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Night Probe!

(Dirk Pitt #6)

Clive Cussler

3.90 · Rating details · 13,352 ratings · 319 reviews

Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

In the midst of an international crisis, Heidi Milligan, a beautiful, brilliant American naval commander, accidentally discovers an obscure reference to the long-buried North American Treaty, a precedent-shattering secret pact between the United States and Great Britain. The President believes that the treaty of

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Mass Market Paperback, 345 pages

Published June 1st 1984 by Bantam (first published January 1st 1981)

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Start your review of Night Probe! (Dirk Pitt, #6)

May 23, 2020 Ken rated it liked it · review of another edition

The early Dirk Pitt adventures are always quite enjoyable slightly dated fun, though for some reason I couldn't really connect with the plot on this one.

This time Pitt must try and rescue a long lost treaty signed prior to the First World War.
One having plunged into the Hudson River on an express train, whilst the other was held on an ocean liner that sunk in the St. Lawrence River.

The main reason why I couldn't quite engage with this one was the political landscape of the time.
I'm not overly fa ...more

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Apr 01, 2018 Debra Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, suspense, crime

Night Probe! by Clive Cussler

Genres; Action/Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Suspense

4 Stars

Published April 1st 1982 by Bantam Book
I admit it. I oftentimes buy my books at flea markets and yard sells. What is awesome is when the wife is dumping her husbands book collection. Talk about a gold mine for an avid addicted reader and a lover of suspense, action and 'secret agent' types. This particular yard sell endeavor yielded me a BOX FULL of paperback and (got to love it) Hardback! copies of Clive Cussl ...more

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Jan 20, 2015 Scott Rhee rated it really liked it

Shelves: clive-cussler, maritime, history, archaeology, action-adventure

So, I’m berating myself that I have only recently discovered the joys of reading Clive Cussler. Seriously, Clive, where have you been all my life?

“Night Probe!” is the third Cussler novel I have ever read, and it’s the sixth to feature his beloved action hero, Dirk Pitt. It’s clear to me now why so many people love the Pitt series.

Strange name aside, Dirk Pitt is a pretty lovable hero. Tough but funny, charismatic but serious when he needs to be, Pitt is basically an American James Bond minus a ...more

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Jul 26, 2019 Glen rated it really liked it

Shelves: maritime, neo-pulp, men-s-adventure

In the days of WWI, Britain is desperate, and signs a mysterious treaty with the USA. The ship carrying the treaty across the Atlantic. Years later, a reference to the mysterious treaty is found. Britain starts killing off anyone who might know about it.

Dirk Pitt gets involved, as a treaty may be in a sunken ship. Plenty of spy jinks and high adventure.

I had a problem with the ending where a Naval officer is rewarded for telling secrets, which got people killed. Sure they were fictional characte ...more

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Dec 12, 2018 Neil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, clive-cussler-shelf, finished-in-2018, mystery, fiction

Despite being a bit dated in parts, this is still a fun book to read. It moves at a pretty good pace from start to finish; it still holds my interest throughout the entire story. (view spoiler) It takes place shortly after Vixen 03 and utilizes a character or two who we Despite being a bit dated in parts, this is still a fun book to read. It moves at a pretty good pace from start to finish; it still holds my interest throughout the entire story. (view spoiler) It takes place shortly after Vixen 03 and utilizes a character or two who were introduced in the prior novel (including Heidi Milligan). The author does a nice job of weaving historical fiction in with historical fact to tell a crazy, rousing story (view spoiler).

The character development is decent. Al Giordino has some 'cameos' towards the end the story; I may have to read Deep Six next to see if I can figure out when Al becomes a recurring character and Dirk's "sidekick" in future novels. So, considering how much of a 'foil' he becomes in later novels so that Dirk's "genius" can be revealed, it is always 'fun/nice' to see him when he was 'more in his prime' and had some relative depth to his character when he showed up in a story. I am not sure how much Heidi develops as a character; she seems to play more of a 'second fiddle' to keep the story moving (view spoiler). (view spoiler) Rudi Gunn also makes an appearance, but his performance does not stand out to me.

Foss Gly was nuts! (view spoiler)

One of the 'current' weaknesses of the book when read ‘today’ is its portrayal of women. There are three 'primary' women mentioned in the novel (Heidi Milligan, Danielle Sarveux, and Dirk Pitt's secretary, Zerri Pochinski). Each of them has a ‘role’ to play in the story, and the roles are ‘prominent’ roles, but they still play ‘second fiddle’ to the men. (view spoiler)[I do not know how 'strong' these women are supposed to be, but they are quite prone to 'feminine weaknesses' throughout the novel. Well, Heidi and Danielle are. Dirk's secretary is described as being quite beautiful and willing to have a 'working affair' with her boss, but Dirk has refused to engage her due to being burned in a prior working relationship. Both of them are described as pondering how such a relationship might proceed at different points in the book.
Heidi has a 'one-time' fling with Dirk; however, she engages in multiple sexual encounters with Brian (as part of his assignment is to seduce her to learn what she knows, British Intelligence being aware of her fondness for older men and her prior relationship with the Admiral Walter Bass from Vixen 03). At the same time, Heidi is portrayed as being fairly smart and an important part of the story. She does find the initial blurbs that describe the North American Treaty, which leads to the rest of the book taking place. She is also instrumental in overcoming some obstacles thrown in the way of the Americans in terms of trying to locate various bits of information. Because of her relationship with Brian Shaw, she regularly puts the Americans behind the proverbial eight ball as the British race ahead, but then she makes up for her errors in judgment by coming up with alternative means to find the desired information stolen by Shaw. So it is interesting to read a novel in which Dirk does not come up with all of the information before he proceeds to razzle-dazzle everybody with his knowledge, foresight, and ability to find the desired information without anyone else’s assistance. The author did do a nice job with Heidi in terms of having her find information needed to help solve the mystery and find the lone surviving copy of the North American Treaty. In the end, though, she and Brian Shaw fly off together after professing their deep and abiding love for each other.

The descriptions of how different Pitt and Shaw are when described as lovers is amusing. Her one-and-only round of sex with Pitt is described as “just when the blood felt as though it would burst inside and her muscles pulsed uncontrollably, she opened her mouth to scream. It was then Pitt penetrated her and she came and came in a sweeping rage of pleasure that never seemed to end” (46). Whoa! What a hunka-chunka-rough-lovin’ man she has, there! After her first encounter with Shaw, she ponders how “making love to a stranger only a few hours after meeting him gave her an inner thrill she had not known before. It was a sensation that was peculiar to her” (123) (apparently because she’d only had five sexual partners by the time she was thirty). She goes on to ponder, “Why is it . . . the older a woman becomes, the more she regrets not having gone to bed with more men” (123). Of course, Shaw, being the gentleman he is, takes her back to bed and ravishes her after she willingly gives him the information he is seeking in regards to the lost Treaty (125). When she is in the throes of lovemaking with Shaw later in the book, she begins to compare Pitt and Shaw, describing how “Pitt’s style was consuming and savage and impelled to respond with savage intensity. Their time in bed had been a competition, a tournament she never won” (292). It’s funny how “her mind refused to accept his superiority, and yet her body hungered for it with sinful abandon” (293). In contrast, Shaw was described as “tender and almost respectful, and she could control her responses. Together, they nurtured each other” (293). At least she recognizes both men are using her; she just enjoys how Shaw goes about using her more than she enjoys Pitt’s aggressiveness. By the story’s end, Heidi “felt a deep sense of longing as she remembered how Shaw touched her. He had invaded her life and she was resentful now of the love he had taken. But there was no remorse, only annoyance with herself for losing control” (341). It’s kinda funny how she feels no remorse over giving Shaw information that led to the deaths of various individuals because she could not keep her mouth shut and was too trusting, but she feels remorse over losing control of herself around Shaw. Ah, well. Ain’t love grand?

Danielle seems to serve no other purpose, really, other than being a sex object for either Henry or Foss to copulate with. She is described as being rich, wealthy, and intelligent (although it never really shows in the book), and well-connected. Well, she is ‘verbally’ described in this manner; what the author shows about her is the opposite of what she is supposed to be. She comes across as shallow, catty, weak, simple-minded, and ruled/governed by her lusts and emotions. At the end of the book, she ‘realizes’ that she no longer has a future with Henry Villon as he is going to cast her aside once he becomes the President of Quebec, yet she can no longer ‘go home’ as she has already declared her plans to divorce her husband and Henry has also ensured their marriage will no longer last (as Henry has already told Charles about his affair with Charles’ wife).

It is somewhat odd that Henry Villon is mentioned as having a wife, and she is mentioned in pasting a time or two, but she never really makes an appearance in the book at all. The poor woman is the victim of her husband’s cheating, yet she apparently never learns or knows what he is doing or who he is doing it with (or, I suppose, the case could be made she knows and does not care because she has her own lover(s) as well). In any case, Henry does treat his wife poorly by betraying her with his lecherous behavior with Danielle. It also seems odd that Danielle is so willing to acquiesce to Henry’s abandoning her and casting her aside; one would think the altruism of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” should have held true, here, and Danielle would have had her vengeance upon Henry. Her willingly accepting Henry’s abandoning her and casting her aside really seemed out of character for her, to be honest. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)

In many respects, it was a fun book. It does beggar the imagination a bit in places, but that is what makes the book so much fun to read. The amount of sex in the book is pretty crazy, too; I cannot figure out if the author was trying to pay too much of an homage to James Bond or not (considering James appears in the story as Pitt’s ‘primary’ antagonist) with the amount of sex. The author does a good job, at times, of giving his secondary characters “strong humanity” and some depth, then, in other places, they are just a part of the background. I really enjoyed the “haunted train” that was introduced early on in the book and the source of its mystery was eventually discovered. It was assuredly one of the ‘more enjoyable’ moments of the book. (view spoiler)

I think one of the ‘most interesting’ facets of this book is that Dirk Pitt still plays something of a ‘second fiddle’ in his own story. While he is the ‘primary’ hero, he is surrounded by other capable people who assist him in ‘getting the job done’ and discovering the necessary information to solve the mystery before him (and his team). Whereas in later novels, he would be able to find or deduce most of the information on his own, in this novel Heidi plays a big part in helping him locate the surviving copy of the Treaty, which is pretty cool in its own right. While Al has a smaller part to play in this novel, he still has an important role as leader of one of the search teams (and the descriptions of his ‘leadership’ in times of stress were pretty funny to read). I do not remember if Hiram Yaeger was in the novel, but Rudi Gunn was, working with Pitt at the site of the Empress if Ireland to locate the British copy of the Treaty. The technology in the book is somewhat advanced, considering when it was written and the advances the author was hypothesizing would happen. (view spoiler)

In an attempt to wrap this up, I still remember the first time I read this book and how crazy I thought it was and how much I enjoyed it. That was over twenty years ago. I still enjoy reading this book, how crazy it is, and how fast-paced it is. While it does not have some of the subsequent “signatures” one usually finds in a Pitt novel, it definitely has a creativity and uniqueness all its own that helps set it apart from the subsequent novels after, maybe, Treasure, that all seem to follow a similar ‘formula’ when it comes to telling a Dirk Pitt story. Be that as it may, I am sure I will reread it again at some point in time in the relative near future, as I still enjoyed reading it (again) that much.

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Jul 09, 2020 AndrewP rated it liked it

Shelves: action-adventure, read-in-2020, 2020-bookshelf-clearance

I think this book in the series (#6) is where Cussler really begins to hit his stride in terms of writing an action packed, suspenseful drama. Right from the start it was one of those storied where I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
Despite enjoying this book most of the way through I can only give it 3 stars because of a couple of annoyances. One character behaved like a naive and gullible idiot and the ending left me wondering how Cussler is going to go forward with the ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Eli Hornyak rated it liked it

Not one of my favorites, but do still love these books

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Aug 26, 2020 Patrick rated it really liked it

Looking forward to the next in the Dirk Pitt series, another excellent and fact filled read!

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Feb 23, 2011 Roberta rated it it was amazing

In May 1914 two couriers disappear in twin disasters taking the only two copies of the North American Treaty with them. The governments of the United States and Great Britain order a cover up so it is as if the treaty never existed. In February 1989 Heidi Milligan, a stunningly beautiful (of course) naval commander discovers an obscure reference to the long-lost document which is now worth billions of dollars. The race is on to rescue one copy of the treaty from the bottom of the ocean.

I have a ...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Kallen Kentner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, action, fiction, my-no-stress-books

I've read all of the Dirk Pitt books (except perhaps some of the newest ones) and this definitely ranks as one of my favorites.

In my opinion, Night Probe (pub. 1981) is the best of Dirk Pitt's earlier novel and byy earlier, I mean before books set before Treasure... for no particular reason except I feel that by Treasure, the tone and style of the novels has shifted more to his contemporary style.

I re-read Night Probe! because of my love of the deep water recovery scenes and the exciting locomot ...more

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May 23, 2019 Matt rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads, adventure

Months before World War I consumed Europe and brought Britain’s Empire to the fields of France, a historic treaty could have changed everything if not for two accidents. The sixth book of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series, Night Probe!, finds the series protagonist on a historical and internationally significant hunt for a Treaty that sold Canada to the United States even as the aforementioned nation is on the verge of splitting and the United Kingdom is sending it’s great secret agent to stop hi Months before World War I consumed Europe and brought Britain’s Empire to the fields of France, a historic treaty could have changed everything if not for two accidents. The sixth book of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series, Night Probe!, finds the series protagonist on a historical and internationally significant hunt for a Treaty that sold Canada to the United States even as the aforementioned nation is on the verge of splitting and the United Kingdom is sending it’s great secret agent to stop him.

On the same day, a railroad disaster along the Hudson River and a ship sinking in the St. Lawrence kills two diplomats from the United States and Great Britain heading from Canada to their respective capitals with signed treaties that sells Canada to the United States. After both men die and the treaties presumed lost, President Wilson communicates with his British counterpart to forget that it ever happened. Three-quarters of a century later, Heidi Mulligan finds a unknown letter by Wilson communicating to Prime Minister Asquith about the North American Treaty setting off a chain of events that discovers evidence about the unknown treaty and makes it’s way across the Pond to the British archives sending 10 Downing Street into a panic and getting out of retirement it’s greatest secret agent, Brian Shaw (not at all James Bond, but is basically an older James Bond). One of those Heidi tells is friend (from Vixen 03) Dirk Pitt who doing his own research on top of Heidi’s gives his circumstantial evidence to the new President, who was previously in the Senate with his father. The President uses the information as part of his plan with the embattled Canadian Prime Minister threatened with Quebec secession while recovering from an assassination attempt by a Quebec terrorist group headed by his own right-hand man in his cabinet, who is also having an affair with his wife. Shaw seduces Heidi to learn everything she does and then attempts to prevent Pitt from getting either copy of the treaty but comes just short. Pitt gets the Treaty to the President, who is speaking to the Canadian Parliament and announces the historical find while inviting the provinces to apply for statehood.

Before anything else, the biggest issue with this book is Cussler’s total lack of understanding of the Constitution, Canadian history, and the Commonwealth of Nations. Of the three it’s the Constitution as all treaties must be approved by the Senate, which a President that had been a sitting Senator would know as well as Pitt’s father who is still a Senator, and after 75 years attempting to bring it to a vote would probably result in a Supreme Court case. The second is the Commonwealth of Nations are all self-governing and not the British Empire under a new name, so while it would have been embarrassing to Britain it wouldn’t result in what happened in the book. Now let’s get to the story; overall, it’s a good overall adventure tale with a good spy subplot and some good political intrigue (Canadian) and not so good (President). Pitt was able to get more nuisance and Heidi Mulligan was the best female character in the series so far, Brian Shaw as the older not-James Bond but basically is was a nice touch and good way to segue into so many plots. The Canadian political intrigue, if fleshed out more, could have been its own book but just added to the overall quality and somewhat makes up for the lack of understanding of various things on Cussler’s part.

Night Probe! is a very good installment of the Dirk Pitt series that is unfortunately undermined by Clive Cussler’s intentional or unintentional lack of understanding over various political and historical factors. The various adventure, spy, and political intrigue subplots work well together to create fun book to read if you don’t think too much. ...more

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May 01, 2020 Thom rated it really liked it

Shelves: wabookclub, fiction-series

The fifth published Dirk Pitt novel was pretty good, and may be a tough standard for the other novels to live up to. Underwater action, adventure, seduction, and of course classic cars - but this novel adds history to the mix quite effectively. I just wish it were more electronically available...

I have read that this is one of the best early Dirk Pitt novels - apparently Treasure is the dividing point. I did enjoy it quite a bit, especially the underwater scenes. I also read that Brian Shaw was ...more

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May 09, 2009 Janet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: set-in-north-america, set-in-the-united-kingdom, finished, 1980s-present, fiction

Dirk does it again, folks. The superhuman stamina and luck Cussler gives this guy always overwhelms me. I would never have accused either of them of having romantic tendencies, but the wonderful ending of Night Probe! (why does he end every title with an exclamation point?) proved me wrong. This is the best novel in the series so far.

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Mar 09, 2017 Fredrick Danysh rated it liked it

In 1914 the United States, Canada, and Britain sign a secret treaty selling Canada to the United States. When two couriers carrying copies of the treaty disappear a cover up takes place. Decades later when world energy supplies dwindle, the American president renews efforts to find and enforce the treaty despite the efforts of both the British and a radical French-Canadian group.

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Jul 08, 2018 Mark Harrison rated it liked it · review of another edition

Excellent adventure tale as Pitt tries to salvage a missing train and a passenger liner to find a treaty ceding Canada to the USA. British agents battle against him and there are lots of good action sequences. All in all a good engaging thriller.

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Aug 25, 2012 Neil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, clive-cussler-shelf, finished-in-2012, finished-in-2014

This is a book that brings me both enjoyment and frustration. It is a fast book [not as fast as Vixen 3, but still fast] and it still manages to be interesting. It also has James Bond appearing opposite Dirk Pitt. Ironically, this is my third or fourth copy of the hardbound edition. I bought my first copy at a thrift store, loaned it out, and never got it back. Same with the second copy. The third copy I bought at a used book store, only to have it magically disappear from my shelves [either I l This is a book that brings me both enjoyment and frustration. It is a fast book [not as fast as Vixen 3, but still fast] and it still manages to be interesting. It also has James Bond appearing opposite Dirk Pitt. Ironically, this is my third or fourth copy of the hardbound edition. I bought my first copy at a thrift store, loaned it out, and never got it back. Same with the second copy. The third copy I bought at a used book store, only to have it magically disappear from my shelves [either I loaned it a THIRD time or somebody borrowed it and forgot to return it].

This book frustrates the heck out of me in the sense that it introduces a document that will literally change the geopolitical landscape of the planet as well as previously undiscovered wealth on the ocean floor that will help bring the United States out of bankruptcy/debt. Yet, after this novel, we never again hear of the treaty that combined the countries of Canada and the United States into one country. The entire premise is a fascinating one, and I enjoyed how the author went about ensuring the treaty was lost and then found nearly eighty years later. The author does a masterful job of blending fact with fiction to tell a compelling story.

This is one of the 'off-again' novels for Dirk and Loren. Loren does not even rate an afterthought in Dirk's mind in this book. He is gung-ho for Heidi Milligan in this novel - he encounters her in passing at a restaurant and she convinces him to bed her for the night. She is still in mourning [of a sort] over the passing of her former lover, the retired Admiral Bass, and is trying to move on. Dirk is more than happy to help her. In fact, I think this novel might have the highest concentration of sexual activity in it for a Dirk Pitt novel [not that that is necessarily anything to brag about]. Dirk shacks up with Heidi, who then shacks up a few times with the suave and debonair Brian Shaw [aka James Bond]. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, the Canadian President's wife is having an affair with his Minister of Internal Affairs [nice play on words, get it?] and has been for quite some time. Unbeknownst to her [until it is too late] an assassin of her lover [Foss Gly, who returns in Cyclops] also seduces her in an attempt to drive a wedge between her and her lover. So, yeah, there is a lot of sex in this book. Crazy.

(view spoiler)

(view spoiler)[ We discover in this novel that the British sold Canada to the United States for the sum of one billion dollars, but the treaties were lost due to horrible accidents. Because all records were lost [or assumed to be lost, as the Brits never throw anything away], it was agreed the initial down payment would be turned into a loan. The 'current' President decides to total up the value of all monies given to Britain and never paid back by the Brits as justification for claiming the Brits received the agreed upon monetary value once the initial bones of the treaty are found.

Heidi was researching Woodrow Wilson when she discovered references to a previously-unknown treaty. Her inquiries become the spark to light the fire of the story as two allies nearly become enemies over this treaty. The Canadian president narrowly survives an assassination attempt by Foss Gly, who attempts to shoot down his airliner. Faking delirium, her husband sets a trap for her by telling her to put more guards on their giant hydroelectric dam that provides energy to one-fourth of the United States. Villon uses this information to attempt to blackmail the United States by shutting off all power to the US for five seconds.

The Brits get wind of the treaty and send in their top [retired] agent to get the goods from Heidi by seducing her. They know she has a thing for older men. We first see Shaw at a funeral for his old boss - one can only assume it is 'M' who has passed away and the former "Moneypenny" is speaking with him at the funeral. He does seduce Heidi and finds out everything she knows about the treaty. She never stops to consider that he might be pumping her for information.

Dirk is nearly killed in an experimental submersible while testing the odd craft along the northern Canadian shoreline by a USN nuclear attack sub. When he reports to Admiral Sandecker about their underwater findings, Sandecker is amazed at how well their vessel has worked. It discovers minerals and precious resources via the unique wavelength at which each object/substance vibrates. This allows NUMA to find a vast oil field in a stratigraphic trap; the downside is that the oil field is located inside Quebec-waters. Dirk is ordered to dive on the Empress if Ireland as well as to find the Manhattan Limited in order to locate a copy of the lost treaty. He ends up saving Brian Shaw's life while searching the Empress of Ireland. Gly is ready to kill the British agent when Pitt intervenes. Gly ends up detonating explosives smuggled onto the Empress to destroy everybody's plans and to kill as many people as possible; his ploy fails. Despite his best efforts, the treaty has been ruined by the water over the course of time.

Now Pitt has to find the Manhattan Limited. One would think after having been burnt by Shaw Heidi would be on her guard around this guy, but he seduces her a second time and AGAIN gets top-secret information out of her through the seduction. You'd think the girl would have learned the first time! They figure out that the train is probably buried in a mine somewhere. A team of HMS Royal Marines parachutes into upper state New York; they end up facing off against three companies [about forty men] from the USMC. Dirk Pitt ends up doing a 'night probe' [the term used by divers swimming in dark underwater caves/caverns at night] in order to reach the Manhattan Limited before the Brits do. Obviously, he succeeds. Shaw is wounded. But in an interesting turn of events, Shaw is released by Pitt at the end of the story so that Shaw can take Heidi back to Britain and they can live happily ever after. This is one of the few times where Dirk does not get the girl [or have the girl in his arms] at the end of the book. (hide spoiler)]

One of my favorite moments in the book was when the Canadian destroyer tells an unidentified floating object to move it or lose it - if the vessel does not move the Canadians will attack. The unidentified floating vessel signals back that they are a guided missile cruiser and will be more than happy to blow the Canadians out of the water [my paraphrase]. I laughed quite a bit when reading that segment the first couple of times, and it still brings a smile to my face.

In the end, Foss Gly appears to die [I say 'appears' because he survives to show up in Cuba in Cyclops]. Danielle and Villon die. Oddly enough, Shaw does not die. And we find out (view spoiler).

The whole treaty where Canada and the US become one country is a great idea. Especially when one considers the amount of mineral wealth and resources that have been discovered in Canadian waters [territories]. Yet nothing is ever said again of Canada and the US becoming one country in future stories. It should have been mentioned several times, in my opinion, in future books. It was kind of a let down, especially after how the author has carried some sub-plots over from one book to the next. For instance, the 'doodlebug' was built specifically due to the actions of Meta Section, which was the think tank started by the former president discussed in Raise the Titanic. Ah, well. It does not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I loved how James Bond shows up in the book and is Dirk Pitt's opponent. It is more than fitting, and it makes the book that much more delightful. I thought it was a nice homage to the British super spy, and the author did splendid job by utilizing the character like he did. It was pretty funny in parts, in my opinion. Definitely made the book worth the reading. ...more

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May 03, 2015 Brett T rated it it was ok

Shelves: thriller, full-review-available

Before Clive Cussler and his "co-authors" worked themselves into a several-books-a-year publishing schedule, as much as three years would elapse between the adventures of National Underwater and Marine Agency scientist, adventurer and Square-Jawed Hero Dirk Pitt. So although Night Probe came out eight years after Pitt debuted, it's only the fifth Pitt adventure and we can see Cussler still working on his storytelling groove.

Set in 1989, seven years after the publication date, we find a United St Before Clive Cussler and his "co-authors" worked themselves into a several-books-a-year publishing schedule, as much as three years would elapse between the adventures of National Underwater and Marine Agency scientist, adventurer and Square-Jawed Hero Dirk Pitt. So although Night Probe came out eight years after Pitt debuted, it's only the fifth Pitt adventure and we can see Cussler still working on his storytelling groove.

Set in 1989, seven years after the publication date, we find a United States on the verge of economic collapse because of the depletion of Middle Eastern oil supplies and the lack of native-generated alternatives. Almost a quarter of the nation depends on power generated by a massive Canadian hydroelectric plant, but Canada faces the possibility of Quebec seceding from the nation and causing the kind of chaos a precariously-balanced situation doesn't need.

Into the mix comes US Navy officer and researcher Heidi Milligan, who has found evidence of a mysterious U.S.- Great Britain "North American Treaty" from 1914 that seems to have disappeared from all public record. Milligan's work brings the treaty to the notice of the president, who directs NUMA and Pitt to locate copies believed to have sunk in the St. Lawrence River after a horrific train accident in 1914. Great Britain, on the other hand, would rather the treaty stay buried and so recalls retired agent Brian Shaw to learn what Milligan knows and stop the recovery.

There's quite a bit of skullduggery amongst the various parties of Quebecois separatists, high-level domestic intrigue and bed-hopping, British military secret missions and et cetera and et cetera. Cussler wildly overplots the story and overindulges himself with characters, villainy and geopolitical gamesmanship and commentary that he's not particularly equipped to handle -- one notes the fact that Middle Eastern oil reserves did not run out in the early 1990s, for example.

It would be a few books later before Cussler took his strengths -- action scenes, underwater exploration and maritime and oceanographic expertise and straight-ahead, no-frills talespinning -- and drilled down to keep them in the forefront of the Pitt adventures. Night Probe shows a number of those already present, but mires them in way too much et cetera to rank much above middling in the series.

Original available here. ...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Eric Bauman rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2011

You know that one favorite restaurant of yours? Sure you do: the one that you go into so often that they know you on sight, and where you order pretty much the same thing every time so that you almost don’t have to order—they just bring it to you. And it is always so good! You know the place?

For me, Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series is like that restaurant (except that Clive Cussler doesn’t know me—at least, I don’t think he does). I have read all but the last two Pitt books—and am rereading them ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 Kevin rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this one, seemed to have more depth and intensity than the previous books (I'm reading them in order of publication). Definitely a combination of Bond/Cousteau, but spun the only way Clive Cussler can. ...more

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Jan 24, 2014 Balkron rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, military-intrigue

My Rating Scale:
1 Star - Horrible book, It was so bad I stopped reading it. I have not read the whole book and wont
2 Star - Bad book, I forced myself to finish it and do NOT recommend. I can't believe I read it once
3 Star - Average book, Was entertaining but nothing special. No plans to ever re-read
4 Star - Good Book, Was a really good book and I would recommend. I am Likely to re-read this book
5 Star - GREAT book, A great story and well written. I can't wait for the next book. I Will Re-Read th ...more

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May 14, 2020 Dean rated it liked it

Shelves: general-fiction

I enjoyed the start of the book and really expected some great mastermind of evil pulling strings. Then it went into a bit of a historic interesting direction that at first held my interest, then seemed to lose me a bit in the weeds, and then I just couldn't enjoy the ending because it seemed to implausible. As a guy who loves Star Trek and Star Wars, perhaps I should not have a problem with such fiction; but it lost me. I started out thinking it was a 5 star but ended at a 3 star and took dedic ...more

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Jan 24, 2008 Jeffrey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: thriller fans the world over

Shelves: thriller, mystery

This is a superb example of Cussler's oeuvre. It has action, great scenes, suspense and even a homage to James Bond.

Although Raise the Titanic broke Cussler into superstardom, this book was, to this reader, his best.

Nowadays with his co-written books on the best seller list monthly, its a good idea to go back and read the books that got him there.

...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Lee rated it really liked it

Shelves: dirk-pitt

This Dirk Pitt adventure was a dangerous one for our hero. With a high body count, corrupt politician's (imagine that?), and a retired British spy called back in to service. This had the feel of a spy novel, with the action of a Pitt novel. Fun read. ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Ryan Scicluna rated it really liked it

Shelves: clive-cussler

James Bond meets Dirk Pitt. No seriously there is James bond in this novel by Clive Cussler.

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Jul 21, 2018 Bill Seaward rated it it was ok

The sequence of events were too unbelievable to be enjoyable. Results way to convenient.

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Jul 14, 2019 Chris Haak rated it liked it

This is one of the older Clive Cussler books I’ve read. They’re not great, but they are more of a guilty pleasure in that they’re quick reads and full of action, however implausible.

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Jun 03, 2017 Roopkumar Balachandran rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure

Heidi Milligan discovers of an old crumpled letter in a university archive which leads into obscure and long lost document of North American Treaty. In early 1914 the British were aware that war with Germany was just around the corner. Britain was scraping the bottom of its treasury when it entered World War I. The Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and King George V out of desperation approaches President Woodrow Wilson with a proposal of selling Canada to the US for 1 billion dollars. Richard Esse ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Sarah Dunmire rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Grandpa wrote in here “very good,” and I agree very much on this one! Action-packed, as always, but much more focused in plot than the last one. All about this North American Treaty that apparently united Canada and the US in 1914 but both copies were lost in tragic ship/train accidents. This book of the series particularly felt James Bond-like. And Heidi Mulligan was a decent female character, and Cussler was not overly misogynist in this one!

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Aug 17, 2018 Philip rated it really liked it

A real page turner. My first Cussler novel. I picked it off the shelf at our old cabin and ended up ignoring my kids all weekend (they weren't too happy with me :) It must take some special talents to write books like these that you simply can't put down. ...more

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May 19, 2017 Ken rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure

Planes, trains, and automobiles may have been a favorite of Cussler's having read through many of his books. I'm reading through several of his series (Pitt, Fargo, Oregon, and Bell) and have begun to notice the great love he has for the aforementioned vehicles.

This book is again another exciting book in the Dirk Pitt series. Has some of the typical plot lines but also some twists that are not easily predicted. ...more

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About Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler

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Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.

Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.

In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.

Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).

Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020. ...more