Part of NUMA Files, book 4
First published 2004
Kurt Austin leads a NUMA team into the treacherous Arctic Ocean when a research vessel disappears under mysterious circumstances. The investigation reveals a sinister plot involving a radical environmental group that has developed a devastating new weapon capable of triggering massive ecological disasters. Austin discovers that the extremists plan to use their technology to reshape the global balance of power by destroying key industrial targets. Racing against time through ice-covered seas and hostile terrain, Austin must navigate both natural dangers and human enemies determined to eliminate anyone who threatens their mission. The stakes escalate when Austin realizes the conspiracy reaches deeper than expected, involving powerful interests willing to sacrifice countless lives for their vision of environmental justice. Austin relies on his diving expertise and tactical skills as he pursues the terrorists across the Arctic landscape. The mission becomes personal when members of his own team fall victim to the enemy's ruthless tactics, forcing Austin to confront not only a deadly technological threat but also his own limits in an environment where survival itself becomes the ultimate challenge.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Arctic, NUMA
Period: 21st-century
355 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley Books
Content warnings: violence