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The most important thing about a thriller is that is should move – it should be story-driven, and Clive Cussler's thrillers certainly tell good stories. If all his men are strong and handsome (except the baddies) and all his women are beautiful and intelligent, who cares. One doesn't read a thriller for character development. SKELETON COAST is no exception. The story opens in 1896 in the Sahara. H A Ryder is guiding a group of adventurers from Bechuanaland to the sea. They are carrying a quantity of diamonds stolen from the Herero, who stole them from the Kimberley mines while they were working as miners for DeBeers. The Herero warriors are tracking the group who are trying to get to a ship that will take them and their loot to safety. Ryder and his group get within sight of the ocean and HMS Rove when a sandstorm starts. The Rove is grounded but the group board anyway to wait out the tides. Too late. The sand starts filling in the space between the sandbar and the shore and the Herero warriors get their men. The ship is buried for over 100 years. Today: Sloan MacIntyre works for deBeers. She thinks she knows where the Rove can be found and has taken a few days off to search. An old fisherman tells her of metal snakes in the sea. At the same time, Juan Cabrillo and his crew are negotiating with some African terrorists, in order to supposedly sell them arms. And, in Switzerland, a scientist studying the causes of global warming is kidnapped. All these stories come together in a series of action-packed segments. I don't know how the partnership of Cussler and DuBrul works; I imagine that Cussler tells the story and DuBrul brings it to life. Whatever the arrangement, it is a good one. May there be many more books from Cussler and whoever.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, November 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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