The Bootlegger: An Isaac Bell Adventure

by Clive Cussler

2015

Status

Available

Publication

Berkley Books (2015), Edition: 1st, 435 pages

Description

"It is 1920, and both Prohibition and bootlegging are in full swing. When Isaac Bell's boss and lifelong friend Joseph Van Dorn is shot and nearly killed leading the high-speed chase of a rum-running vessel, Bell swears to him that he will hunt down the lawbreakers, but he doesn't know what he is getting into. When a witness to Van Dorn's shooting is executed in a ruthlessly efficient manner invented by the Russian secret police, it becomes clear that these are no ordinary criminals. Bell is up against a team of Bolshevik assassins and saboteurs--and they are intent on overthrowing the government of the United States"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member jamespurcell

Not his best, very predictable almost formulaic. The Toff, Simon Templar and Lord Peter Wimsey did the languid, rich sleuth with more aplomb and greater depth of character than Isaac. Great descriptions of armament and vehicles of the era kept me hanging in to finish but it was a slog.

5 more

LibraryThing member dswaddell

When his boss and friend catches some bullets while helping the Coast Guard chase bootleggers Bell and his detectives go after them in a pursuit that turns up a threat to the US itself.

LibraryThing member TJCams

This was a fast paced, historically/geographically accurate adventure taking place during the American prohibition era, featuring mafia like characters, rum runners, international intrigue, and quite a bit of excitement.

What especially appealed to me was the location that much of the story took

place. Where you may ask? One of the hot spots of rum running - Windsor/Detroit. The places, especially in Detroit, can be looked up on and found with minimal effort. They were actual places!

This was my first, but certainly not last Cussler book.

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LibraryThing member gilroy

While reading:
I don't know if it's the person reading the book or the actual text, but so far this book is horrible. It doesn't have a good easy flow to it.

I think I'm finally finding what's bugging me so much about this book: Too much exposition, not enough dialogue. Too much tell, not enough

show. I can't tell who the characters are...

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LibraryThing member jetangen4571

action-adventure, Isaac Bell, thriller/suspense

Nobody does action, adventure, suspense, and a solid historical background in a novel like Clive Cussler! During the time of the Volstead Act and the rise of communism, Isaac Bell takes on the bootleggers who nearly killed Joe Van Dorn. Gripping tale

despite my nerdy tendency to check the historicity of the background as the spirit strikes.
Scott Brick does Cussler proud as usual.

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LibraryThing member lbswiener

The Bootlegger is an action adventure that takes place during the Prohibition. The main characters have super human powers and good looks. The story brings up a point that was probably not intended. Many gangs and criminals made very large fortunes from the running of illegal alcohol. Would these

gangs have become so powerful, if there was no such thing as Prohibition? The Bootlegger is a good story that included well researched real incidents at the time. Four stars were awarded to this book.

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