A review by rebelbelle13
The Chase by Clive Cussler

3.0

I was upset to hear that Clive Cussler had passed away, and I felt guilty that I had never read any of his novels. I picked up this little gem in a used book store and dove right in. The story takes place during 1906 in the Western part of the US. The characters bounce around using trains and the latest automobiles of the time period, the brilliantly villainous Cromwell staying one step ahead of our protagonist and James-Bondesque good guy Bell. It's believable to a point, except Bell can do no wrong and all the women fall over themselves in his presence. It's a bit of a Gary Stu fantasy, but there's still a good time to be had here. If you enjoy heist stories, and the good cop figure chasing after the bad thief, then this is the book for you. The reason why I've rated it lower is the fact that the narrative stalled around 1/3 of the way in, and it took some convincing to dive back in and finish it. The other is the appalling romance. Granted, Cussler isn't known for his romance stories, and there's a reason for that. The insta-love happened so quickly that I was sure that Bell was using Marion for her connection to Cromwell, and didn't believe that he really cared about her until the end. There's no relationship development for either of them. I wasn't expecting a great American romance story, but come on, Cussler. All this to say, it was fine, enjoyable for what it was, but not much else.