Part of Dirk Pitt®, book 15
First published 2004
Dirk Pitt faces his most dangerous mission when three seemingly unrelated incidents converge into a deadly pattern. In 1858, an Antarctic whaler discovers a frozen ship carrying mysterious artifacts and a black obsidian skull. In 2001, anthropologists studying strange inscriptions in Colorado are trapped when explosives seal them inside the rock. Soon after, Pitt's research vessel encounters an impossible enemy: a ship that should have been destroyed decades earlier. As Pitt investigates these connected events, he uncovers an ancient mystery that threatens modern civilization. His search leads him to the lost city of Atlantis, but this discovery comes with a price. A ruthless adversary emerges, one unlike any Pitt has faced before. The enemy's plan reaches far beyond treasure hunting or territorial disputes. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance as Pitt races against time to prevent global destruction.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, archaeology
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: race-against-time, secret-society
Setting: Antarctica, Colorado, Atlantis
Period: 1858, 2001
530 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books