Captain Calvera heard the tension in his first officer's voice. They were both hovering over a military-grade electronics suite-something his commercial fishing trawler El Valiente shouldn't have but did. Mike Maden takes over writing the Oregon Files in this 16th installment of the long running series and succeeds wonderfully with probably the most bonkers Cusslerverse book in a long-while. Cussler books can often fill like you've read the same one multiple times and they work best when you feel that they've landed on something novel. Mike Maden has done this with Hellburner. Entiendo." Calvera spat out the word like a curse and shoved the mic into Santos' hand. He shouted at Rico, "Kill the engines!" A series of twists keeps the book racing ahead. Cussler fans won’t be disappointed.” — Publishers Weekly Cabrillo’s Corporation of mercenaries may have finally met its match in The Pipeline—a criminal syndicate passed down from father to son across generations. A group that sits with its finger on the trigger of a torpedo so deadly it could level entire cities. With millions of innocent civilians hanging in the balance, the Oregon’s crew must unravel a tangle of drug-smuggling routes and international conspiracies spanning from the Aegean Sea to the Indian Ocean, putting their lives on the line to find the weapon before its countdown hits zero.

It is a solid chapter in the series. Like all writers who try to capture the style and feel of another author, it is not easy. Mr. Maden tries his best and it is a good story, well written and fun to read on a summer afternoon when it is too hot to go outside, but it is easy to tell that it is not as good as the early books in the series Only Cabrillo and the Oregon crew stand between the Pipeline and huge destruction. But this is the place they work best . . . A few quibbles, first, the pace in the middle because of the details that almost turn this adventure into a geopolitical thriller. Second, Juan is on the verge of being a superhero towards the ending- a little OTT, and third, PLEASE, no romance, don't turn The Oregon into the Love Boat. But before the laugh had escaped his mouth, the two six-barreled rotary canons of a Russian-made Kashtan close-in weapons system opened up from the top of the cargo ship’s forward mast. The canons delivered ten thousand rounds per minute but it only took one brief, earsplitting second for the Kashtan to deliver enough 30mm explosive tungsten-tipped ammo to utterly destroy Calvera’s smaller weapon. Oh, how I love the disguised fighter and intel-gathering ship, The Oregon. It marvels me that this state of art technology ship has an outer shell of an old, rusty, filthy, and SMELLY tramp steamer. The inside though is equipped with just about everything you can imagine; a weapons room, a garage for their cutting-edge vehicles, a tiltrotor, a pool, five stars kitchen & chef, a meeting room that mirrors the WH situation room, a trauma center, and a science lab. They adorn their interior walls with priceless original paintings for crying out loud! The crew is mostly former military/intelligence except for a Hollywood guy who lends his special effects, makeup, and wardrobe talent.Hellburner" written by Mike Maden is an exciting installment right from the start. The quality and style of the book stay true to the series. You can tell that the author is either a fan of the series or did a lot of homework. I never get tired of following these guys and gals on their adventures. Blue-eyed, sandy-haired Juan Cabrillo—posing as Captain Soto—held on tight. The rigid-hull inflatable boat bounced beneath him as it raced across the dark blue water. The four-man team was kitted out in body armor, flash-bang grenades and silenced H&K MP5 submachine guns strapped to their chests. You're in no position to dictate terms, Calvera. Kill your engines, come to a halt and be prepared to be boarded. Entiendes?"

I am editing my review because thinking of the book after reading. the weakness in the story keeps coming to mind, Santos saw the flashing comms light. He pulled on his earphones and tapped a button. A moment later, he glanced up at Calvera. I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and giver my honest review of this book Calvera's eyes remained fixed on his watch. He was doing the calculations in his mind, a more reliable instrument than any computer. Calvera's eyes narrowed, focused on a bead of sweat glistening on his first officer's forehead. "My math skills are equal to yours, Santos."

Clive Cussler's Hellburner

Calvera keyed his radio mic. "Soto, this is Captain Calvera, over. Do you need assistance? We saw three explosions-"

Calvera stepped outside onto the bridgewing and raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes. The frothing white wake from his churning propeller drew a straight line to the bow of the distant freighter like a tracer round to its target. The weapons officer slapped a button. Three mines were released beneath El Valiente's hull, deployed directly in the path of the Sungu Barat. Calvera had never seen his number two this shaken up before. Santos was as loyal as an old hunting dog and just as reliable. But Santos had more to lose. He kept several spoiled young wives and fifteen fat children in three separate countries. With millions of innocent lives hanging in the balance, the Oregon's crew must unravel a tangle of drug-smuggling routes and international conspiracies spanning from the Aegean Sea to the Indian Ocean. But to do so means putting their lives on the line to find the weapon - before its countdown hits zero... Cabrillo's Corporation of mercenaries may have finally met its match in The Pipeline - a criminal syndicate passed down from father to son across generations. A group with its finger on the trigger of a torpedo so deadly it could level entire cities.There's no fee you can pay, Calvera. No bribes. No negotiations. Kill your engines now or I'll kill them for you-and maybe your entire crew." In other words, you have no authority, Capitan Soto. That means you are a pirate, and piracy is a violation of international law. We will not allow you to board us." Eddie Seng, a lean and wiry Chinese-American, sat near the bow. The ex-CIA operative held the pneumatic telescoping boarding pole. It featured a grappling hook and a wireless video camera so that he could see what they were up against before climbing up the rope ladder. He wore augmented reality glasses synced to the camera. First, the camaraderie between the crew was not consistent with previous installments. One example is that Stonie and Murph are supposed to be best buds, solving problems together and feeding off each other. None of their interactions portrayed that. Linda Ross, Doc Huxley, Mac D, Eddie, Raven and Overholt also were not consistent from previous books. Juan was closer to being consistent but some scenes and lines were out of character for him.