Once again their writing show me why I fell in love with these authors to begin with, the characters, the non stop action, the history that's thrown in. Will definitely be re reading this series .

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I bought this for our library and the NUMA Files books are popular with my readers. These are always good adventure novels and Graham Brown hit it well!

This is another thrilling story that is a great addition to this brilliant series and another page turner. The story was full of action and was fast paced & engaging. And key for me, I didn't notice that it had not been written by Clive Cussler (not always the case) and the story flowed well from start to finish.

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are on the hunt once again, this time for new servers that were sunk in the ocean.
This was not my favorite NUMA book, but it delivers everything you want. New technology and high action. There were some fun spy-genre moments in the book with multiple organizations hunting for the servers. This book doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it is still a fun ride. Graham Brown has done a great job continuing this series and they remain a delight to read and enjoy.

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are back and you know that's good news for readers. As usual, they and NUMA are pitted against "bad guys." Plenty of action and a story line that flows easily.

One of the best in the series. Kurt and Joe are diverted from hunting for a lost Chinese pirate ship and its fabled treasure, to hunting modern day pirates looking to make off with new high tech computer equipment for some nefarious purpose. A fast, enjoyable read, perfect for those lazy days at the beach or just out in the backyard soaking up the sunshine.

Thanks to Net Galley and the Publishers for giving me the digital ARC of the latest Clive Cussler, Numa Files #19 book.

Kurt and Joe along with Yan-Li are searching for the pirate ship, the Silken Dragon, whose crew had stolen treasure from the Pirate Queen, Ching Shih. But as often happens with Kurt and Joe, they are called away on a mission to locate an important ship, called the Canberra Swift.

There are various groups trying to locate the Canberra Swift and the important cargo of Super Computers that the ship was transporting. Who will find the ship and its cargo first?

I can honestly say that Graham Brown did a great job of staying true to the characters that Clive Cussler created. He brought the book to life with all the excitement and action that fans have come to know and expect!

Kurt, Joe, and Yan-Li are treasure hunting in the South China Sea for the pirate queen, Ching Shih's lost treasure. The hunt was cut short when Kurt and Joe received word from NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) in DC about a missing cargo ship carrying the most valuable supercomputer servers traveling from Taiwan to San Francisco. As it appears the missing vessel is scuttled and lies at the bottom of the ocean floor. Rival parties race to the site for these high-tech servers that are not to be sold to Russia and China.

"Dark Vector" is NUMA #19 and continues to deliver a great sea adventure. The book can be read as a standalone. There is a large cast of characters, but a list at the beginning of the book is very helpful to keep track of who is who. You can expect smart villains, double-cross, and plenty of action from the NUMA crew along with their high-tech "water toys" like the "Phantom" a stealth turtle-looking submarine. Fun!

I enjoyed "Dark Vector" but because the plot involves super servers it isn't one of my NUMA favorites. Just a personal preference. What I did enjoy is learning about this PIRATE QUEEN, Ching Shih (1775–1844) who commanded 400+ ships and 40,000 to 60,000 pirates.* Woah what?!

(image)

*ref Wikipedia.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley for this DRC.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4582523492

Three very solid stats from me, which means I liked it. This was my first Clive Cussler / Graham Brown read so I do intend to read previous Cussler works now that I have dipped my toe. This genre is not one I typically read, but at the encouragement of a colleague, I began to peruse the site for Cussler's works. I know now that this one was written by Graham Brown so I found two new writers to read, and what a win that is!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know if Clive left any plot points or ideas (for future books) at the time of his passing. As far as I know, this is the first NUMA series book written all the way by the author Graham Brown. I wasn’t worried about if it would be good. I really enjoy Brown’s previous books. I WAS curious if it was going to be a noticeable change or not.

Honestly, this felt just like your normal NUMA book! Brown does a seamless job of somehow making it feel familiar, but at the same time breathing new life into the series. It was hard for me to pin it down…

While the typical formula was followed, it did feel like some things were missing? A few things, such as habits or hobbies, always brought up in the past were missing in Dark Vector. That is NOT a bad thing or a complaint! I actually really appreciated the little bit of the change up. It made things feel fresh and reinvigorated!

If you are worried that a story about stolen super computers would be action packed, you’d be wrong! We start off with a little action that quickly ampts up to mega action! I was on the edge of my seat with all the fast paced shoot outs and boat chases. It just kept raising the fun and the suspense was perfect.

My only *tiny* complaint, is that I really miss Mr. and Mrs. Trout getting more involved! They showed up way late in to the story and they didn’t do much. I miss when they had a bigger role in the series! I know Kurt and Joe are the top guys, but it feels like with each book, the 2 other team members get less and less time to also shine. :/ BRING BACK THE TROUTS!! Please? 🙂

Dark Vector is straight up entertainment fuel. Brown does a great job of keeping NUMA alive and kicking. This is like comfort food for your reading pleasure. A familiar feel but also a fresh and new feeling! I had an extremely happy time reading this story! It was so fun. 😀

Another good and fun to read Kurt Austin / NUMA adventure story. The book was written by one of Clive Cussler's associates. It has the normal strengths of great underlying story line and the same great and diverse characters (standard and new for this book). As usual there is interesting and unique technology. I will be interesting to see if any of it comes to be reality. The writing is uneven in the same way as many of the NUMA stories written by Cussler. Most of the story is engaging, moving forward at a good pace and well put together. The downside is in the "fight / action scenes" that can be overly long and detailed. They can get tedious to read and do little to move the story along. Tightening them up would keep the story engaging though the entire book. Maybe I am not 100% the target audience - young males seeking lots of detailed action where the protagonist defeats the adversaries in the end.. I will still read the books and skim over the action scenes when they go overly long.

Kirk and Joe are on a mission to find a pirates treasure when they get called away to investigate a mysterious ship's disappearance and to track down the missing cargo. Using the latest inventions and technology available to them the team manages to track the ship and find it empty on the bottom of the ocean. They must take on the villain and his forced helper ( who is a friend of theirs) to stop his plans. The whole team is needed for this adventure, even Hiram, their computer specialist sees some field action in this one.
As always there is non-stop action , thrilling sequences and not a few near death experiences included. Kirk and Joe are tasked with saving the world once again and they do not disappoint!
I have read all the books in this series and this one is fabulous too! Graham Brown has done a stellar job of carrying on the Cussler legacy!

This read like a typical Clive Cussler book. You could tell the MCs were well thought out. The book was a fast read. I enjoyed that it was historical-based and that we got to travel around different places. Overall just another great book in the series

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I'll be honest: when I saw that Graham Brown was writing it, and there wasn't a Cussler at the helm, I was nervous! However, I ended up very pleased. Brown did a great job emulating the stories, style of writing, and the long-time work relationship between Austin and Zavala. I did think it was interesting that there was no mention of Dirk at all in the story, but not completely off. Once again, Austin and Zavala are at it, saving the world before the bad guy does the bad thing! I love the blend of history, technology, science and thrills that Cussler's stories have always created, and Brown's rendition did it justice. I was pretty pleased with this, and hope that Brown continues to evoke and honor Cussler's writing in this vein.

First, I would like to thank Net Galley, the Penguin Group, Putnam for allowing to read this latest chapter in the Clive Cussler pantheon of books.
I like Clive Cussler books and have been reading them for almost forty years. He has a tried-and-true formula. An exciting/mysterious every happens 1000 years ago and a treasure is lost. Fast Forward to the present, an evil warlord, government or despot has gotten wind of the treasure and wants it to help him dominate the world.
This book is no different. Dark Vector, the nineteenth in the Numa series is no different. Written by Graham Brown, it checks all of the boxes for a successful Clive Cussler Book. Mr. Brown is a worthy successor to Clive Cussler. He follows the formula to a tee and produced a book that was fun and entertaining to read.

*****Spoiler Alert*****
Enter the hero and his trusty side kick (Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino or Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala) along with the requisite beautiful, smart sexy SINGLE woman. Are there never any old, ugly or married women that need to be rescued.
It has Kurt and a beautiful Chinese woman diving looking got a fabulous treasure when he is called to find and retrieve 6 super computers to save them from a vicious evil gangster. Who then kidnaps the same Chinese woman who’s ex-husband was the pirate that sold the computers in the first place. Danger and intrigue with fist fights, gun fights, and narrow escapes follow before Kurt, Joe and the beautiful woman triumphs. The world is saved and everyone lives happily ever after

416 pages

5 stars

“We’re going to need a bigger boat.” Martin Brody in Jaws

On a dive with Yan Li, Kurt and she are attacked by a tiger shark. They were looking for a sunken Chinese pirate ship. It had treasure taken from pirate queen Ching Shih. They had found some great clues when the tiger shark attacked them. A great way to begin a story.

Once they get out of that, they are informed that something more important has come up. A ship has gone missing. A ship that was carrying top secret computer equipment. Disappointed, Yan Li heads home.

Not long after she arrives home, she is basically kidnapped by another pirate of sorts. One Kinnard Emmerson. He is a man who will do anything, anything at all to achieve his goals. He wants Yan to help him. He has her two children as hostages.

Emmerson masterminded the stealing of the computers. But they are not on the sunken ship. He’s been double crossed. He is not happy. Kurt has also found the ship. Down in his submersible, he is attacked by drones. A very exciting chase ensues. A question entered my mind. Can a submersible really take that kind of damage and stay viable?

A high level meeting attended by NUMA’s Rudi Gunn reveals who had taken the super computers. The problem is that Emmerson knows this too.

Kurt and Joe get invited to an auction of the competitors.

Pandemonium breaks loose.

From page one to page four sixteen, this book is always on the move. One situation after another lands our heroes in hot water. It is a thrill ride, so fasten your seatbelts. The writing and plotting of this book are most excellent. The transitions are smooth and well-timed. Mr. Brown certainly does add to the Clive Cussler legacy. I bet Mr. Cussler is applauding himself. I have read the NUMA adventures for years, and this book only adds to my fond memories.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for forwarding to me a copy of this most exciting book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Clive Cussler's Dark Vector by Graham Brown (forthwith referred to as just Dark Vector) is a fantastic addition to the corpus that is the Clive Cussler extended book universe (I like to call it the Cusslerverse). I've felt for a while that Graham Brown is by far one of the best of the current writers handling the characters created by the late Mr. Cussler. His books never cease to be tightly plotted and paced and he handles the characters and supporting casts deftly. Dark Vector, though, might be his best one yet.

One of the complaints that I sometimes have with the Cusslerverse books is that sometimes the plots can feel recycled. A Kurt Austin adventure feels like an Oregon Files adventure which itself had felt like a Dirk Pitt book. However, this book continues the wonderful streak of Cusslerverse books that feel new and fresh. This book involves a plot surrounding some very special computers that are not only a closely guarded US state secret but are also being fiercely pursued by two groups of antagonists: One a shadowy proprieter of secrets/thorn in the side of the British government and the other a cabal of hackers. In the middle is Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala, who are working not on saving the computers but destroying them so no one can use them themselves.

As I said, this plot is fantastic and even the pieces that sound similar to maybe other Cusslerverse adventures are used in new and unique ways. I found myself frequently being surprised by where the story was going and that's pretty unusual for Cussler books. The macguffin of the super computers was super interesting and felt very timely especially as we are moving into a world increasingly dealing with the environmental ramifications of the heat and energy put off by crypto mining operations.

Kurt and Joe are written fantastic as always. Graham Brown has a great sense of these characters and continues to make them feel like some of the most real-feeling characters in the Cusslerverse. However, this book does something wonderful and creates a new merry band of supporting characters that honestly I'm shocked have never been in another Cussler book and gosh I want some form of them to show up in another book. They are a group of pirates with a code and, similarly to Kurt and Joe, find themselves stuck between the villains of this book. They were fantastic and I could have read a whole book featuring them as the main characters. They also would be really interesting characters to bounce of, say, Juan Cabrillo. The villains were also fantastic and Graham Brown continues to demonstrate that he is currently the best of the Cusslerverse writers in creating villains.

I loved this book and it accomplished the thing that is most important for a Cussler book: It made me want to go back and read some of the previous Cussler books. It reminded me that I haven't read Graham Brown's The Pharoah's Secret or The Rising Sea in a couple years and now I'm going to. I look forward to purchasing a copy of Dark Vector and adding it to my Cussler shelf.