cover image Abduction

Abduction

Robin Cook. Berkley Publishing Group, $7.99 (402pp) ISBN 978-0-425-17736-5

A mountain far beneath the ocean is the setting in this latest work from bestselling author Cook (Coma; Contagion; Vector, etc.). Perry Bergman, founder and president of Benthic Marine, is conducting research in a remote region of the Atlantic. The crew has been trying to drill through an underwater mountain that appears to be filled with some liquid or gas, but they've encountered several mishaps, and Perry has flown out to the ship to assess the problem for himself. He's invited to dive to the seamount with several others in a submersible craftDthe most reliable one, the veteran commander tells Perry, he has ever piloted. Suddenly the small ship seems to lose power and is lured deeper into the water and into the underwater world of Saranta, whose stunning, sexually charged residents, the Interterreans, claim their city is much more beautiful and desirable than the fabled Atlantis. Although the Interterreans treat the humans as their special guests, Perry and his crew are desperate to escape. Cook keeps readers turning the pages with fast-paced action and intriguing details about Saranta; while the action may appeal to his teeming die-hard fans, however, this is not one of his better efforts. (Nov. 7)