Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler and Grant Blackwood
Spartan Gold is the first in a new series by New York Times bestseller Clive Cussler in cooperation with action novel writer Grant Blackwood.
The books of this new series are called “Fargo Adventures,” so named after the book’s heroes, married couple Sam and Remi Fargo.
Having fulfilled the American dream early in life to become independently wealthy, the Fargos now devote themselves to archeological treasure hunting; and they let nothing stand in their way of finding what they search for.
The Fargo Adventures feature a new set of characters and a new approach in the form of archeological treasure hunting. (New in terms of being the main focus.) But as with any Cussler-novel, we can still expect a lot of the action to take place in and around water, as well as plenty of exotic cars, foods and drinks.
In Spartan Gold, Sam and Remi Fargo pursue a trail of clues left on the labels of twelve wine bottles from the lost wine cellar of Napoleon Bonaparte, written in a code they must first decipher.
Needless to say, the unraveling of this mystery also includes adversaries. A former Soviet freedom fighter named Bondaruk, turned ruthless Mafioso billionaire, sends a his hired help to interfere with the Fargos, first by trying to kill them, and later by taking advantage of their greater experience.
Bondaruk believes the end of the trail will lead to an ancient Greek gold-treasure once conquered by his ancestor, the Persian ruler Xerxes the Great. A treasure which Bondaruk has convinced himself is his rightful heritage, and no one will be allowed to stand in his way of getting it.
The wine-bottle trail leads Sam and Remi, as well as their adversaries, from a sunken German submarine in the Great Pocomoke Swamp, Maryland, to the Bahamas, through much or Europe, from Germany, France and Italy to Croatia and Ukraine: not necessarily in that order.
To sum it up, Spartan Gold is the first in an exciting new series by the master of marine action novels, Clive Cussler, complete with the distinct hallmarks that we have come to love and expect from this beloved author. In other words, Spartan Gold is another guaranteed New York Times bestseller.
Britt Hellman resides in North Carolina with her spouse and three sons, operating her own copywriting business out of her home. Clive Cussler has been long time favorite author. Visit her Cussler book site to order Spartan Gold or read her review of the most recent Dirk Pitt novel, Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler.