cover image Poseidon’s Arrow

Poseidon’s Arrow

Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. Putnam, $28.95 (528p) ISBN 978-0-399-16292-3

The fifth Dirk Pitt novel from bestseller Cussler and son Dirk (after 2010’s Crescent Dawn) features expanded roles for Pitt’s two grown kids. Both Summer and Dirk Jr. help their dad try to corral ruthless Austrian entrepreneur Edward Bolcke, who runs a slavery compound in Central America where kidnapped sailors are forced into servitude to assist in his many criminal enterprises. In particular, Bolcke has managed to steal a crucial component of the U.S. Navy’s latest submarine technology—and he has found a way to hijack the world’s supply of rare earth minerals. The three Pitts, along with longstanding sidekick Al Giordino, use their usual mix of brains and brawn to see that justice is served. While some readers may have a problem with sluggish action sequences and a surfeit of story lines, ardent followers of the Pitt clan and their nautical escapades will appreciate the family dynamics and camaraderie. Agent: Peter Lampack, Peter Lampack Agency. (Nov.)