In SERPENT Clive Cussler introduced Kurt Austin, the leader of the National Underwater and Marine Agency's (NUMA's) Special Assignments Team. In previous encounters, they battled eco-extortionists and mad empire builders. Now they face an even deadlier threat. In the heart of the old Soviet Union, a mining tycoon has proclaimed himself czar of Russia. Claiming Romanov ancestry and backed by billions of dollars, he is determined to overthrow the already shaky Russian government - and U.S. opposition doesn't bother him one bit. A little crisis of their own should distract the Americans for awhile, and he knows just the thing. . .