are people who will do anything to control the substance, Isaac Bell will find out how far he'll go to stop them.
MY THOUGHTS:
This book isn't anything I thought it would be, I've no idea what this story is about but it has nothing to do with the Titanic. This book mentions the Titanic in the first chapter and then nothing till the last two chapters. As I am a massive fan of the Titanic and a little obsessed with it, im very disappointed in this book as I thought I was going to find out more about the Titanic. I have read this book 1 out of 5 stars.
Page Count: 422 pages
Published Date: 10th September 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ⭐
SYNOPSIS:
A century apart, Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell team up to unlock the truth about the most famous maritime disaster of all time. In the present day, Dirk Pitt is must make a daring rescue from inside an antiquated submersible in the waters around New York City. His reward afterwards is a document left behind a century earlier by legendary detective Isaac Bell--a document that re-opens a historical mystery...
In 1911 Colorado, Isaac Bell is asked to look into an unexplained tragedy at Little Angel Mine, a disaster in which nine people died. His dangerous quest to answer that riddle leads to a larger one centered on a rare element with extraordinary powers and of virtually incalculable value. As he discovers that there are people who will do anything to control the substance, Isaac Bell will find out how far he'll go to stop them.
MY THOUGHTS:
This book isn't anything I thought it would be, I've no idea what this story is about but it has nothing to do with the Titanic. This book mentions the Titanic in the first chapter and then nothing till the last two chapters. As I am a massive fan of the Titanic and a little obsessed with it, im very disappointed in this book as I thought I was going to find out more about the Titanic. I have read this book 1 out of 5 stars.
February 8, 2020
First time reading Clive Cussler and it did not disappoint. I love how it opened with Dirk Pitt before working its way to 1911 with Isaac Bell. I honestly can't wait to head back to the library to get another (and hopefully the very first Isaac Bell book). I didn't realize this was a "prequel/sequel" type of book until I read some of the reviews before I actually started reading the book. But like they had even said, it definitely stands on its own. Can also say that I would have finished reading this a lot sooner if I didn't have to work!
November 17, 2019
A detailed, interesting account of how The Titanic was not for passengers only. Enjoyed the direct connection between past and present and how difficult it was in Isaac Bell's time.Need for more ingenuity and time to catch the bad guys. When I read the Isaac Bell novels, he and his wife are alive and well. This book gives the dates of their deaths giving the characters full circle.
October 22, 2019
This wasn't the best Clive Cussler book that I've read but he manages to keep you
interested and I enjoyed the book. I gave it a 3.5.
interested and I enjoyed the book. I gave it a 3.5.
October 31, 2019
Well, once again Clive Cussler has given us a great adventure that is connected to the Titanic. I loved the way he made a connection between Dirk Pitt, of Raise the Titanic, and his most famous detective, Isaac Bell along with his connection to the Titanic. I really enjoyed going back in time to learn more about the hunt for the dead Colorado miners and just how they end up in the search for byzanium ore and the doomed Titanic. Isaac Bell to me is the pasts equivalent to Cussler's most famous character, that of Dirk Pitt. I just imagine what they could have done together if they had been living in the same time period. As the story moves forth with Bell sent to Central City to investigate the deaths at a old abandoned mine, this really sets the reader up for travels to Europe in search of the men, whom Bell realizes aren't dead, the involvement of the U.S. Army, Colonel Patmore, the French, Marie Currie, the Norweigens, British and of course the Titanic. As these events unfold you are on the edge of your seat trying to understand what is really so important with this ore and why so many people want it. It isn't until Bell meets with Marie Currie at a simposium in England that you really discover the true nature of the byzanium ore and why it is so important.
That it was stolen from Russia by Colorado miners lead by Joshua Brewster for the United States Army is only one of the many twist and turns that almost gets Bell and Brewster killed. It is amazing that all the miners, except for Brewster are buried on foreign soil by Bell in several cemeteries. He made them all a promise in that regard and as an agent for the Van Dorn detective agency, he delivers his report to close the case. For me one of the best things, is that while they are being pursued by the french thugs, Bell is able to out smart and maneuver Gly and his men, which enables Brewster and the ore to be put on the Titanic earlier then the original ship to carry the men and ore away. But of course we know that the Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg and the byzanium is lost forever!!! That brings and end to the work of the detective and his agency. Just imagine what the uses of byzanium in our modern world today could be. Dirk is presented with a greater understanding of the things that were going on when he was raising the Titanic years ago. Thank you Clive Cussler for taking the time to revisit both of the connections of two of your best characters, in different times and places with the Titanic.
That it was stolen from Russia by Colorado miners lead by Joshua Brewster for the United States Army is only one of the many twist and turns that almost gets Bell and Brewster killed. It is amazing that all the miners, except for Brewster are buried on foreign soil by Bell in several cemeteries. He made them all a promise in that regard and as an agent for the Van Dorn detective agency, he delivers his report to close the case. For me one of the best things, is that while they are being pursued by the french thugs, Bell is able to out smart and maneuver Gly and his men, which enables Brewster and the ore to be put on the Titanic earlier then the original ship to carry the men and ore away. But of course we know that the Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg and the byzanium is lost forever!!! That brings and end to the work of the detective and his agency. Just imagine what the uses of byzanium in our modern world today could be. Dirk is presented with a greater understanding of the things that were going on when he was raising the Titanic years ago. Thank you Clive Cussler for taking the time to revisit both of the connections of two of your best characters, in different times and places with the Titanic.
October 17, 2019
This was an interesting cross-over of the two book series that I was looking forward to after I initially read the premise before publication. I have read all the books of both series, so the thought of Dirk and Issac working the same case was intriguing. However I was a little disappointed in how the great idea was executed.
First off, the writing was well done. Characters were written well, dialog was good, though sometimes a little over the top, but typical for the genre. Scenery descriptions tight enough to draw the picture, but not overly wordy. The story idea was really great, but I felt a little let down in how it was done.
Overall, a good story that expanded on the Raise the Titanic novel, but I felt it could have been better, so I knocked off a star. At least Dirk Pitt's kids were not in it.
First off, the writing was well done. Characters were written well, dialog was good, though sometimes a little over the top, but typical for the genre. Scenery descriptions tight enough to draw the picture, but not overly wordy. The story idea was really great, but I felt a little let down in how it was done.
Overall, a good story that expanded on the Raise the Titanic novel, but I felt it could have been better, so I knocked off a star. At least Dirk Pitt's kids were not in it.
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