Part of Dirk Pitt®, book 14
First published 1998
Dirk Pitt tracks a wealthy Chinese smuggler whose empire runs on human cargo. The criminal mastermind has built his fortune by trafficking Chinese immigrants into countries worldwide, including the United States. Pitt's investigation takes him from Washington State to Louisiana, where his target constructs a massive shipping port in an improbable location. The mystery deepens as Pitt discovers the smuggler seeks the wreck of a ship that carried Chiang Kai-shek's treasure when he escaped China in 1949. Among the lost cargo are the legendary bones of Peking Man, missing since World War I began. As Pitt closes in on his quarry, he faces his most dangerous opponent yet. The chase becomes a race against time as the smuggler's true plans emerge. Pitt must stop a criminal whose wealth and ruthlessness know no bounds, in a confrontation that will test every skill he possesses.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: China, Louisiana, United States, Washington State
Period: 1949, World War I
560 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Books