I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and giver my honest review of this book 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.

When the Oregon team uncover a ship full of contraband, smuggling turns out to be the tip of a very deep (and dark) iceberg.Valentin hit the remote trigger. Three towering geysers erupted harmlessly to the Sungu Barat's starboard as it veered away. Santos saw the flashing comms light. He pulled on his earphones and tapped a button. A moment later, he glanced up at Calvera. You're in no position to dictate terms, Calvera. Kill your engines, come to a halt and be prepared to be boarded. Entiendes?" 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."

Entiendo." Calvera spat out the word like a curse and shoved the mic into Santos' hand. He shouted at Rico, "Kill the engines!" 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. Very disappointed, it seems like the last couple of books have just been going through the motions. From the start it seemed like I was in a Star Trek story, bring on a new character just to kill them off. I once again felt like this was just an assembly of past stories, very disjointed. The journalist character seemed out of place and coincidences were over the top. The decision to let her go by herself when her father was released so out of place and an obviously stupid decision it just left me wondering WTF. I understand it is fiction but if you are going to use everyday items make sure you get their uses correct or at least believable. Not sure why the author used "The Dragon" as a reference to hardship and that it is blood-soaked pavement, I guess they have never been to Deal's Gap. The final climactic scene was ridiculous, the books in the past have always made the characters more capable than the average human being, however this time it was so far in left field they felt more like superhero's than people. The weapons officer slapped a button. Three mines were released beneath El Valiente's hull, deployed directly in the path of the Sungu Barat. Please don't waste your time with this book. If you're someone who's reading it simple because it's the newest Oregon File, don't. That was me and I really regret it.

Featured Reviews

The Sungu Barat came to a full stop three hundred meters directly to port. Calvera adjusted the focus ring on his binoculars, and zoomed in on the bridge. His eyes fixed on the occluded windows, caked with salt and grime. He couldn’t see into the bridge but he knew that bastardo Soto was standing up there grinning down at him. 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."

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.What troubled Juan now was the disappearance of the entire trawler crew, no doubt preparing to repel boarders. He kept his assault team small to minimize casualties but they all punched above their weight. No matter what came at them, his people would handle it. 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." 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.

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. Calvera crossed over to Rico and clapped a hand on his shoulder. The young helmsman was grinning ear to ear with pride in his vessel and his captain. They would put plenty of distance between themselves and the old junker within minutes. 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. A vein throbbed on Calvera's forehead. He had a young wife and several children. So did Santos and the other officers. It was one of the reasons they had been recruited into the organization. If they were boarded and their cargo seized, not only would they be killed but their entire families would be wiped out.A series of twists keeps the book racing ahead. Cussler fans won’t be disappointed.” — Publishers Weekly 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. 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. Only Cabrillo and the Oregon crew stand between the Pipeline and huge destruction. But this is the place they work best . . .