In the 1930’s, the giant airship Goliath was lost with all hands somewhere in Africa. Reputedly on board where the Russian Crown jewels, now lost to the world. In the modern Day Jen March, a historian who had researched the crash, is the subject of a kidnap attempt and is rescued by Ryan Marshall and his team of operatives. When a second attempt is made to kidnap her, once again foiled by Marshall, it seems that someone is desperate to get their hands on her. In the shadowy world of global politics, someone is setting themselves up to be the next Russian president and to do that they need Miss March to locate the Russian Crown Jewels for them. While unrest begins to take its toll, Jen is finally seized and given no option. It is then up to Marshall, to not only rescue Jen, but foil a much bigger plan that could result in global devastation.

This is an action book first and foremost. The weapons are lovingly described, the action scenes have punch and the brutal effects are in abundance as Marshall and his team wade knee deep through plenty of mercenaries. Unfortunately, the characters are not so well defined. Everyone is well described, but there is little character to them, relying on well worn sterotypes when making up the team. Even worse, is this goes double for the villains of the piece who are over-the-top evil caricatures, spending all their time doing evil things because they are evil and hungry for power. There are a number of occasions throughout the novel, when a calmer head on the lead villain, Dmitry Romanov, would easily have led to his coronation. Also his reason for requiring Miss March, had me wondering just how much vodka he had been drinking that particular night.

The story would not be out of place in a bond movie and has the sad fact that it is also very predictable from chapter to chapter. The pace of the story and the global hopping from location to location is fast and furious and keeps it moving along rapidly, almost because if you were to stop and think, you might realise how ludicrous some of it was.

If you are looking for a fun story with fast action and lots of guns, a little plot to hang it together and something to fill an afternoon, this one is probably for you. Otherwise, there are plenty of other novels out there.