Fire Ice (Kurt Austin Adventures (Paperback))

Berkley, 2003. Fine. Kurt Austin is the dashing leader of the National Underwater & Marine Agenc y, an exploration team that has a knack for saving the world from global di sasters and ruthless megalomaniacs. The dastardly villain is Boris Razov, a potentially insane Russian millionaire who thinks he's the second coming o f Ivan the Terrible and has plans to destroy the East Coast with an enormou s tidal wave. The premise may sound silly-would-be czars, giant tsunamis-bu t the authors skillfully make it all come together. This intriguing, high-t ech adventure has thrills, wit and a dose of testosterone. Especially cleve r is Austin's post-Cold War relationship with his Russian black operative d oppelgänger known only as Ivan. While Tom Clancy's books may have gotten bo gged down in incomprehensible techno-speak, Cussler knows how to keep a sto ry surging ahead. Gadgetry never gets in the way of 007 flair.