The second book in a new Western series by Clive Cussler, “one of the greatest adventure novelists of our time” (imdb), The Wrecker represents the continuation of Cussler’s entry into the classic American genre of Wild West fiction. Who knows, maybe it will turn into his most popular series yet.

The main character of the of this new Clive Cussler series is a detective by the name of Isaac Bell, a fearless figure of physical prowess equaling James Bond who simultaneously possesses observational skills and powers of deduction rivaling Sherlock Holmes.

As an independently wealthy heir to a Boston banking family, Isaac Bell pursues his detective investigations with a fury born out of an obsession and passion for justice rather than the need to make a living.

In The Wrecker, the Southern Pacific Railroad hires the Van Dorn detective agency and Isaac Bell to capture a saboteur that has been targeting their construction sites with devastating effects. Southern Pacific’s financing for a project to build a new line between the northern and southern portions of the American West coast is threatened. If any more sabotage ensues, it could potentially sink the entire mega-corporation.

The villain known as The Wrecker may be every bit as brilliant as Isaac Bell himself, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes’ arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty. Up until the end of the novel, The Wrecker hides in plain sight within the circles of Southern Pacific Railroad president Osgood Hennessy.

The Wrecker’s agenda turns out to be the hostile takeover of not only the Southern Pacific Railroad but as a side effect gaining complete control of the entire United States railroad system, at a time in history when the wealthiest men in America were railroad barons such as Vanderbilt, Harriman and others.

Set in the early twentieth century, the novel of course presents a golden opportunity for automobile enthusiast Clive Cussler to have fun with several classic automobiles from the age when the invention of the car was in its infancy and the experimental variety in styles was greater than ever in history.

The Wrecker features the 1907 Model 35 Thomas Flyer, winner of the 1908 New York to Paris race, as well as a Packard Grey Wolf, a Bugatti Type 41 Royale, and Isaac Bell’s own Locomobile.

Although Clive Cussler may be best known for his love of diving and sea exploration, both through his fictional stories and non-fictional enterprises, he obviously also cherishes the rugged landscapes of the American West. Why else would he have chosen to live in the mountains of Colorado, as far from the sea as you can get in the United States?

Through The Wrecker, we get a glimpse of this other side of Cussler, the one that loves the arid mountainous landscapes of the American West. And it’s an enthusiasm that shines through with unmitigated contagiousness. The new Isaac Bell series may well help give birth to a whole new generation of Western enthusiasts, as well as spark great excitement in many old ones. With all due respect to the previous Clive Cussler series, his Isaac Bell stories may top them all.

Mrs. Hellman resides in North Carolina with her husband and three children, where she works as a copywriter. She writes book review as a hobby. Visit her site to order The Wrecker by Clive Cussler, or the most recent Dirk Pitt adventure, Clive Cussler’s Arctic Drift.