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A no- nonsense detective is on the trail of the sharpest and deadliest criminal mind he has ever encountered: a serial robber who murders any and all witnesses in cold-blood.
Cussler takes a breather from his several ongoing series with this historical thriller set in the western states, circa 1906. The U.S. government hires the renowned Van Dorn Detective Agency and its equally renowned lead agent, Isaac Bell, to capture the bank robber known as the Butcher Bandit. The Butcher has gunned down 38 men and women and two children, leaving behind neither witnesses nor clues. Bell heads the manhunt and finally figures out the Butcher's true identity, which is when the real chase begins. Unfortunately, Cussler's style is patterned on the clunky dialogue ("I pray you catch the murdering scum") and improbable characters of the period's dime novels, and his in-depth research makes his descriptions sound like advertising. Once San Francisco gets hit by the 1906 earthquake and the principals climb aboard a pair of fire-breathing locomotives, the novel cranks up a head of steam and some high-speed thrills. (Nov.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationDirk Pitt takes a vacation and Cussler gives us Isaac Bell, a detective with the Van Dorn Agency operating in the early years of the 20th century. This New York Times best seller begins with a contemporary discovery of an old railroad engine in a Montana lake and then takes listeners back to a time when the West was in its last throes of being considered "wild." Isaac is on the trail of a murderous bank robber who has earned the nickname "The Butcher Bandit" because of his habit of killing everyone who might be a potential witness. After an abortive attempt to lure the robber to Telluride, CO, Isaac comes into possession of clues that leads him to believe that the robber might indeed be another banker and that he might reside in San Francisco. The tale is typical Cussler, and while his florid prose might be the literary equivalent of warm milk, he is dependable and presents a darn good adventure story with plenty of twists, bad guys, and breathtaking action. Scott Brick does his usual outstanding job of narrating, not in a monotonous recitation but in a slow, almost laconic manner that captures the listener's attention even when characters "hiss" and "snarl" and villains are referred to as "dastardly." Cussler fans will welcome the arrival of Isaac, the new hero on the block, even as they await the next Dirk Pitt novel. Recommended.
—Joseph L. Carlson
Cussler is 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 have 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 September, 1998, NUMA - which turns over all artifacts to state and Federal authorities, or donates them to museums and universities - launched its own web site for those wishing more information about maritime history or wishing to make donations to the organization. (www.numa.net).
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler is also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He has been 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. The author lives in Arizona.
Biography courtesy of Penguin Group (USA)
The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered Cussler's 1996 nonfiction book, The Sea Hunters, equivalent to a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in 1997.
Cussler is a fellow in the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London, and has been granted the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Anonymous
Posted January 3, 2008
I read this book very, very fast. I have read one book by this author and to be honest with you I got tired of the Superman image he gave the main characters. They could shot any weapon or drive any vehicle made by mankind. And the cars drive you nuts with the description of each one down to the last nut and bolt. But this book was not even close to that. It was most refreshing. He did tend to dwell on the car during the chase of the train but that was about it. The last 100 pages are really fast pace and exciting. After reading the book I went back and read the first chapter again and then it all fit into a nice tidy story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast pace read. I hope this author comes up with another of these early 20th century stories.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 21, 2008
The Chase by Clive Cussler should make a fan of his novels feel like they are finally back home. You can read the reviews where others disect this or that- but to sit back,open up this book-takes you back in time and still gives you a send of adventure that we know we will have with his novels- he doesn't let us down. I for one enjoyed the book-and thou spoiled on Dirk Pitt- this read made for an enjoyable afternoon. I'm always checking for his next book-does anyone know when that will be?
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 31, 2008
Not what I expected when I started reading this book. I could not put it down, it was great!!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 5, 2007
Having read all of the Cussler books, I couldn't wait for this one. Talk about a letdown! I could swear he didn't write this one or that he wrote it much, much earlier in his career. Jo B Charleston,SC
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2012
This book was amazing. Definately one of my favorite books from him. I have read a lot of them, and I would suggest this one to anybody. A must read!
FlairBK
Posted December 12, 2011
I thought this book was very good. The characters were very believeable and the story was excellent.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 14, 2011
I am so going to love reading this series!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 26, 2011
If you enjoy looking back at history, at the time of the railroads, you will enjoy this, at times spell-binding mystery.
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Posted October 9, 2011
I often find books i cant put down and this was no exception. From the first page to the last mr. Cussler had me intrigued. I would reccomend this ti anyone who is a fan of mystery/suspense novels. Now to the next book in the series!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.willy4castr
Posted October 3, 2011
Mr. Cussler turns his writing style around a little in this book focusing on the historic event instead of the current event. It worked. Like all his books, I couldn't put it down.
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Posted August 30, 2011
The proofreading on this book is not professional. It even has an effect on the storyline. In one part of the book, Cussler states that one of the three would not live through the next days, and sometimes names referring to the same character are different...confusing. The Isaac Bell series is fun to read.
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Posted August 2, 2011
This is the first Cussler book I've read since Inca Gold years and years ago. I was drawn in by the book's historic nature, and as someone who's fascinated by the railroad, that intrigued me even more. The characters are real, and easy to relate to. Soon, the story is moving as fast as the locomotives it describes. As well as the book sucked me in, though, I was let down by the ending, and hoped Cussler was going in a different direction. Still, it seems originally Cussler planned on this being just one story, and I'm glad he's now turned it into an Issac Bell series. The detective lives on.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.READER1LS
Posted April 21, 2011
this was a really great book, im on the next in the series...The Wrecker, love Isaac Bell....i usally dont read this kind of book, but im hooked....you will not bet disappointed!
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Posted January 5, 2011
The story was compelling, but this is a horribly written book. I have a really hard time believing that Clive Cussler even proofed this, much less wrote it. I'm sorry I wasted my money.
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Posted November 17, 2010
I loved this book! It has everything you can think of
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 14, 2010
This is the first Clive Cussler book I've had a chance to read and I absolutely loved it. I found it fun and intriguing and hard to put down. I couldn't wait for a few free minutes during my day so I could read a page or two. It's very action packed and exciting. I found the characters to be fun with very different personalities. The author wrote this story so vividly, It was easy to picture each scene the author described. I also enjoyed the way the story twisted and turned and surprised me just when I thought I knew what would happen next. I intend to read many more books by this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a little dramatic and thrilling read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The_Runner
Posted April 11, 2010
I Also Recommend:
This a great new series from Clive Cussler featuring Issac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency set in the early 1900s. I really liked this first installment. It doesn't beat the Oregon Files, but it is a good read. Very entertaining!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.WOW - From the first page - you are drawn in and following Isaac Bell as though you are his partner!!! I found the character building and story line fascinating and wonderfully detailed.
It's hard to put down. Isaac Bell and the others from the Van Dorn Detectives are wonderful, the villains and crimes are intelligent and throughly thought out!!
What a ride!!!
Renderings
Posted February 15, 2010
As usual Cussler is entertaining reading anytime any place.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 9, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Clive Cussler's "The Chase" is destined to be a definite book of the month. At least in my opinion. The characters come together as a group that, under normal circumstances, would never meet the others.
The pace of the story is enough that you could put this book down, but you would prefer to read the whole thing!
Overview
Clive cussler is back with a stand-alone novel that “cranks up a head of steam and some high speed thrills.”(Publishers Weekly)A no- nonsense detective is on the trail of the sharpest and deadliest criminal mind he has ever encountered: a serial robber who murders any and all witnesses in cold-blood.