Review: Crew of the Oregon fights most ruthless villain yet

“Typhoon Fury” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison (Photo: Clive Cussler/Facebook)

“Typhoon Fury” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison

Juan Cabrillo and his elite crew of the ship the Oregon fight their most ruthless villain yet in “Typhoon Fury” by Clive Cussler and Boyd Morrison, the latest addition to the Oregon Files series.

Cabrillo receives a request to assist with paintings thought to have vanished long ago that recently have been spotted. The paintings are in the control of a man named Locsin, who has escaped capture.

Locsin and his allies have found a hidden stash of drugs developed by the Japanese during World War II that can turn someone ordinary into something extraordinary. Maintaining these superpowers requires continuous use of the drug. Locsin has a medical team trying to isolate and recreate the effects synthetically. To pay for it, and his attempts at an insurgency in the Philippines, he plans to sell the stolen art.

Cabrillo has his hands full trying to stop a madman who literally might be unstoppable while also recovering the art and keeping others from discovering the truth about the drug.

Cussler and Morrison deliver a story that could easily be the basis for three books. The Oregon crew continues to be fleshed out as compelling characters and the descriptions of the ship make the journey worthwhile.

Villainy on land, sea and air — what more could an adventure fan ask for?