Sacred Stone [Paperback]

It has far too many factions and characters. I got dizzy trying to sort out who was who and doing what. Normally I enjoy Cussler, but this one not so much. This was my Book Club pick for May, we will see what they think.

In the second book in Clive Cussler's Oregon Files series we find the Corporation up against an antagonist who seems to have unlimited funds, world wide resources to draw on, and connections in multiple key nations throughout the world. Has the Chairman Juan Cabrillo met his match ?

STORY ATTRIBUTES:

ORIGINALITY (standard, high, stellar) - HIGH - the twist and turns are epic

ACTION (none, some, lots) - LOTS - catch your breath if you can because the characters are non stop on the gas from start to finish

SEX (none, some, lots) NONE

PROFANITY (none, some, lots) NONE

The first adventure in the book involves the Corporation in Iceland providing security for the emir of Qatar while also in Iceland a scientist is looking for the cave of Gods which was said to hold an orb from the gods. Which of course has to be a meteorite. John Ackerman was working on his doctorate in anthropology and had been on location for 91 days so far looking for what he thought was a meteorite as referenced in old documents.

Ackerman succeeds in finding the meteorite but not understanding that it is highly radioactive Iridium. When he reports his find over what he thinks is a secure line a mystery figure secures the information and sends someone to pick up the meteorite and get rid of Ackerman.

While this is going on another group is plotting to kidnap the emir and in fact are successful despite the best work of the Corporation.

In another part of the world a stolen nuclear bomb is being transported towards Europe.
The meteorite is stolen and connecting the meteorite and the stolen nuclear would result in a so called dirty bomb.

The Corporation is soon on the case and eventually determine that the two cases, nuclear bomb and iridium sphere are two different operations.

Activities occur in England, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Qatar and other assorted nations in the quest to ensure nothing is done with these two powerful weapons. Yes the Iridium meteorite is in fact VERY dangerous.

Will the Corporation find out who is behind the theft of the iridium meteorite ? What are these people planning on doing with it ? What about the group with the nuclear bomb ? How does Elton John fit into the plot of this book ? How about the 1947 MGC car ?

Clive Cussler always incorporates what is happening in the world from a political perspective in his books that just lends more credibility to the plot and the action. When added to the plot twists and well developed characters (both good and evil) you have a book that is hard to put down. Cussler's text is always sharp and crisp.

Be sure to checkout my future reviews as I have all 8 books in this series to read and post reviews on, plus many other books on my reading shelf

What a pathetic excuse for a novel. The 'plot' has 'more holes than a block of Swiss Cheese' as Mr Cussler may have liked to put it, indeed this is exactly the sort of hopeless metaphor that crops up time after time in this book. The story is majorly floored in various parts but still worse is the writing style (or lack of it) employed throughout this book. I sat on a beach with nothing else to read for 2 weeks and still had to skip pages to get to the end. Dire and 1 star is about 10 too many.
Ps. The critic cited is obviously an ideot primate or blood relation from what I can tell.