Marty and Grace (Cryptid Hunters) are back adventuring with Dr. Wolfe. While on an expedition to track a giant squid, Grace's grandfather Dr. Blackwood plots to capture her and destroy Dr. Wolfe's career. Though some of the sci-fi elements are absurd, a combination of action, pseudo-science, and adventure push the book to its cliffhanger ending.

Gr 5-8 Since the disappearance of Marty's parents, he and his cousin Grace have lived with her father, the renowned cryptozoologist Travis Wolfe. This sequel to Cryptid Hunters (Hyperion, 2005) begins with Wolfe mounting an expedition in search of a mythological giant squid. Marty, his friend Luther, and Grace join the crew aboard the Coelacanth , a refitted freighter. Unknown to Wolfe, however, his archenemy Noah Blackwood is in hot pursuit, determined to steal the gigantic creature and destroy Wolfe and his reputation. Add hatching dinosaur eggs, a manic chimpanzee, cool gadgets, a nifty undersea nuclear submarine, ruthless villains, murder, and sabotage to the mix and you've got a high-octane page-turner that will reel readers in and keep them riveted. Several unanswered questions suggest another sequel may be in the works, which will make Smith's fans very happy. Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK