I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Marauder
by
Boyd Morrison, Clive Cussler
crime thriller in a hardcover edition that was published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on November 10, 2020 and has 400 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Piranha, The Emperor's Revenge, Typhoon Fury, Shadow Tyrants, Final Option, Crescent Dawn, The Jungle, Kingdom, Devil's Gate, The Storm, The Tombs, Poseidon's Arrow, Zero Hour, The Mayan Secrets, Mirage, Ghost Ship, The Eye of Heaven, Pirate, Odessa Sea, Havana Storm, Nighthawk, The Romanov Ransom, The Rising Sea, The Gray Ghost, Sea of Greed, The Oracle, Journey of the Pharaohs, Dragon's Moon
Fifteenth in The Oregon Files action thriller series and revolving around Juan Cabrillo and his team of patriotic mercenaries with this tale set in and around Australia.
I’m being hopeful, unrealistically perhaps, that The Oregon Files will continue, as Cussler passed in February 2020.
My Take
Okayy, so it’s the gadgets and violence that I adore, and the new Oregon has it to spare! I surely do love her power supply. Imagine unlimited fuel!!
There’s plenty of action as the Corporation foils plan after plan despite the kidnapping of one crew member and the seemingly impossible task of finding a ship with no name and an antidote they can’t figure out. It is fascinating to see how Cussler/Boyd figure this one out!
I started out feeling sorry for April Jin and Angus Polk…until we got farther into the story and learned what they’d done. What they’re willing to do. I reckon the world must need bad guys, but why so many of ’em?
I did wonder if Cussler/Boyd were going to include any ancient history, and yep, a convoluted story for sure, and yet…believable. And fascinating!
It’s definitely a third person global subjective point-of-view, as we hear thoughts and talk and see everybody’s actions.
Love starts to blossom in this one. On two fronts. Family is also frontmost with the crew of the Oregon, a family who supports each other with an added boost from Sylvia and Mark’s relationship.
The Story
Aboard the Oregon, one of the most advanced spy ships ever built, Juan Cabrillo and his team of expert operatives must sail into action sooner than they’re ready for when a ship broadcasts a help request.
It turns into one challenge after another with one team undercover in Bali, a rescue off the Indonesian coast, and the paralyzing attacks that are blowing up everywhere.
The Characters
Captain Juan “The Chairman” Cabrillo is a former CIA operative who now commands the Oregon. This is the new Oregon, and I can’t wait to see how she shakes out.
The Corporation is…
…an organization that works only in the interests of the United States with the Oregon as its home base and living quarters. Langston Overholt IV is the Corporation’s CIA liaison. The men aboard the Oregon are an elite team from all walks of life that includes Hali Kasim, who is the ship’s communications officer; Linda Ross, who is the vice-president of the Corporation and former navy; Eric “Stoney” Stone, who is former navy and now the helmsman; he and Mark Murphy, a former weapons designer obsessed with skateboarding, are the smartest people on the ship; Max Hanley, who is the chief engineer and president of the Corporation, had been in Vietnam; George “Gomez” Adams is the pilot for their tiltcopter, drone, and is a veteran of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a.k.a. the Nightstalkers; Raven Malloy, who’d been a US MP investigator and executive protection specialist; Marion “MacD” Lawless; Eddie Seng is the director of Shore Operations and former CIA; Franklin “Linc” Lincoln, who had been a legendary sniper as a SEAL; Dr Julia Huxley is the ship’s medic and trauma surgeon; Kevin Nixon, a special effects expert and makeup artist, is in charge of the Magic Shop which provides any disguises or false IDs; and, Maurice, who is the elderly steward, formerly of the British Navy.
The Oregon‘s submersibles include the Gator, a smaller vehicle that’s good for speed and stealth; the Nomad is for deep dives; and, Little Geek, Murphy’s toy, a remote.
The Norego is…
…the Oregon‘s alias. Her captain’s names include David Irving and John Cable. “Michael Wong” is chief engineer.
The science team is…
…using two ships, the US research ship, Namaka and the Australian research ship, Empiric under DSTA’s oversight (the Australian equivalent of DARPA). Sylvia Chang, Mark’s half-sister who’s just as smart, is in charge of testing her new shield, code name: Rhino, to prove its worth to DARPA. Kelly is her research assistant. Part of the crew of the Empiric includes Roberta Jordan, the cook, and Murphy.
Port Cook
Paul Wheatley and Harry Knoll are electricians and members of the volunteer fire brigade. Sam Carter and Todd Wilson are airmen stationed at Talbot.
Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, is…
…a poor town that has welcomed Alloy Bauxite, one of Lu Yang’s companies. Its mine site is serviced by the Marsh Flyer, a giant hovercraft captained by Bob Parsons, an ex-Marine. Burt Gulman is the harbormaster. Mindy is a bartender at the Lazy Goanna. Sawyer is one of a group of four bragging young Americans.
Christmas Island
Renee LaBelle is an, ahem, old friend of Parsons’.
Captain Omar Rahal is in command of the Dahar, an oil tanker. The Ocean Protector is an Australian Defence ship captained by the disbelieving Lieutenant Commander Womack. Dr Leonard Thurman is the medic who initially cares for Mark. The Thai Navigator is an ore carrier. Blovex Pharmaceuticals has a nice inventory of nuts. Gary Bonner, a dentist, is sailing his boat, the Tooth Ferry, with his wife, Vivian who is an intensive care nurse, and son, Cameron, in the Coral Sea. Paul Smythe is with the Port Authority in Sydney.
The bad guys
April Jin, a former lieutenant and iIntelligence officer in the Royal Australian Navy, is married to Angus Polk, formerly a veteran of Special Operations Command and a senior analyst in the Department of Defence, both newly released from prison. Lu Yang, a Chinese tech billionaire, had been April’s stepfather. William Campbell is Lu Yang’s lawyer.
The Marauder is both a trimaran captained by April and the plasma cannon aboard her. Enervum is a paralysis-causing gas. The Shepparton is one of their cargo ships and captained by Raymond Wilbanks. The brutal Captain Gabriel Rathman is in command of the Centaurus.
Bali, Indonesia
Raven is undercover with a terrorist cell that Sinduk leads. The Oregon team surveilling their operation includes MacD, Eddie, and Linc. US Senators Gunther Schmidt of Iowa and Maria Muñoz of Florida are attending a summit. Their families — Emily Schmidt and son, Kyle, and Oliver Muñoz and their daughter, Elena — are along and sightseeing.
Indo Jihad is another cell led by Commander Kersen. Abdul Tanjung has just joined and has connections with ISIS.
51 B.C.
Flavius was captured by Parthians; he left a message for his son. The Salacia was a Roman bireme. Marcus Licinius Crassus was the losing commander.
The archeological team included Victor Ormond, the expedition leader.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a night a’tilt at sea with orange reflecting off the ocean as the ship churns through the waves, battling an incoming missile with a fat tail of orange and gray. At the very top is an info blurb in white and immediately below it is the primary author’s name in an embossed white and outlined in orange. Beneath that and to the left is the secondary author’s name in a deep gray just above the ship. The title is below the frothing waves in an embossed orange outlined in a very thin white. Below that is the series info in white.
The title is about a plasma cannon which shouldn’t exist and the trimaran it’s aboard, the Marauder.
