The Chase (Hardcover)

by Clive Cussler (Author) "IT ROSE FROM THF DEPTHS LIKE AN EVIL MONSTER in a Mesozoic sea..." (more)
Key Phrases: relay crew, stolen bills, coal into the firebox, Van Dorn, San Francisco, Butcher Bandit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Cussler takes a breather from his several ongoing series with this historical thriller set in the western states, circa 1906. The U.S. government hires the renowned Van Dorn Detective Agency and its equally renowned lead agent, Isaac Bell, to capture the bank robber known as the Butcher Bandit. The Butcher has gunned down 38 men and women and two children, leaving behind neither witnesses nor clues. Bell heads the manhunt and finally figures out the Butcher's true identity, which is when the real chase begins. Unfortunately, Cussler's style is patterned on the clunky dialogue (I pray you catch the murdering scum) and improbable characters of the period's dime novels, and his in-depth research makes his descriptions sound like advertising. Once San Francisco gets hit by the 1906 earthquake and the principals climb aboard a pair of fire-breathing locomotives, the novel cranks up a head of steam and some high-speed thrills. (Nov.)
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From Booklist
Cussler is the author or coauthor of 33 books, including 19 Dirk Pitt novels and 7 NUMA Files books. This latest adventure involves the hulk of a steam locomotive that comes to the surface of a lake in Montana in 1950. It contains the bodies of three men who died 44 years before. Flash back to 1906 and a two-year crime spree out west. There's a series of bank robberies by an evil person who murders any witnesses. The government brings in a detective to solve the case, but soon the hunter becomes the hunted. As always, Cussler ties everything together in the end. The author's many fans probably know that at the start, but they will want to read the novel anyway. Cohen, George

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154388
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154386
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (144 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,596 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical Cussler thriller, but still fun!, October 29, 2007

By	Gretchen Schwenee - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This one is a bit different then the typical Dick Pitt adventure but still a lot of fun. This one starts out with the recovery of an old steam locomotive from the bottom of a lake in the 1950's and in it are three dead men from years earlier. The book then flashes back to the old west and the 24 month crime spree of the bank robber the Butcher Bandit. This guy is really bad! He has killed many men and woman and even children. After the butcher Is private investigator Isaac Bell who has been hired by the US government to put an end to the butcher's evil run. This is kind of a mixture of Cussler's typical thriller adventure with an old west dime novel, and it all makes for a page turning, enjoyable read. For another great read set in the modern west try Across the High Lonesome! (same author of the cult thriller hit A Tourist In The Yucatan )

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A few minor complaints, but overall The Chase is fast paced fun., December 27, 2007

By	J. Norburn (Quesnel, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Chase, as the title might suggest, is a fast paced action packed novel. The Chase tells the story of a conveniently wealthy PI in pursuit of a murderous bank robber in 1906. The novel delivers on a number of counts and overall is a pretty entertaining ride.

A few small complaints:

The ending lacks suspense because we know exactly what's going to happen. I kept turning pages, but in the end felt like I was going through the motions, waiting for the inevitable outcome. Even the epilouge 50 years later was painfully predictable.

The novel includes a commonly used gimmick which is to incorporate a famous historical event into the story. In this case Cussler uses the San Francisco earthquake. I'm generally not a fan of this sort of thing unless the event is central to the story and not just a plot device. In this case, Cussler uses the disaster as a plot device to provide a diversion for a bank robber's escape. While the use of the earthquake is not nearly as awkward and forced as Jeffery Archer's use of 9/11 in his abysmal novel False Impressions, it still feels out of place to me. The challenge is that in the face of such catastrophic disasters, the central plot of catching a bank robber (even a murderous one) pales in comparison to the devastation caused by the disaster.

Finally, I'm getting a little tired of independently wealthy crime fighters. Our hero in this novel works as a low paying PI but he is an extremely rich man. This allows him to solve a host of problems just by throwing money around. It's all a little too convenient for me.

My complaints are relatively minor though. All in all, this is an entertaining fast paced read that takes the reader back to a time when murders couldn't be solved in the lab or with computer data bases. The Chase isn't perfect, but it's good fun.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "BUTCHER BANDIT", November 18, 2007

By	Fred Ratterree "sea dog" (Wilmington, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Only Clive Cussler could go from writing about NUMA and their exploits and turn out such a book as good as this. There is no Dirk or other players that you are familar with, but an outstanding new one with the name of Issac Bell. Hopefully Cussler will continue with his exploits in future books also. A well written book and one that keeps you from putting the book down except for bathroom breaks. Well done again. When is the next one??