Bk 8), Medusa (Kurt Austin

INITIALLY, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED, AS I RECEIVED AN EMPTY ENVELOPE..NO BOOK!! HOWEVER, AFTER NOTIFYING the store OF THIS ISSUE, I RECEIVED THE BOOK IN GOOD SHAPE AND IN A CARDBOARD PACKAGE...I AM NOW A HAPPY CAMPER AND APPRICIATE the store FOR STANDING BEHIND THEIR GOOD NAME!!!

In my opinion, the price paid was excellent and the quality of the book was outstanding -- like new! The book was shipped sealed inside bubblewrap so there was no wasted space in shipping. Very satisfied and would not hesitate to buy from them again.

Medusa: A Novel from the NUMA FilesExcellent book. I enjoyed it and look forward to each new book by Cussler. I would recommend this book to everyone.

I love Cussler, but he has become a bit predictable to say the least. Medusa is a good (not great) read but still worth it if you are a Cussler fanatic as I am. As far as the "price whiners" are concerned....haven't you figured it out yet? Wait 9 or 10 days after the release date and get the promised $9.99 price. If instant gratification is your problem, then just suck your thumb for a week.

I’ve gotten a lot of reading pleasure from reading novels by Clive Cussler over the years and must say that of his novels; the NUMA Files series to be specific, have been good and I have enjoyed at least 90 percent of them. I will admit I like the ones featuring Dirk Pitt more than the ones featuring Kurt Austin (which this one does), but overall, there has been some good reading all around.

This particular novel, “Medusa” falls in the 10 percent that I did not much care about. My reasons for this are sort of mixed and vague but I suppose it all boils down to the fact that I found this one to be exceedingly boring; boring right from the start. I went through quite a number of chapters where absolutely NOTHING happened!

Now this is not to say that there were not good parts in this work because indeed there were. It is just the fact that the whole thing was, for me, rather slow and boring and so very, very predictable.

Of course the book followed they typical Cussler formula; a fact that does not particularly bother me since I feel he has a good formula, it is just the fact that in the overall process of saving the world from disaster simply did not have its normal ‘zip.” In this one we are dealing with a deadly virus (as so many of his books do), an evil being as so many of his books do, and a disaster that is underestimated and then grows and grows and grows. And of course the world does not come to an end and the heroic folks at NUMA save the day at the last possible moment. In the case of this book I found myself simply not caring.

Now I personally found this one to be one of the weakest offerings in this series but do feel that that is a matter of personal taste and strongly feel that many might like and enjoy this work more than I did. By no means do my critical comments mean I will stop reading this authors work and the work he teams up with other authors to create, no it just means that I was not thrilled with this particular work, ergo the two stars.

This was a library find.

As I’ve stated in other reviews of Clive Cussler’s work, I really can’t tell any difference between the Dirk Pitt adventures and the Kurt Austin adventures. Since the Kurt Austin adventures (the proper title of them are “The NUMA Files”) are co-authored with Paul Kemprecos, the argument is often made that it’s Kemprecos that is doing most of the writing, with Cussler merely standing by as some sort of advisor. Perhaps. Again, though, all I care about is the final product, and most of the Kurt Austin stories are just as enjoyable for me. We even have a very similar supporting cast of characters. Instead of Al Giordino as the main sidekick, we have Joe Zavala, and instead of Rudi Gunn, we have husband and wife team Paul and Gamay Trout. So, no, there’s not a lot of variety, but most of the books do pack a significant punch.

In this book, in some remote aquatically located area in the globe, there has been a discovery of jellyfish like creatures called medusae (plural for medusa – I guess). These things are highly toxic, but if their venom is extracted correctly and with care, the venom can be used to heal as well as harm. A good thing, right? Well, not if these things fall into the wrong hands. It seems like a high level Chinese Mafioso type gang discovers that they can unleash a plague across the globe and wipe out millions (if not billions) of people, with the only cure coming from these strange medusae. As long as they have and hoard these jellyfish, a huge profit can be made, and governments can be toppled.

As usual, Kurt and crew kind of find all of this out by accident. They usually happen to be just at the right place and at the right time when some sort of catastrophic planning is in the works, and Kurt is smart enough to dig deep enough to not only figure what the evil plot is, not only who is behind the evil plot, but to also know exactly how, when and where to stop them.

If you’re a fan of Cussler, I would recommend this book. Usually, I have to read these books somewhat spread apart, as they can end up feeling similar in many aspects. As it is, it’s pretty hard not to come to the conclusion that anytime Kurt or Joe (or Dirk or Al) are submerged in a small vessel going down thousands of feet, that something unusual is going to happen to the occupants – and it ain’t gonna be good.

Kudos to Cussler. Or to Kemprecos. Whatever. Good book.

Kurt Austin and his sidekick Joe Zavala are in for one of their toughest adventures yet in "Medusa".

A terrible epidemic has broken out in China which has the potential to infect the entire world's population. To complicate matters further, an undersea lab conducting research on a potential cure has disappeared. At the same time, a bathysphere containing Austin and Zavala is attacked, leaving both men to die. Thankfully, Kurt's actions save both men, but he believes the two events are somehow connected.

The Chinese, led by three people known as the Triad are intent on getting their hands on the work of the research lab. With possession of the cure for the epidemic, they could potentially overthrow the current government and demand outrageous prices for the cure, which has the potential to spread world-wide. To make matters worse, they have procured a Russian Typhoon class submarine for use in their endeavors. These same men have been conducting horrible experiments on human guinea pigs.

Kurt and Joe will travel from Bonefish Key to Indonesia in hopes of stopping the Chinese and their evil plan. Will they succeed, or will they be too late?

I'm a big fan of the Kurt Austin series, and "Medusa" is one of the best. It is loaded with action throughout, and the story is taken right from the headlines. The character development is good, and the supporting characters, such as Song Lee and Phelps add to the excitement. Highly recommended.

Although for the past few years I have been staying away from Cussler's books due to the extreme predictability and improbability of his stories, I decided to try again with his new Kurt Austin thriller "Medusa". After seeing the amazing jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium a few times, the jacket cover of the book pulled me in, allowing me back into Cussler's realm of deepsea action stories. I do agree with other reviewers that it has become apparent of late, that Cussler is outlining the stories and using other co-authors to pen the actual narratives. I felt that with "Medusa" it showed, and I was happier for it.

There was much more substance to this novel and thankfully the action scenes were very realistic, not over-the-top improbable, which made for a much more enjoyable experience. I think that the one ingredient that makes this book more of a hit is that it offers the reader an array of interesting information on a host of topics we might not have known of or realized existed. This plot involves the history of New England whaling, and some very cool high-tech underwater diving and exploration equipment such as deepsea rovers, hard-shell diving suits, submersibles like the original Beebe bathysphere, and Typhoon class submarines. It was also fascinating to learn of the magical islands of Micronesia with it's ruins of the lost primitive city of Nan Madol that I had never heard of. Readers also get an up front and personal, not so picturesque portrait, of the horrors of what a pandemic outbreak of an influenza virus could bring to this world if certain measures are not taken. But the star of Medusa's show however, is how the authors use tropical water jellyfish as an angle that on one hand causes the story's crisis, yet on the other hand will save the day. The part that the jellyfish have to play in the book, again brings intriguing and wondrous knowledge to us die-hard Cussler fans, offering an intimate view of this amazing underwater creature that can either glide through the sea like fanciful ghost-like fairies, or can reach out with their lengthy spindly tentacles for a fatal kiss of death.

Yes this was a typical Cussler "hero saving the world from impending doom" suspense thriller. Yet, I think Kempreco's input throws a positive note to the Austin/Zavala team stories because they are just more believable than the Dirk Pitt/Giordano tales that had become beyond credible for a real world experience. Many times while flipping the pages I found myself stopping to turn on the internet and check to see if what the authors were drumming up were authentic. To my surprise, they were, which made me a much more happier camper knowing this was not just all within an imagined fictional arena that sometimes these novels can bring us.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to have once again enjoyed another Cussler novel after my vow a few years ago to never pick one up again. Now I will. Medusa is a very enjoyable and entertaining read and I give it four blue glowing jellyfish stars.

In Medusa, a series of seemingly unrelated events combine into a cold, calculated scheme which will kill millions of people and dangle the fates of nations in the hands of a few Chinese madmen. The story begins in 1848 on the whaling ship, Princess, when the crew falls under a strange illness while sailing the Pacific. The strange potion that cures them is remarkable and most of the men live to a ripe old age, relatively free of disease.

Years later, a strain of the virus which afflicted the men of the Princess, rears its ugly head again. Ruthless experiments on human patients test a cure of sorts, but the virus threatens to leap the bounds of containment and it's finally time to destroy the evidence - the patients themselves.

A disgraced Chinese physician, Dr. Song Lee, is plucked from the remote countryside and rushed to assist with the research for a cure. Unfortunately, research performed at Bonefish Key is linked to a savage attack on a bathysphere, stranding two men on the bottom of a very cold, dark ocean. Rescue barely comes in time and the researchers struggle to understand how the two events are connected.

Meanwhile, a Chinese criminal group with ties all around the world, disguises itself behind Pyramid, a huge organization with great power and influence. Dr. Lee's successes in working toward a cure for the virus threaten Pyramid's plans to allow a worldwide outbreak, with Pyramid holding the only vaccine. As such, Pyramid could name its price for the vaccine, enslaving governments desperate to save their people. Dr. Lee cannot be allowed to continue. A ruthless assassin closes in to silence Dr. Lee once and for all!

Fast paced and frighteningly real, this book is a real page turner. Crisp details of massive submarines, undersea laboratories, government politics and twisted, insane minds are interwoven with the bonds of friendship, technical expertise, love and desperation into a riveting account. From the moment you crack the cover, you won't want to put this book down. Worthy of a second read, to catch some of the details.

"While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague." -- Numbers 11:33

Medusa is more of a thinking person's suspense story than a classic Clive Cussler thriller. It starts out at a far higher level for adventure, excitement, and thrills than is sustained for the bulk of the book. I thought the opening was a five-star effort and most of the rest was three stars for moving too slowly and not being interesting enough.

If you like to think about the potential of biotechnology based on the oceans to sustain life on land, Medusa is filled with colorful conjectures that can provide much musing pleasure. If that thread isn't of much interest to you, this will be a three-star book for you.

The book has more cardboard characters in it than Carter has little liver pills. They don't serve much purpose . . . but to pad out the book. If you edited the book down to make it a fun thriller, it would probably be less than 200 pages.

But if you have a long beach day ahead and only want to carry one book with you, Medusa would make a decent choice for relaxing reading.

The overall theme of the story is how to avoid fast-mutating pandemics that spread through water as well as by human contact. If you think about the risk involved, you'll worry more about viruses in the future than terrorists.

Watch out!

I typically enjoy the NUMA files books with Austin and Zavala and this was no exception. The Trouts make their customary teamwork appearance and a visit to Perlmutter is always a welcome read. As usual, Kemprecos draws plots from the headlines and takes things a step further. We step into the story as a new, highly contagious virus begins spreading in China and quickly threatens the entire world. As always, the answer to the problem is to be found both in history and the sea. Our heroes are again embroiled in saving the world while minding their own business. Their stubborn conviction that mankind not face annihilation drives them into danger again. As the plot unfolds it becomes clear there are those who would benefit from such a disruption in society and begin causing trouble with the search for a cure. The book is filled with the regular Cussler variety of underwater submersibles, labs, subs, and ships that add a really fun element to the action. The action scenes are well-done and fast-paced. I did find that the book's pace lagged during the Trouts research sections a bit but made up some ground on Austin's resilience and Zavala's tequila-driven motivations. Overall, I enjoyed the book and it lies somewhere in the middle of the Austin/Zavala offerings from the NUMA world of Cussler.

First off, ignore most of the reviews shown at the other listing for the same book but with a different cover and indicating it hasn't been published yet. Those so-called reviews are just gripes about the cost of the Kindle edition and have no information about the story. Why the store bothers putting up such nonsense is beyond me. Apparently no one at the company reads or edits reviews.

Now that I have that off my chest...this is a really enjoyable read. It has an interesting story, decent characters, exotic locations, neat villians, and two nice heroes. I don't find Kurt and Joe as engaging as Dirk Pitt and his sidekick in the days before Dirk aged, married and became head of NUMA but they have a good time fighting the bad guys. Enjoy!

An exciting Kurt Austin adventure from Mr Cussler. A Chinese Triad unleashes a deadly plague for which only they have a vaccine.
Couple of minor quibbles.P.4 has a whaling ship round South Africa for the Pacific with no mention of crossing the Indian Ocean to get there.
P.50 referring to Spanish Flu outbreak "the epidemic raged through Spain killing 8 million people". This is taken from a dodgy internet site which has ensnared other authors. 8 million were infected in Spain but the highest annual death toll was some 147,000. Recommended reading.

After an undersea lab conducting research on a rare jellyfish known as the Blue Medusa mysteriously disappears and a bathysphere harboring Joe Zavala is attacked by an underwater vehicle and left helpless on the sea floor, Kurt Austin puts the NUMA Team on the case, a high-stakes endeavor that aims to save the lives of millions. BT.
This Cussler/Kemprecos collaboration just didn't cut it this time around. Along with being predictable, the characters I used to enjoy,
Austin and Zavala, came out as cardboard, which was mentioned in another review. I liked the story and the plot line and it was entertaining enough for an escapist thriller, but it just wasn't quite up to par.

The plot revolves around a possible pandemic. Like SARS, it originates in China, but all is not what it appears to be, which makes for a good story.

Medusa, like Cussler's other books, contains a lot of nautical information. It is a easy read, and unlike some popular authors, is isn't filled with blank pages and short chapters.

The plot has a few holes in it, which is why I am giving it 4 stars. Most readers will not have the technical background to spot them, which is why I am not listing them. Medusa is a good story, and I recommend it.

This book will not win any awards. This book will not be required reading in literature classes, Ever. This book will not make you re-think society or your life. It is however, fun and enjoyable. Its better than most shows on tv. Its as good as any of the recent Pitt novels.

It follows the Special Projects Group as they must again save the world. It takes suspending a little reality... but it is not an impossible scenario and it was a quick read to see how Steve Austin, Joe, and the Trouts would pull it out. And of course, in between exotic locales, water adventures, death and destruction, Austin gets the girl.

I think books like this make for perfect reading in the sun, or by the beach, or on the way to your next adventure.

You'll enjoy this book... if you're looking for a little escapist water based adventure.

I've always enjoyed Cussler's books. Although I prefer the Dirk Pitt series, the newer books are good reads too. I like Cussler's style of fast paced action, not getting bogged down in details (ala Clancy) and stimulating my curiousity about events that happen or technology in the book.

With that said, Medusa was just what I expected from a Clive Cussler book. It was a great poolside read for a few days. I haven't read all the reviews, but I can't understand why it would be rated 1 or 2 stars. It was a typical Cussler novel as of late.

Totally great. This story line is complex, riveting and another Cussler page turner. I liked how he brought the Chinese into the fold and it was a brilliant back story that he developed and was able to masterfully carry through to fruition in the end.

I've ordered the only NUMA File I don't have and can't wait to read it. Don't wait, get this book

I have truly enjoyed the aquatic knowledge and the benefits of marine life give to our world. Since deforrestation is rampant in many of our tropical rain forrests the next frontier is the ocean. The unexplored natural habitat that is beautiful but deadly. The science discussed in this book is groundbreaking and often new theories are developed from the science. I really enjoyed the science and the action and appreciate the respect of the aquatic scientists towards their 'new frontier' well done.

Once again Cussler has another great adventure for us. His research and detail of his subject are always indepth and informing. Explaining the world of biomedicine and realizing the potentials of such have me looking forward to the future. My only wish with the store is that each listing tell us what series (Dirk Pitt, Kurt Austin, Oregon, etc.)is represented in each book.

No one writes better than Clive Cussler - nobody.
Even if you think you don't like this kind of
book - high adventure- just read one of his
books, and you'll be "hooked". I've read
just about all of them. I like his fiction
best.

Having lived in Arizona I have had the pleasure of meeting Clive Cussler at several book signings. Having made that statement I can truly say that I have never picked up one of his works of fiction and said to myself, "Wow, Cussler has a Pulitzer coming his way." On the other hand I've gotten a smattering of education, and I do mean smattering about oceanography and history. Like Clive's other novels, "Medusa" has a formula: bad guys want to take over the world and good guys with NUMA capes come along to stop them. Each chapter is essentially an old time Saturday matinee at the movies cliffhanger. In the end the good guys win just as we want them to do. Just go with the flow and you'll find "Medusa" an enjoyable read.

I WAS an avid fan, having read every Cussler novel on the day of release for more than 25 years. However, in the last few years, exempting the Oregon Files and The Chase, each new Cussler is like the last with little variation or excitement. Cussler and his writing assistants have applied a formula that is so predictable, I no longer find a need to read the books. The reviews provide enough information to get the story and imagine the rest with more suspense than the actual novel.

It's June 15, I started reading "Medusa" early this morning. I am seventy-five pages into the book and so far I'm really enjoying it. I don't know what all the complaints are about. I must dive deeper...It's now day two, and I'm finding the story quickly paced, Kurt and Joe are now embroiled in the conflict, and somewhere on the periphery Dr. Lee is doing her research. More danger awaits...If Dr. Cussler ever decides to spin off a new series, I'd like to see more of Gamay and Paul Trout. It's day four and I have less than 100 pages to go. Stay tuned...I finished the book in five days and still can't figure out what all the negative hoopla was about. Is "Medusa" a great book? No. But, it's a fun summer read. Anytime a typhoon-class submarine surfaces in a story (think Red October), it's got to be good.

I noticed that "Spartan Gold" will be released later this year in trade format. Perhaps that will silence some critics that complained about the cost of this book.

To tell the truth, I haven't read "Medusa" yet. But apparently no one who has written a "review" before mine has either. I would like to play the devil's advocate here and try to be the voice of reason. When I go to this website to write or read a review about a book, I want it to be about that book. Why pick Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos to dump on? But if you do, why would you rate the item with one star? Granted the Kurt Austin novels are my least favorite of the three series, but I still bought my copy right after work yesterday. In Greek mythology, Medusa was one of the gorgons with snakes instead of hair on their heads. One look in her eyes would turn a (wo)man into stone. You "reviewers" seem to know the myth well, because you are turning interested readers into stone with your comments about Kindle instead of a book you haven't read. I'm giving "Medusa" five stars on principle alone. I can always go back and edit this entry if I feel differently later on.

Yawn! This is definitely not Cussler's book! Too many characters. It jumped all over the place. Its as if he was paid by the word, so he put in as many descriptions and details as would fit. The story could have been reduced to 200 pages without losing a thing. Really really sick of the constant descriptions of "coral blue eyes" and Zavala's prowess with women. As I said, YAWN!
Cussler just fell off my favorites list!

Lots of fun from supporting characters from earlier novels. Good guys win. Bad guys lose. A pivotal character goes from bad to good. It's an enjoyable series. Would make a good movie as long as Hollywood doesn't mangle it too much.