Archway, 1998, $4.99, ISBN 0-671-02055-2 BC, 358 pgs., paperback

For $2, how can you go wrong with a Dirk Pitt adventure from Clive Cussler? That's what the sticker said in this book sitting in the discount bin. I'm a latecomer to the Cussler books, but they're strong on plot, weak on character, and that's just fine by me for light, leisure-time reading.

After polishing off the book in two night's reading, I had a nagging feeling that this may not have been up to Cussler's usual quality. It was nothing overt, just an unease.

In any case, Dirk Pitt goes through another adventure, this one pitting him against a madman out to demolish the world diamond market. The world is suffering from massive fish die-offs. A cruise ship is a floating morgue. You just know Pitt will get to the bottom of all this, and the world will return to normal greed.

After I read this book, I peeled off the price sticker to reveal the words, "Adapted for Young Fans" on the cover. It turns out this is an abridged version of his book. Aha! That explains it. It's Dirk Pitt "light"-1/3 less mayhem and dead bodies.

I can't say exactly what was removed from this version, but for those investigating Cussler books, watch out for Archway editions. For older readers, they turn out to be 1/3 less satisfying.