This is pretty standard Cussler; it reads more like a super hero story (think Batman) where the good guys are Mary Sue(s) with unbelievable toys and the bad guys are Bond villains with money to burn. In other words ... it is pure entertainment that requires more than a health does of suspension of disbelief, especially if you have any experience with the stuff they are playing with (yeah ... some of the tech here just doesn't work that way, sorry). So if you are in the mood for the kind of light reading you might pick up in the airport gift shop with a side of Jingoism, this is actually a fun read.

The bad guys work for a rogue Chinese industrialist with an interesting take on world domination. The good guys are a 'private' security firm in the image of the Kingsmen (in fact if you like the Kingsmen, you will be right at home for this story). Bad guys put the "plan' in motion and the good guys stumble across it my accident. Now the game is afoot and despite a few minor set backs, you KNOW how this story is going to end, but you still find yourself cheering them on as the piece everything together until the final showdown. Of course, what really keeps you engaged is the humorous relationship between the main characters. In pure escapist tradition, I can't help it ... I like them and I want to be them ... so the dream just works (YMMV).

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Marauder #NetGalley

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on November 10, 2020

Clive Cussler was a prolific and popular writer when he was alive. He died earlier this year. Judging by the ongoing production of the Robert Ludlum and Robert Parker factories, death doesn’t stand in the way of churning out new books. Marauder is co-authored by Boyd Morrison. The degree to which Cussler contributed to the book is unclear. Since most (maybe all but the first) of Cussler’s “Oregon Files” novels were co-authored (several with Morrison), it probably doesn’t matter.

Marauder is the name of a trimaran that bad guys have equipped with a plasma weapon. It battles Captain Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the newly refurbished Oregon who have abundant weapons of their own. Shootouts ensue.

Marauder doesn’t even attempt a plausible plot. It isn’t the kind of novel that really needs one, although thrillers tend to be better when they fall within the realm of realism. This is basically a novelized action movie. Since the thrills come from the action, giving much thought to why the thrills are happening is perhaps an unwelcome distraction. And yes, the story is entirely predictable. Well, we wouldn’t want the bad guys to win, would we?

The premise involves the Chinese, the current boogeymen for people who need to believe in boogymen. Angus Polk, a senior analyst in the Australian Department of Defence, is married to April Jin, an intelligence officer in the Australian navy. They both served time for selling military secrets to a Chinese company owned by Lu Yang. Although Yang recently died, he spread some money around and got his two spies an early release from prison. Now he wants to leave his vast fortune to Polk and Jin on the condition that they carry out his final plan.

Yang has whipped up a new weapon, a gas that paralyzes people. If an antidote is not administered within one week, the paralysis becomes permanent. Yang’s plan is to paralyze everyone in Sydney and sell the antidote to rich people. More nefarious, however, is the notion that Australia will be flooded with Chinese caretakers for all the people who don’t get an antidote. This influx of Chinese will somehow give the Chinese a hidden army in Australia. Unless, of course, Australia opts to import caretakers from the Philippines or other Asian countries that have a long history of training caretakers. Details, details.

As the bad guys move forward, a bunch of people — including one of Juan’s team — become paralyzed, giving Juan and crew a mere week to find the antidote. Naturally, the antidote is made from a nut that only grows in a couple of remote places, so our heroes need to traipse around groves of nut trees (where more shootouts ensue) before engaging in last-minute heroics as the confront Polk and Jin.

The plot is full of holes. The dialog is wooden. Characterization is an afterthought. But there’s plenty of action and some of it is exciting. Fans of action novels could do worse. Fans of good books could do better.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

The latest entry in the always thrilling Oregon series does not disappoint. With a newly built vessel loaded with the latest state of the art technology and weapons systems, The Corporation must do battle with a disgraced military couple carrying out a ruthless billionaire's posthumous terrorist plan to further the reach and power of China. Pretty much a non stop thrill ride from start to finish. My only criticism is that it seemed surprising that Juan and the crew were much more open to revealing the Oregon and it's secrets to outsiders than in any of the previous installments.

In the latest Clive Cussler Oregon Files® novel, MAURAUDER, Juan Cabrillo and the Corporation must stop a terrorist plot to release a deadly chemical weapon across the globe. To do so, they will have to decipher an ancient mystery and thwart the cunning modern enemy who has more than just deadly weapons at their disposal—and there isn’t much time.

In MARAUDER, co-author Boyd Morrison carries the torch one last time for Clive Cussler, who passed away earlier this year. And Morrison says this novel’s origin—his last as co-author—came from several ideas that conflated into another action-adventure plot.

The full article is in the November edition of The Big Thrill.

This book is extremely well done. The addition of Boyd quickly pushes Cussler into a whole new level of thrills and action

This was my first entry into The Oregon Files, and it won't be my last. If you love action/adventure, cool tech, and exotic locales, this book is for you. Boyd Morrison and Clive Cussler spin a tale that is straight up fun from the first page to the last. Grab a copy and dive in. You won't regret it!

384 pages

4 and 1 / 2 stars

I love all the techno-magical stuff in these books. It delights me like on Christmas morning when I was a kid.

This is a fast moving action-filled novel of adventure. The usual people are present: Juan Cabrillo who is also known as the Chairman, Linc, MacD and the others. They get into some terrific scrapes on this caper, but manage to overcome the nefarious evil do-ers.

Even though the novel is predictable and rather formulaic, I really enjoyed this book and look very much forward to reading the next in the series. It is the perfect escapist literature.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderfully adventurous book for me to read, enjoy and review.

The Corporation is back! But before they can complete the outfitting of their newly built replacement for the wonder ship they lost on the last mission , they are called to help with a security mission in Bali protecting some U.S. Senators' families during a conference. This encounter turns to a defense and rescue from the intentions of a terrorist group which leads the group on an opening can of worms mission. One of their crew members that is on loan to his scientist sister's ships are attacked and he along with the crew on his ship is mysteriously paralyzed from a gas that is sprayed over his ship. The gang begins to follow the clues to find who and what is causing these attacks. Lots of near misses and dangerous scrapes ensue but will they be able to find the culprits and stop them before they are able to do more deadly damage. Will their new ship be up to the tasks ahead???
This is a thrilling, edge of your seat ride through another spectacular book by these authors.