THE EYE OF HEAVEN

The Fargos are back, again going far.

Cussler’s (Zero Hour, 2013, etc.) blissfully wedded, globe-trotting treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo return for another round of stupendous discoveries, narrow escapes and relentless cheesy banter in this serviceable but unmemorable adventure. This time around, the pair is on the trail of the titular Eye of Heaven, a grapefruit-sized gem believed to adorn the tomb of fabled Toltec leader Quetzalcoatl. Assisting them are dissolute genius academic Lazlo and an improbably attractive Mexican brother/sister archaeologist duo. Fargo nemesis Janus Benedict, an urbane, supercilious British supercriminal in the Bond-villain mode, also covets the Eye, and he, his impulsive, sadistic brother, and a fearsome Mexican crime cartel complicate matters greatly for the intrepid duo. It’s all breezy, weightless fun for the undemanding reader; the prose can charitably be described as workmanlike, characterizations are paper-thin, and perilous plot twists and their predictable resolutions arrive right on schedule. The historical context of the quest, which concerns a collision of Viking and Mesoamerican cultures, provides some interest, though it's inelegantly relayed in whopping great chunks of expository dialogue. The shameless aspirational wish fulfillment represented by the Fargos may also exert a certain appeal for those killing time under beach umbrellas or in airport terminals: The two are fabulously wealthy, accomplished, brilliant, attractive, resourceful, courageous and unfailingly virtuous, with a crackling mutual attraction that sustains them through lovingly described expensive restaurant meals and trips on their private jet to exotic locales. Must be rough.

An inane but inoffensive potboiler, to be quickly and pleasantly consumed and forgotten.