Clive Cussler seems to be working exclusively with collaborators at
this point in his brilliant career, yet his most interesting novels
continue the adventures of Dirk Pitt. Cussler is now working with
his son Dirk on this series, which has seen the introduction of
Dirk Jr. and Summer Pitt, the children who Pitt never knew he had.
Cussler seems ready to hand the franchise off to the next
generation, and BLACK WIND is one of those transition novels in
which the father and children take separate actions to save the
world --- or at least a major portion of it --- from the same
malevolent force.


BLACK WIND is the name given to a Japanese military operation, a
last-ditch action against the United States in the closing days of
World War II. The idea was to unleash a deadly smallpox virus upon
the population of the West Coast of the United States. The
operation failed, but the payload, carried in two submarines, lays
in watery graves in the Pacific Ocean. It is about to be put to
nefarious use once again by a South Korean industrialist who is
actually an agent for the North Korean government. His aim is to
disrupt the United States on the eve of a vote to expel U.S. troops
from South Korea, so that an invasion from the North can take place
unimpeded.


But that's only part of his plan. Pitt the Younger begins to get
wind of the plot, and does his level best to get in the way. Dad
jumps in to help, and there is even an assist, as always, from a
deus ex machina named Clive Cussler. Cussler has made a
practice of interjecting himself, however momentarily, into the
Pitt novels, and while such a practice would be irritating or
contrived when carried out by lesser hands, it's always a pleasure
here.


Actually the entirety of BLACK WIND is great fun, especially
considering that with two (occasionally three) Pitts in action, the
villain and the threat du jour must be two or three times as
dangerous as when there is only one Pitt doing battle. Senior and
Junior Cussler demonstrate that they are more than up to the
challenge.


BLACK WIND is as current as tomorrow morning's headlines. The
Cusslers paint a plausible scenario and run with it, resulting in a
work that will keep you reading and wondering. And worrying. Don't
miss this one.