| | |  | | Home » Abyss | | | | | | | Description: | | It's a pleasant summer afternoon in the Gulf Stream, twenty-five miles off Hutchinson Island on Florida's east coast. NOAA scientist Dr. Eve Larsen is about to prove she has the answers to global warming, and the solution to stopping killer storms across the planet. She is a part of a multi-trillion dollar, multinational project to farm clean, endless energy from the oceans' currents--and alter the planet's weather for the better. At that moment, contract killer Brian DeCamp walks into the Hutchinson Island Nuclear Power Station, aiming to cause a meltdown so catastrophic it'll make Chernobyl seem like nothing. Security cam footage leads to an intervention by legendary former CIA director Kirk McGarvey, who manages to thwart the catastrophe...but the failed sabotage sets off a chain of events more terrifying than McGarvey could ever have imagined. With Big Oil ruthlessly hunting for profit after the BP disaster in the Gulf, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
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Average Customer Review:
 ( 32 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Action packed and quick paced novel again from David Hagberg!Apr 07, 2011
By J. Stroh
I have read all of Mr. Hagberg's Kirk McGarvey novels and this surely is the best of them all! Very well written, action packed, believable characters and set in the present. What I particularly like about this book is that Mr. Hagberg does not get overly descriptive of scenes in the book. He gives you just enough information to make you understand what he is describing but doesn't over do it.
The storyline is great and keeps your interest and keeps you turning the pages well into the night! Awesome book!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Beware the anger of the Legions.May 21, 2011
By Robert C. Olson
Beware the anger of the Legions.
David Hagberg gets better with each new novel. Abyss is a terrific eco-thriller if a bit too long and involved. An intricate thinking person's plot concerning today's worldwide energy problems. The story pretty much has it all: Mercenaries, wicked energy moguls, spineless politicians, fearful bureaucrats, brilliant analysts, beautiful women, a religious charlatan, global warming/change advocates and of course Kirk McGarvey-operator extraordinaire. The plot revolves around a new way to produce energy that energy traditionalists want to stop. Why? Follow the money for the answer. Mr. Hagberg gets just a bit preachy at times which became a trifle tiresome and added to the novel's length. Finally, it appeared after 400 or so pages Mr. Hagberg realizes that it was time to begin wrapping up his tale. The ending came quickly and was a bit of a stunner. No spoiler here so I'll just leave it at that.
Character development was very good. With each book we get to know a little bit more about Kirk McGarvey. Sadly, he is getting a bit long in the tooth like my other super heroes: Jack Reacher, Mitch Rapp, Gabriel Allon, Harry Bosch, John Rain and Scott Harvath. Not sure how much longer "old" McGarvey is going to be able to keep whipping the younger "bad actors". Mr. Hagberg's latest McGarvey antagonist, Brian DeCamp, is a delicious character who I hope we see in future Hagberg novels. I have a feeling we have not seen the end of this South African for hire mercenary.
No gratuitous violence, language or sex. Lots of action at times and I rather liked how Mr. Hagberg does not drag out confrontational killing scenes. When it's time to shoot, mouth shut-trigger pull. Too much talking during those kinds of action scenes diminishes impact.
I like David Hagberg and I liked this book, but I just can't give it a 5 star rating. Maybe it's the length or the eco-preaching but in the end the novel fell a bit flat for me. Still I would recommend Abyss as a paperback or library read. I am definitely looking forward to Mr. Hagberg's next Kirk McGarvey techno-thriller.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Kirk McGarvey Fights Ecoterrorists in Hagberg's latest novelMay 17, 2011
By J. Murray
David Hagberg is a well known highly successful thriller writer. I have read the majority of his books and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. ABYSS continues Hagberg's Kirk McGarvey franchise, an action packed blockbuster that explores big oil, money/hedge funds, and their endless search for profits, and the lengths ecoterrorists will go to manipulate the market and ultimately our culture through acts of terror designed to kill thousands.
Hagberg's stalwart hero, Kirk McGarvey, is a former special operator and ex Director of the CIA and the main character in the majority of Hagberg's novels. McGarvey's unique skills are never more required than they are in this story as he continually pits himself against the ecoterrorists whose funding is seemingly endless. It is a well paced novel with a theme relevant to our times (no spoilers here).
Hold on and enjoy the roller coaster ride.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Really good readApr 29, 2011
By Texaswomyn
I felt the book began a little slowly, with the author starting what seem to be disparate story lines about different characters. However, the story lines began to merge and the story gained momentum. The villains are many and varied and ruthless. The hero is well, heroic, with a tragic backstory. The plot involves international finance which was over my head in regard to understanding the intricacies. Nonetheless it provided a plausible reason for the events in the book. All in all an enjoyable read.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
It's got action, it's got scientists, it's got govt. agents, it's got terrorists, it's got oil barons...Apr 18, 2011
By Alan Holyoak
...it's got Middle Eastern banks, Saudis, nuclear reactors, plots, assassins, etc.....
I have to admit that I did enjoy "Abyss" to some extent. I mean I finished it right off. It's not heavy going by any stretch of the imagination. It's just your basic international action, economic, scientific, thriller.
Hagberg does an admirable job of developing a storyline, and, of course, this entire book is plot-driven. The author does cast a salute to literature when he takes the time to provide some descriptive detail about characters' appearances and their background, but that is short-lived, and almost always reads like it was inserted after the fact. You know, something like this (not a quote), "John Dashing...was a trim, athletic man with dark hair, graying at the temples, and that rare sort of world-wary experience that shows at the corner of the eye." I find these sorts of descriptions to be largely unnecessary, since at least in this book they didn't do anything to promote the story.
At the same time I appreciate the readability of the book. The author does not grovel in gratuitous sex or foul language. Of course, some characters do have to get bumped off to keep many readers' attention, so be ready for that.
Now that I'm done I can say with complete confidence that the character in the book who scared me the most was the tele-evangelist...you'll see. There's nothing like stirring the masses by using propaganda, lies, deception, and swaying oration. People like that are the scariest things around. Read on and you'll see.
All in all, this was an adequate book, fun and action-packed in places, but which is not likely to never set a standard or generate a lot of long-term staying power.
The fact that one of the lead characters is a marine scientist should have triggered at least a 4-star review from me, but, alas, it was not to be.
3 stars. Not bad, but not great either. 3 stars.
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