The Race (An Isaac Bell Adventure)

by Clive Cussler

2012

Status

Available

Publication

G.P. Putnam's Sons (2012), Edition: Mass Paperback Edition, 448 pages

Description

Bell has never encountered a case- and an enemy- quite like the one before him now, though. It is 1910, the age of flying machines is still in its infancy, and newspaper publisher Preston Whiteway is offering $50,000 for the first daring aviator to cross America in less than fifty days. He is even sponsoring one of the prime candidates- an intrepid aviatrix named Josephine Frost- and that's where Bell, chief investigator for the Van Dorn Detective Agency, comes in. Frost's violent-tempered husband has just killed her lover and tried to kill her, and he is bound to try again. Bell has tangled with Harry Frost before, and knows the man has made his millions leading gangs of thieves, murderers, and thugs in every city across the country. He also knows Frost won't be after just his wife, but after Whiteway as well. And Bell knows that if he takes the case, Frost will be after him, too.--From front book jacket.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member jamespurcell

Good historical details and perspective with good main characters and most others quite stereotypical. Plot predictable to the extent that I was skipping pages to finish the book.

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LibraryThing member dswaddell

The historical aspects of the plot were very well done. the story however seemed to drag somewhat.

LibraryThing member readafew

Isaac Bell's 4th outing. In this one we and Isaac get to learn a lot about airplanes and their early growth. It's a lot of fun, and once again Bell has a crazy killer he needs to defend a client from. This time it's a pilot (plane driver) from her rich thug of a husband who has criminal contacts

across the country. He's intelligent and dangerous and has only one goal, to see his wife dead by his hands before dies.

Isaac needs to protect Josephine during a cross country air race and the only way he can think of to do so well, is to buy a plane and learn to fly.

I liked the book and I learned a lot about the time period as well as about the early history of planes. If you liked the others this one is worth it too.

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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams

This is a terrific action adventure story set in America around 1910. The story centres on a transcontinental airplane race. One of the racers is under a death threat from her insanely jealous wealthy estranged husband. The Van Dorn Detective Agency is hired to protect her and their top agent,

Isaac Bell, is assigned to the case. He is larger than life, almost a god, with no obvious faults: he's intelligent, wealthy, good looking and strong. He is so clever that he learned to fly an airplane in a couple of days! I think the authors go over the top with him, he's really a cartoon character and I am inclined to think it's all tongue in cheek with him. Despite that, as long as you suspend your disbelief about his perfection, the story is really exciting and will hold your interest up to the end. There's even a surprise winner of the race. Highly recommended reading, but it's not to be taken seriously.

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LibraryThing member DavidLErickson

In this adventure romp there are enough subplots to keep the reader guessing just who is among the bad guys, or girls. I enjoy the Isaac Bell character and the fact that not only does he meet extraordinary and beautiful women, but he stays loyal to his fiancee.

There were plenty of incidental

details about the early days of flight and the limitations that I not only learned a few things and it satisfied my interests in flight, yet not so much that it took away from the story.

Quite a satisfying read. I'd recommend it to any Cussler follower.

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LibraryThing member bicyclewriter

Another fun story by Justin Scott and Clive Cussler. I like this Isaac Bell character they've created.

LibraryThing member jetangen4571

Bought the paperback in 2012, and the audio in 2013, and reread it every year or so. Guilty of adoring anything Cussler, and totally admiring Isaac Bell, but it is the story itself that keeps me coming back. Long ago, I checked up on Cussler's background facts and was satisfied that the historical

researches are solid background for the fictional protagonists and the imaginative stories themselves.
Isaac works for the Van Dorn Detective Agency (We never give up. Never), and not only investigates the sabotage interfering with this epic air race (across the US) and murders along the way, but also learns to fly planes as avant garde as his automobiles (Cussler is noted for his vintage auto collection).
Fast paced and totally absorbing, this one will keep your nose glued to the page.
Scott Brick gives his usual stellar audio performance.

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LibraryThing member Alan1946

At first I thought this was going to be more straightforward than the previous novels in the series, but was rewarded by sticking with it. Although the protagonists were quite obvious there were a number of surprising twists and turns to enjoy. A very good read.

LibraryThing member Carol420

All in all, I got bored with it about a third of the way in and simply set it aside. My respect for Cussler and Scott as authors isn't diminished in the slightest, but I just don't care for this series.

LibraryThing member texicanwife

The Race
An Isaac Bell Adventure
by
Clive Cussler and Justin Scott

Copyright 2011 by Sandecker, RLLLP
G.P.Putnam & Sons
ISBN 978-0-399-15781-3

When a big newspaper mogul, in 1910, sponsors a flying machine race from New York to California, and a prize of $50,000 is at stake, some pretty unsavory

characters are bound to get involved!

For Harry Frost, that means attempting to murder his traitorous wife, Josephine.

Isaac Bell, and the Van Dorn agency intervenes to protect the Sweetheart of America as she takes to the air.

But who will win? And who... will lose more than just the prize?

This is a non-stop thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Another great action-packed novel by Cussler!

I give this one five stars and my thumbs up!

****DISCLOSURE: This book was a private purchase and was under no obligation for review.

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LibraryThing member sjh4255

Fourth book in the Isaac Bell series.... trains, submarine, cars, and now airplanes! Nowhere near as good of writing as previous books in the series... I believe Clive has handed off the majority of the writing to Mr Scott for this series... it was an ok story, but was really a bit of a letdown

overall in execution...

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LibraryThing member lbswiener

The Race: An Isaac Bell Adventure takes place in the sky. There is a crazed husband, a lover, the Van Dorn Detective Agency, regular people and wealthy alike all trying to win the flying machine race from New York to San Francisco. Many horrible things happen along the way. Per usual Isaac Bell

needs to have his superhuman powers to come to the rescue. The book was given four stars in this review. It is a good story.

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