At face value, this is very much a clone of a Clive Cussler story, right down to a hero who is also in the marine salvage / archaeology business, who gets tangled up in current crimes which tie into extraordinary historical discoveries. Like Clive Cussler’s novels, it’s also well-written with a level of detail which neither patronises nor overly challenges the reader.

Where it differs from Cussler is that most of the protagonists are troubled, damaged people, and Adams takes pains to explain their state of mind and how they arrived there. This makes a refreshing change from the two dimensional “supermen” heroes too common nowadays, but takes a little getting used to in an otherwise quite lightweight yarn.

The novel also has a very refreshing British feel, with several English characters and background elements. In particular the cultural references, banter and even the swearing are distinctly British rather than American, which makes a welcome change!

I liked the structure in which the stories of the central characters progress in parallel with each getting time in each chapter, at least until their paths converge. Coupled with good but eminently readable writing, well paced, it makes the book a real page-turner. Towards the end I found the book impossible to put down, and – I hope this doesn’t give too much away – I loved the final plot twist and uplifting ending.

This is a great yarn. As long as you can treat it on it’s own merits you’ll have an enjoyable read.