The Gangster

Clive Cussler was the author of more than eighty books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt®, NUMA® Files, Oregon® Files, Isaac Bell®, and Sam and Remi Fargo®. His life nearly paralleled that of his hero Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers discovered and surveyed more than seventy-five lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Civil War submarine Hunley, which was raised in 2000 with much publicity. Like Pitt, Cussler collected classic automobiles. His collection featured more than one hundred examples of custom coachwork. Cussler passed away in February 2020.

Justin Scott has written more than 30 thrillers, historicals, and mystery novels, including The Shipkiller, Normandie Triangle, and The Empty Eye of the Sea. With many books set at sea, he has been called “the Dick Francis of yachting.” His main pen name is Paul Garrison, under which he has written five modern sea thrillers, including Fire and Ice, Red Sky at Morning, Sea Hunter, The Ripple Effect, and the Paul Janson series based on a Robert Ludlum character. Scott created the Ben Abbott detective series and was twice nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award by the Mystery Writers of America. He collaborates with Clive Cussler on the Isaac Bell series (The Wrecker, The Spy, The Race, The Thief, The Striker, The Bootlegger, and The Assassin). He lives in Connecticut with his wife.