A trimaran is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls that are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Most modern trimarans are sailing yachts designed for recreation or racing; others are ferries or warships. A trimaran named the Marauder is at the center of this novel, and it is on a deadly mission that could change the balance of power on the planet.

The late Clive Cussler and bestselling author Boyd Morrison are back together one more time in this latest Oregon Files thriller. The Oregon is a ship that belongs to a syndicate known as the Corporation, and they take on major threats to the world under the behest of its home base of the United States but often in collusion with other world powers. It is run by the Chairman, Juan Cabrillo, who was trained in the spy game and anti-terrorist tactics by the best in the world. His crew, which fans of the series know are all legendary characters, has Juan's back and his full trust, and are not to be messed with.

"I am confident that there will be other authors to give voice to Juan Cabrillo and his hearty crew, and I am eager to see what future adventures may be out there for them."

The story opens with a rescue mission of a small ship that has been overtaken by a band of pirates. The terrorists have planted a series of bombs aboard the vessel and threatened the lives of each crew member aboard. It will take the Oregon team to come to the rescue, but they might not be fully prepared for what they find. Meanwhile, in Ravenhall, Australia, a convict named Angus Polk is being released, and April Jin is there to pick him up. April's stepfather is the late Chinese billionaire Lu Yang. April and Angus watch a video left for them by Yang, and it lays out the plan he has for them, which will begin with their taking the Marauder out for some fun.

Having survived their rescue mission, the Oregon crew has moved on to bigger and much badder things. Their Chief Weapons Officer, Mark Murphy, is working with Sylvia Chang, a scientist for DARPA --- the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency --- and they are on the hunt for some sort of super plasma-powered weapon. Unbeknownst to them, this is going to put them directly in the crosshairs of the Marauder and a weapon they are planning to use to make Yang's last wishes a reality. In this case, Marauder is actually an acronym for Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation.

The Oregon team is following several leads before they finally find out what the intentions of the Marauder are. There is a great shootout sequence at an Indonesian water park, Ocean Land, that is one of the best action bits in the book. The secret weapon is called Enervum and is actually made to emulate jellyfish venom. I'll leave that idea with you for a moment. It is this powerful nerve-attacking poison with which Murphy is hit and finds himself paralyzed from the neck down. The medical staff of the Oregon recognizes that they only have a short time to find an antidote, or he will be left in this condition permanently.

It wouldn't be a Cussler/Morrison novel without some great historical context. In this case, it is the discovery of a bit of Roman history in Australia by the Corporation, which indicates that the Romans may have held power there nearly 50 years before they built their famous Colosseum. In much the same way as the Romans held power in Australia, April and Angus are seeking to unleash hundreds of rockets armed with Enervum on New Year's Eve in Sydney --- enough to knock out every person in the city. This will leave things open for China to drift into Australia, expanding their empire on their way to becoming the mightiest superpower on Earth.

Of course, once the Corporation learns of the actual plan, things will not go down without a fight --- and it's a doozy. Not only are they seeking to save Sydney and the rest of the world as a result, closer to home they need that antidote to save Murphy.

MARAUDER is everything you would want from this writing team, and the action never slows down. Morrison indicated that he and Cussler had discussed prior to the release of THE FINAL OPTION that this latest installment would be their last pairing as Morrison will resume writing solo. I am confident that there will be other authors to give voice to Juan Cabrillo and his hearty crew, and I am eager to see what future adventures may be out there for them.