Maden has served as a political consultant and campaign manager in state and national elections, and hosted his own local weekly radio show.

If this book had been part of another series, I would have given it three stars, but I expect better form any works associated with the Clive Cussler name. Michaelides takes a literary turn in his latest novel, employing an unreliable narrator, the structure of classical drama, and a self-conscious eye to dismantling the locked-room mystery. Because the Oregon's crew have just stumbled on the Pipeline - a vast criminal network stretching across the globe.

The name Hellburner occurs twice near the end and is not integral to the storyline, but it makes for a good title. The mercenary Juan Cabrillo and his dedicated Oregon crew confront a ship carrying contraband, which leads to uncovering the Pipeline, a massive smuggling enterprise. Now the Armenian has a plan to achieve “wealth beyond imagination” and avenge the genocide of Armenians by Turks in the process.

Like millions of others, I first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began my published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with DRONE and the sequels, BLUE WARRIOR, DRONE COMMAND and DRONE THREAT.With millions of innocent civilians hanging in the balance, the Oregon’s crew must unravel a tangle of drug-smuggling routes and international conspiracies spanning from the Aegean Sea to the Indian Ocean, putting their lives on the line to find the weapon before its countdown hits zero. This stand in author for him has gone overboard with details of gun makes and models and mansplaining how things worked. There's nothing particularly memorable about the villains, and I've come to realize nothing is ever going to change for the Oregon crew.