Shock Wave (novel)
First edition hardcover
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| Author | Clive Cussler |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Paul Bacon |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Dirk Pitt Novels |
| Genre | Adventure; Techno-thriller |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
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Publication date
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January 2, 1996 1st Edition Hardcover |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 537 (Hardcover edition) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 33277400 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3553.U75 S48 1996 |
| Preceded by | Inca Gold |
| Followed by | Flood Tide |
Shock Wave is a book written by Clive Cussler. First published in 1996, it is the thirteenth book in Cussler's Dirk Pitt series. The events in the book take place between January and March 2000.
While investigating the deaths of a large number of marine animals, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino encounter a group of tourists on Seymour Island. Aboard the tourists' cruise ship (the Polar Queen), a mysterious "disease" has killed everyone on board. The tourists are brought to the Ice Hunter, a research vessel for the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA). Here, they find out that the Polar Queen is missing and will not respond to their calls. After some searching, Pitt and Al discover that the missing ship is heading towards a cliff. After being winched onto the ship from a helicopter, Pitt steers and manages to narrowly avoid the crash. But he finds only one surviving passenger on board: Dierdre. Maeve, the tour guide from Seymour Island, is Deirdre's sister, and she seems perplexed to find Deirdre aboard.
Pitt and Al uncover more evidence to suggest that the passengers of the Polar Queen were killed by extremely high-powered soundwaves. At this time, more outbreaks occur on a cargo ship and a Chinese junk. The cargo ship blows up while a boarding party from a passing ship is aboard; in the distance, a futuristic yacht is spotted heading away from the scene. We learn that the yacht belongs to the Dorsett Consolidated Mining Company, a gemstone mining company headed by the ruthless Arthur Dorsett. Dorsett is also the father of Maeve, Deirdre and a third daughter, Boudicca. Of Dorsett's three daughters, Maeve is the only one who does not work for his company. As a young girl, she ran away from home, broke all bonds with her family, and changed her last name to Fletcher.
By borrowing the US Navy sonar net in the Pacific, NUMA discovers that the acoustic plague appears to be caused by a convergence of soundwaves from four sources around the Pacific: in the southwest, Gladiator Island; in the northwest, one of the Commander Islands; in the northeast, Kunghit Island; and in the southeast, Easter Island. Since Kunghit Island is located not far from the United States, Pitt decides to go there to investigate. He enlists the help of Mason Broadmoor, a Native American fisherman who, along with his associates, delivers fish to the Kunghit Island mine every week. During one such visit, Pitt is smuggled onto the island and given a tour of the mine by a disgruntled employee, who, Pitt finds out, is Clive Cussler. The mine has a revolutionary mining method in which high-powered soundwaves are used to dig through clay containing diamonds. Pitt learns that the Dorsetts have kidnapped both of Maeve's sons and are holding them hostage. The company security force captures Pitt as he leaves the island, but Broadmoor rescues him, and the two escape using jet skis.
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