I thought Blue Gold was one of the better recent Cussler reads.As usual the action was exciting and intriguing.It did not get bogged down in stage setting and mechanical specifications but moved quickly from scene to scene.I particularly enjoyed the topic of fresh water and its value to us humans.Interesting characters.However,Austin and Zavala are such exact replicas of Dirk and Giordino that I wonder why the name change is necessary. If you like Cussler you will like this book.