Kurt Austin, the leader of NUMA's Special Assignments Team, and his colleagues match wits with a billionaire mining tycoon claiming Romanov ancestry who has proclaimed himself czar of Russia and sets out to topple the Russian government and keep the Americans from interfering with his schemes. 500,000 first printing. Adult/High School-Deposits of "fire ice," frozen methane hydrate found in abundance off of the East Coast of the United States, become potential hazards of monumental proportions. When an insane Russian mining mogul decides he can use the sub stance to threaten and destroy large areas of major national powers, he becomes the target for Kurt Austin, leader of NUMA's (National Underwater and Marine Agency) Special Assignments Team. Austin and his partner in the fight against crime, Joe Zavala, encounter a band of traditionally dressed and armed Cossacks; an underground bunker of a Nazi sub; and the Russian mogul's assistant, who looks and acts like Rasputin. With its many surprises, constant action, and Cussler's special brand of characters, the book will be just the thing for readers who enjoy fast-paced action-adventure flavored with some alternate-history events. Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. This is the third in the series of Kurt Austin novels coauthored by Cussler and Kemprecos. Austin is a larger-than-life hero in the mold of Dirk Pitt, the central character of more than a dozen novels authored by Cussler alone. His latest adventure includes such good stuff as tidal waves, a mad Russian mining tycoon who thinks he's the tsar, his Rasputin-like assistant, murders, Cossacks charging, Old Ironsides firing, and, oh, yes, the inevitable gorgeous heroine. While the fast-paced plot is wildly improbable (it revolves around "fire ice," the frozen methane hydrate deposits in the depths of the ocean, which, if disturbed, will accelerate global warming and destroy the environment), and there's nary a doubt that Austin will save the day, the novel is still a lot of good fun. With Cussler's following, this is bound to be a good summertime hit. For all general collections. Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Kurt Austin, leader of NUMA's (National Underwater and Marine Agency) Special Assignments Team and the protagonist-hero of Serpent (1999) and Blue Gold (2000), returns to take on a mining tycoon who has proclaimed himself the czar of Russia. The U.S. opposes this move, fearing that, with the country's economy at an all-time low and the power of organized crime at an all-time high, Russia's legally elected president will be ousted from office. The novel begins in 1918 with a gun battle aboard a cargo ship that sinks, filled with royal treasures. The setting then moves to the present with lots of action at sea (and on the seafloor) off the coast of Maine, the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea. The plot includes an evildoer who knows how to create a tsunami that can cause enormous destruction and the threat of a massive release of methane that could trigger large-scale global warming. Joe Zavala, Austin's sidekick, rejoins him, and the pair are exposed to any number of dangers. Like many of Cussler's books, three of them coauthored by Kemprecos, Fire Ice is sure to reach the best-seller list. George Cohen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Clive Cussler is the author of many New York Times bestsellers, most recently The Spy and Lost Empire . He lives in Arizona. Paul Kemprecos has coauthored all five previous NUMA Files novels with Cussler and is a Shamus Award-winning author of six underwater detective thrillers. Fiction Action, Adventure