Ever wonder how the pros actually got started before they were, well... the pros? Nobody comes out of the womb knowing how to disable a tripwire or identify 5th-century Persian gold. We all have that first mission where we didn't know our ass from our elbow. That's exactly where Wrath of Poseidon lands.
I picked this one up because I needed something reliable for a drive down to San Antonio. Traffic on I-35 is its own kind of war zone, and I needed Cussler's brand of chaos to keep my blood pressure in check. And honestly? It did the job.
When the Past Kicks Down the Door
Here's the setup. We're not in the present day. We're flashing back ten years. Sam and Remi Fargo—before they were the husband-and-wife treasure hunting machine we know—meeting at the Lighthouse Café in Redondo Beach.
It's an origin story. I'm usually skeptical of these. Sometimes authors write prequels just to squeeze a few more bucks out of a franchise. But this felt... necessary. You get to see them raw. They make mistakes. They aren't the polished operators yet. They stumble into a hunt for the gold of King Croesus (yeah, the "rich as Croesus" guy), and naturally, some bad actors are involved.
Robin Burcell co-authored this one—she's ex-law enforcement—and you can tell. The procedural elements of the crime side feel tighter than usual. Less "movie logic" and more "actual investigation." I appreciate that. That same attention to procedural detail is what made Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel work so well—real investigation, not Hollywood shortcuts. Nothing ruins a book faster for me than sloppy tactics, and Burcell keeps it grounded. Well, as grounded as a story about ancient cursed gold can be.
Scott Brick Behind the Mic
Let's talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the voice in the speakers. Scott Brick.
If you listen to thrillers, you know Brick. The guy is everywhere. Some people think he's too dramatic. I disagree. When you're writing about international drug runners and ancient lost treasures, you need a little drama. You don't want a guy reading the grocery list. You want a guy who sounds like he's narrating the trailer for a summer blockbuster.
Brick nails the tension. He has this way of dropping his voice just a register when things are about to go sideways that makes you grip the steering wheel a little tighter. He pulls off the same intensity in Second Foundation, where he's juggling even more characters and still keeps everyone distinct. He differentiates Sam and Remi well enough without doing silly cartoon voices. (Ranger perks up when Brick does the intense whispers, so the dog approves too.)
A few moments felt breathless—sprinting from one cliffhanger to the next without a water break—but that's Cussler's style. Brick just leans into the skid.
Mission Debrief
Look, is this high literature? No. It's not trying to be. It's a mission, and the objective is entertainment.
I've seen plenty of operators in the field who looked great on paper but fell apart when the first round cracked past their head. This book holds up under fire. It's fun seeing the Fargos before they were invincible—adds a layer of humanity to them that I didn't know I was missing.
Who's this for? Fargo series fans who want backstory, road warriors who need ten hours of solid adventure, anyone who likes their treasure hunts with actual procedural grit. Skip it if you need philosophical depth or hate origin stories on principle.
Mission accomplished.
