The Gangster

By: Clive Cussler, Justin Scott

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Isaac Bell is back in this thrilling new novel from the number-one New York Times best-selling grand master of adventure, Clive Cussler.

It is 1906, and in New York City, the Italian crime group known as the Black Hand is on a spree: kidnapping, extortion, arson. Detective Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Agency is hired to form a special Black Hand Squad, but the gangsters appear to be everywhere - so much so that Bell begins to wonder if there are imitators, criminals using the name for the terror effect. And then the murders begin, each one of a man more powerful than the last, and, as Bell discovers to his dismay, the ultimate target may be the most powerful man of all.

©2016 Clive Cussler and Justin Scott (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Great new release in the Isaac Bell series!

The Gangster is a superb mystery/suspense/thriller novel with an emphasis on mystery. It is set in the New York City area in 1906 and although it is Book 9 in the series there is only one novel in the series is set earlier; the books in the series are set in the years 1902 through 1921 inclusive,

In The Gangster the Van Dorn Detective Agency is hired to take down an Italian crime group that calls itself Black Hand. The secretive crime group is involved in almost every imaginable type of crime. Their methods of communicating internally while the leader remains anonymous are extremely creative.

Isaac Bell is not yet lead detective so Joseph Van Dorn leads the effort while Isaac Bell does most of the brain work and gets most of the action. Most of the suspense comes near the end of the novel as the leader of Black Hand seeks to kill a VERY high level target.

In my opinion although The Gangster deserves five stars it is not the best book in the series. Scott Brick's narration is flawless.

Detective thrillers take a back seat only to espionage thrillers on my preference list. Given a choice between listening to The Gangster and the recently released Back Blast, the Court Gentry/Gray Man espionage thriller novel by Mark Greaney, Back Blast is the easy winner. Fortunately I can listen to both on the days of their release.

One of the fun parts of listening to the Isaac Bell series is comparing technology and the value of money today with approximately 100 years ago. For example, 100 years ago transportation was very slow compared to today. Another example is that in 1916 four cents had the same buying power as one dollar today.

32 of 41 people found this review helpful

the story is good but not great

I struggled to finish but the storyline is good just a little all over the place confusing at times willing to try another story

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Best Bell Yet!

In the world of Isaac Bell, every story is an amazing adventure, and this one tops them all. Moving at the pace of the 20th Century Limited, with a rocket booster, The Gangster grabs you, pulls you to the edge of your seat and never lets go! Bully job, Mr. Cussler and Mr. Scott! Just Bully! (Wish there wasn't a year wait between episodes. I love Sam and Remi, but Issac Bell is my favorite Cussler character!)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Action-packed

Since I'm mostly an Anglophile, I don't read many stories set in America - except for the Tanner series by Remington Kane. However, this book kept me interested and had lots of action. I haven't read a Clive Cussler book since Raise the Titanic, but I'll certainly give his and Justin Scott's other books a try. Scott Brick does a great job as narrator - first tier of American readers.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Busy Crime Tale

Good story but very detailed. It lost me at times but was easy to reconnect.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

3 1/2 stars

Too many characters. Started to not care about any of them. No Cussler harrowing escapes.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Needs Dramatization

Frankly, Scott Brick does a great job narrating Clive Cussler's books. However if there was ever a book series that needed dramatization it's Clive Cussler's books. Listening to his books would be immensely more pleasurable if they were dramatized using multiple voice actors and realistic background sounds. I have listened to many Clive Cussler books and I always feel uncomfortable whenever Scott imitates a woman's voice. Truly it sounds .... rediculous. In addition its near impossibility for any human being to mimic the accents of multiple book characters of a foreign settin without them all sounding almost the same and thereby confusing to the listener. May I strongly suggest that Mr. Cussler continue to use Scott Brick perhaps as the primary voice actor but to include full dramatization for not only future books but for all his books of the past. How cool would that be?

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Orange County NY makes it into a book !

Wow what a surprise to hear my home County in the Hudson Valley of NY and all the places I am familiar with included in a book. My only question is where exactly did one of the main Villains live was it the oldest gated community in the USA ; Tuxedo Park, was it Cornwall on the Hudson or Newburgh? That has me the most curious. Also discussing and including the construction of the greatest water supply system the world had ever seen really helped to keep me interested.

I like the entire Bell character. The theme of a private detective agency in the realm of Pinkerton and the detail in which the lifestyle of the day is displayed.

There is a little point in the middle of the book where I kind of drifted off and at one point fell to sleep while on a plane and just did not bother replaying, I did try but did the same thing twice and figured that it was just a slow uninteresting part of the story. Most likely what a movie director would completely leave out of a movie.

I look forward to reading or listening to another Nathan Bell drama...

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Clive Cussler missing.

Scott Brick is an outstanding in his performance as usual! But the story line is weak. The book is out of order. Overall it is an OK book, but not what I've come to expect from Mr. Cussler.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A new Bell adventure to keep us enthralled.

Scott Brick is the best norator for these adventures.
A new hit from Clive Cussler that I give a bouble thumbs up to.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful