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It is 1927, and Edward Venture, owner of the Venture Salvage Company, is frustrated by having his salvaging operations of sunken treasures in the sea stolen by his nemesis, one Salvador Santana, pirate. Venture, who, together with his grandfather, Kirkland, and cousin, Thomas, operate salvage operations from their ship named "Deep Blue." When an exotic-looking French woman offers Edward $25,000 dollars to salvage a mysterious "Sultan’s Barge," filled with gold and jewels and surrounded by legends of a curse, he reluctantly agrees. Hounded by Santana and a group of Persians intent on preventing the Barge's treasure from being salvaged, Venture and his crew must fight, outwit, and outmaneuver foes every step.
This period piece adventure is reminiscent of pulp fiction tales from the era. It is unabashedly focused on a masculine hero who overcomes obstacles to win the day as well as the heart of a young woman. A plot filled with twists and turns combines with just enough "oriental" magic and supernatural elements to add a romantic taste of the unknown. In keeping with the genre, the characters are stereotypical, with an Italian eating spaghetti and meatballs and an evil German with a scarred cheek, and the theme good guys versus bad guys, with a romance thrown into the mix. Though marred by some mixed tenses and absent question marks, the inventiveness of the storyline together with the charm of certain characters compensate for any inconsistencies. The novel sufficiently progresses in dramatic tension to keep the pages turning. Old-school values of valor and heroism are celebrated without undue schmaltz or corniness. Suitable for young readers as well as fans of pulp adventure, it is light reading that is entertaining.