The Jungle

The crew of the Oregon is engaged for a rescue mission that takes them deep into the Burmese jungle where the natural perils are hardly more deadly than the manmade ones. Their quest for the missing daughter of a Swiss billionaire, takes them all over the globe-and Juan Cabrillo and crew are caught up in a harrowing race to save the world. This installment in the Oregon Files adventures requires a narrator who can make the most of the drama and suspense without taking it over the top, and Jason Culp is up for the challenge. His voice's rich timbre makes for easy listening, and male characterizations are spot-on. Female voices, however, are not his strong suit: they're either nasal or throaty and make for uncomfortable listening. Fortunately the female dialogue is scant, and this flaw does not detract from what is a fantastical, exciting audiobook. A Putnam hardcover. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cussler's eighth "Oregon Files" novel, his sixth coauthored with Du Brul, follows The Silent Sea (2010), also available from Recorded Books and Penguin Audio. In it, he opens with a battle scene in 13th--century China before moving to the present day with a doomsday computer threat to global security that only the Corporation and its chair, Juan Cabrillo, can resolve. Cabrillo and crew hopscotch from Burma to Afghanistan/Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, France, and other locations as they face double crosses, explosions, torture, and daunting odds at sea, in the jungle, and underground. Actor/narrator Jason Culp (jasonculp.net) delivers a solid, moderately paced performance and doesn't overemote. Cussler/Du Brul fans who prize the dynamic action of these novels but do not require every detail will find that not much is lost in the abridged version. Recommended as a well-crafted addition to the series and genre. [The New York Times best-selling Putnam hc received a starred review, LJ Xpress Reviews, 2/24/11.-Ed.]-Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

[star]The crew of the Oregon faces some of their biggest challenges in the authors' latest series entry (after The Silent Sea). The tale begins in China in 1281, as a young ambassador witnesses a devastating weapon used by a Chinese general to annihilate a village. Then in the present day, Juan Cabrillo and his crew go from the snow-covered mountains of Afghanistan, where they rescue a child, to the jungles of Myanmar to find a missing daughter and the depths of the earth to stop one man's global domination. They work through a maze of deception and betrayals to become the only ones who can (quite literally) save the world. Verdict With daring escapes, torturous imprisonment, heart-stopping action, and last-minute victories, this is an action/adventure thriller reader's dream. The surprise ending will blow you away. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/10.]-Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. P.L. Syst., Cartersville, GA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Juan Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries engage in one daring rescue operation after another with progressively higher stakes in Cussler's high-octane eighth Oregon Files novel (after The Silent Sea), his sixth collaboration with Du Brul. The rescue of a kidnap victim, an Indonesian teenage boy, from an Afghan village, yields a bonus in the form of MacD Lawless, a former U.S. Army Ranger, who proves of immediate value. Betrayals, more rescues, and escapes follow as one mysterious man seeks world domination using a discovery linked to 13th-century China. Cabrillo's handpicked team members, who operate from their state-of-the-art ship, the Oregon, are the only chance to stop a plot that threatens to bring the U.S. government to its knees. The frenetic action moves from Afghanistan to Singapore and the Burmese jungle with lots of derring-do at sea before climaxing in a surprising locale in a fashion sure to delight series fans. (Mar.)