Sacred Stone

August 30, 2004
Eric the Red's A.D. 1000 discovery of a radioactive meteorite has present-day life-or-death ramifications in Cussler and Dirgo's second novel (after Golden Buddha
) featuring the Oregon
, a state-of-the-art warship disguised as a rusty tramp steamer and manned by some of the world's finest ex-military and intelligence operatives. Known collectively as the Corporation, the men and women of the Oregon
—"mercenaries with a conscience"—offer their services to various countries and individuals with specialized security and military needs. The Corporation's chairman, series hero Juan Cabrillo, has several pressing concerns: supply security for the emir of Qatar, who is attending a conference in Iceland; track down a nuclear bomb that has gone astray; and pick up the aforementioned meteorite, which has just been found ensconced in a mysterious shrine. These jobs become dangerously complicated when industrialist Halifax Hickman, a man fueled by revenge and hatred, enters the picture. The meteorite, the atomic bomb and a vial of plague are to be used in attacks on holy sites—Israel's Dome of the Rock and Saudi Arabia's al-Haram mosque—and at an Elton John concert. It's a deadly game, but the brilliant Cabrillo is a master player, moving his pieces at lightning speed on several boards until he outmaneuvers his opposition in this action-packed page-turner. (Oct.)

Forecast:
This series will become a permanent and productive cog in the Cussler machine.

October 15, 2004
This is the second novel in the " Oregon Files " series featuring Juan Cabrillo as the chairman of the Corporation, a group of ex-military and intelligence operatives who hire themselves out to countries and individuals needing specialized services--"a private army of mercenaries with a conscience." The " Oregon" is a 500-foot-long cargo steamer with a state-of-the-art communications and command center and a helicopter. The group's mission is to pick up a meteorite and deliver it to the CIA. It might be made of iridium, and iridium can be used to construct a "dirty bomb." Muslim terrorists who have stolen a nuclear device may use the radioactive material in the meteorite to vaporize a large Western city. Another group, led by a demented industrialist, seeks to destroy the Islamic world. As always, the plot covers many locales around the world, and the dialogue contains lots of military jargon. The large cast of characters includes Elton John and Eric the Red (yes, the legendary explorer). Even though the good guys always win, Cussler fans will remain engaged. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)