In general, I am skeptical of books when the author’s name is larger than the title of the book. However, since Clive Cussler’s books automatically hit the New York Times Best Seller list and my mother-in-law has actually read some of his books, I decided that it was time to take the plunge with Clive Cussler’s latest book, The Thief.
Cussler has written many books solo and co-authored several. The Thief is co-authored with Justin Scott and is the latest installment in an investigative, espionage, detective story set in the early 1900’s preceding World War I and following the adventures of the adventurer/detective Isaac Bell. The Thief is a quick, easy, and pleasant read and the pages quickly fly by. The characters are not particularly nuanced, but are likeable. Dialogue is solid and flows.
Due to the readability of Cussler’s work and the relatively low content levels, it is easy to see his books’ wide appeal. The Thief is perfect for a beach read or a vacation. (I wish I had taken it instead of a book about the plague of 1666 on my last vacation.) Also, it might appeal to young adult males who are looking for action books and are finding nothing to their taste in the current, fad-driven young adult section.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 8 religious exclamations; 18 mild obscenities; 2 derogatory names; 3 anatomical terms.
Violence/Gore: 1.5 page fight scene involving punching, throwing etc.; death of a character; 1 page fight between two groups involving batons pipes, guns; individual deliberately hit in head and injured; second hand report of an individual burned to death in a furnace; death by strangulation; character kicked and falls to death and characters fight with kicking, hitting, etc. in a multi-page scene; shoot-out resulting in death; report of a death; report of several separate beatings (no details); 2 page scene (non-graphic) involving shooting and resulting in 6 deaths; knife wound inflicted and mention of blood; struggle between characters involving punching, kicking, hitting, and a fall to death.
Sex/Nudity: Married couples kiss; flirting; mention of a character going to “dirity pictures”; reference to a mistress; character removes clothes to swim across a body of water (non-sexual context).
Mature Subject Matter:
Treason, Death. Illegal Activities, Mob Activity.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Gangsters sell cocaine. Reference to individuals being drunk. Adults smoke cigars. Alchohol consumed at social functions by adults.
