NUMA Files Books

Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.

The NUMA Files series of books are a series of adventure thrillers written by the prolific American author Clive Cussler, along with Paul Kemprecos and laterly Graham Brown The NUMA Files focus on the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), and the team leader of the Special Assignments Division, Kurt Austin, as well as Joe Zavala, and Paul and Gamay Trout, who work for the Special Assignments division. Like in a lot of Cussler’s work, the NUMA Files series of books are born from the fact he is himself an underwater explorer and founded the real-life National Underwater and Marine Agency as a non-profit organisation, unlike the fictional NUMA, which is a government agency.

The NUMA Files focus on the National Underwater and Marine Agency. This is an organization that explores various shipwreck sites and other particularities under the water.

The first book in the NUMA Files series is Serpent, which was written by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos. Serpent was published in 1999 to great commercial success. We are introduced to Kurt Austin and Joe Zevala in Serpent, the main protagonists in the NUMA Files series. Serpent starts in 1956, with the sinking of two ships after a collision, but not before a murder can take place aboard one of them. The story then moves forward several years, when Nina Kirov is investigating sunken ruins off the northern coast of Africa. She is witness to an execution of her team members, after she had left her camp earlier that night. While being chased by the executioners, Nina encounters Kurt Austin. From there, Nina, along with the NUMA team, begin to look into why her team was targeted and why all evidence of them had been wiped out. From there, the case begins to look back hundreds of years, to where the key to finding out all the answers to the team’s questions can be found.

The released of books in the NUMA Files series remained steady, with Blue Gold, the second book in the series, released in 2000, and then Fire Ice in 2002. That was then followed by White Death in 2003, Lost City in 2004, Polar Shirt in 2005, The Navigator in 2007 and then Medusa in 2009, which was the lost book of the NUMA Files series which Clive Cussler co-authored with Paul Kemprecos.

The ninth book in the NUMA Files series, Devil’s gate, was published in 2011, and it was the first book in the series to be co-authored by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. It is in keeping with the techno-thriller style of the series, and focuses on the NUMA agents as the find out that a direct-energy weapon has been created, and they have to stop it falling into the hands of both the dictator of Sierra Leone and the rebel group intent on trying to overthrow him. The story begins with Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala giving help to a cargo ship which is under attack. While in the Azores, they discover several wreckages of ships and planes congregated around a magnetic pillar, which appears to be a superconductor. This draws worldwide attention, and it’s not long before the NUMA team are asked to take control of the site. The team start to piece the clues they find during their investigations together, and come to the conclusion that someone is in the process of building a direct-energy weapon, diverting their attention with the superconductor while their real plan unfolds. Dirk Pitt makes an appearance in Devil’s Gate in his senior role in NUMA, and he helps the team in their investigation in his usual manner.

The NUMA Files series are perfect for fans of Cussler and also fans of techno-thrillers in general. If you’re into Tom Clancy and the like, and you haven’t tried the NUMA Files series of books, they are a must read, as Cussler has a way of reaching out to fans of techno-thrillers and keeping them hooked from beginning to end.

The series highlights Kurt Austin as its main character. Austin is the team leader of the special assignments department at NUMA. He works alongside many other people including his sidekick Joe Zavala, his second in command Rudi Gunn and the original director of NUMA, James Sandecker.

Austin’s goal is to stop criminals from trying to exploit underwater resources. In many cases these are found around shipwrecks or in various unique places around the world.

Sometimes characters from Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series will appear in these NUMA Files stories. These include characters that have gone through many adventures around the see. Dirk Pitt himself has appeared in a few of the NUMA Files books.

The NUMA organization is particularly inspired by the real life NUMA. This organization was formed by Cussler as a non-profit organization funded through the sales of Cussler’s books. The organization has gone around the world to find a variety of shipwrecks and to salvage materials from them for historical analysis purposes.

Best NUMA Files Books

Serpent: In this debut that was released in 1999, the remains of an Italian cruise ship are found on the shores of New England and holds a mysterious treasure that has inspired a few criminal activities. Kurt Austin and NUMA head out to find the treasure but as it turns out, a major industrialist is out to get the artifacts and will do anything to get it. This leads to a chance that could directly impact the United States, especially as the artifact in question shows that Columbus may not have been the first European to discover America.

Fire Ice: This 2002 book in the series is the third book. As a submarine base is discovered, it turns out that a wealthy tycoon runs it and is planning on taking over the Russian government. This leads to NUMA discovering that the base is run by a strong figure who took advantage of Cold War trading deals and is out to unravel the plot. This comes even as a large tide comes along Maine, thus leading to suspicion that there might be a plot for the Russian to attack the United States.

Zero Hour: This 2013 book about zero point energy, a concept where energy is contained in all matter. A scientist has found a way to tap into this energy to potentially create an unlimited source of energy for all things. However, the machine this scientist uses creates dramatic earthquakes. It is up to Austin and the rest of NUMA to find and destroy the machines that create this energy. This is to keep the tectonic plates around the planet from being at risk of serious harm.

Other Book Series You May Like

There are many other popular series to look forward to when finding books that are similar to the NUMA Files books. The “Tommy Carmellini” series of novels from Stephen Coonts is a popular series that highlights a former burglar turned CIA agent. The stories in this book entail many international adventures that entail spies, technology and government secrets like what the NUMA Files books have to offer.

The “Event Group” series from David Lynn Golemon is another noteworthy series to look for. This follows Major Jack Collins and his team who go out around the seas and land to find the truths behind many of the myths and legends surrounding history. This is to find the truth about the country and to unravel many secrets.

The “Philip Mercer” series by Jack Du Brul is the third series for fans of the NUMA Files books to look for. Philip Mercer is a geologist who goes on adventures in many of the most remote parts of the world. He discovers many mysteries surrounding naval discoveries, religious prophecies and much more.

NUMA Files FAQs

Q: Who writes the NUMA Files series of books?
A: The NUMA Files series of books are written by the prolific American author Clive Cussler, who also writes the Dirk Pitt series of books, as well as Paul Kemprecos and Graham Brown, who co-author the books.

Q: What is the first book in the NUMA File series?
A: The first book in the NUMA Files series of books is Serpent, which was released in 1999, and was co-authored by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos.

What Is The Next Book in The Numa Files Series?

There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Numa Files Series. The newest book is Desolation Code and was released on November, 12th 2024.

Home » Series » NUMA Files

BookSeries.org