Inca Gold (Clive Cussler)

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Clive Cussler
Publisher:	Pocket
Release date:	01 March, 1995
Our price:	$7.99

Inca Gold (Clive Cussler)

Average rating: Stars

Cussler Wins Gold With This One!

I haven't enjoyed all of Clive Cussler's books, but this one is great! I started reading this author when I lived in Arizona and while visiting a local library found out that he lived only a few miles from me. Hey, I figured I needed to see if my neighbor was indeed a great writer and have only been disappointed in very few of his books. Inca Gold, so far, is definitely my favorite of his books.

Cussler's hero, Dirk Pitt, is once again chasing the bad guys with his best friend Al Giordino. This chase takes us through the Amazon jungles and through parts of Mexico without letting the reader stop to catch his breath. It starts out with an anthropological exploration at a water hole in the Andes and when the group finds themselves in trouble, Dirk and Al are sent to the rescue (amazing how the two of them can get involved in trouble just by trying to be nice guys!). The rescue throws them into the middle of an international smuggling ring in search of the golden chain of Huascar (an Inca treasure hidden for years - is it really myth or fact, Cussler won't let on).

Just when you think you've helped Dirk and Al out of a jamb, Cussler throws the next bit of action at them. I don't think he left anything out of this book, as it included an earthquake, a tsunami, the rescue at the beginning that I mentioned, hand-to-hand fighting, and a fantastic raft trip down an underground river filled with rapids. The underground river trip was one of my favorite parts and I re-read that portion a couple of times just because it was so intense and vivid!

Cussler always throws a bit of historical fact into his books along with his fictional accounts to make a most interesting combination. One thing that I don't like is the endless details he feels are necessary to his story. Now if they were pertaining to an exciting event instead of background I would feel differently but the facts are not exclusive to either. Another Cussler trademark in his stories is to include himself in a bit part - like a passing-through-town type person. You never know when the author will show up in the story and it's kinda fun to figure it out (but it's so sporadic that it's almost impossible to predict!).

This was one of my favorite Clive Cussler novels and I wish his later books were this much fun to read!

Inca Gold (Clive Cussler) - Clive Cussler

From the back cover:

Nearly 5 centuries ago a fleet of boats landed mysteriously on an island in an inland sea. There, an ancient Andean people hid a golden hoard greater than that of any pharaoh, then they and their treasure vanished into history-until now. 1998, the Andes Mountains of Peru. Dirk Pitt dives into an ancient sacrificial pool, saving two American archaeologists from certain drowning. But his death-defying rescue is only the beginning, as it draws the intrepid Pitt into a vortex of darkness and danger, corruption and betrayal. A sinister crime syndicate has traced the long-lost treasure-worth almost a billion dollars from the Andes to the banks of a hidden underground river flowing beneath the Mexican desert. Driven by burning greed and a ruthless bloodlust, the syndicate is racing to seize the golden prize...and to terminate the one man who can stop them: Dirk Pitt!

Clive Cussler - Inca Gold (Clive Cussler)

Golden Reading

From the inside flap: "Deep in a forbidden netherworld of the Andes Mountains, Dirk Pitt uncovers an empire of evil pursuing an untold fortune in...Inca Gold."

This is another in the line of Dirk Pitt adventures. Mr. Cussler is an excellent author who I truly enjoy reading. Mr. Cussler as always does a great job at painting the scenes, and in particular Dirk Pitt. I had the pleasure of reading this book on flight from Washington, D.C. to San Diego. It was extremely hard to put down and I couldn't wait to check into my hotel so I could finish it. Being one who has been obsessed with ships and the sea since I was a child, Mr. Cusslers books are always extremely enjoyable to me.

I have read the following other books by Mr. Cussler.

Atlantis Found
Raise the Titanic
The Sea Hunters (Non-Fiction)

I would highly recommend any of these books.

Mr. Cussler was the recipient of the Edgar Alan Poe award in 1974 for The Mediterranean Caper.

Though I can't think of any authors in this genre to compare him to, I can compare Mr. Cussler to other winners of the award mentioned above such as Stuart Woods.

If you like adventure, then don't leave this book off of your reading list.

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