Kurt Austin and his crew are back to slake their thirst for action as they attempt to drown an eco-extortionist's plan to control the world's freshwater supply. From deep within the Venezuelan rain forest emanates the legend of a white goddess and a mysterious tribe with startling technical accomplishments. Few believe the tribe exists -- and even fewer suspect its deity can change the course of history. For National Underwater & Marine Agency crew leader Kurt Austin, an investigation into the sudden deaths of rare whales leads him to the Mexican coast. Meanwhile, in South America's lush hills, a specially assigned NUMA crew turns up the white-goddess legend -- and a murderous cadre of bio-pirates intent on stealing medicinal secrets worth millions. Soon Austin and his crew realize they're working the opposite ends of the same grand scheme. A California agribusiness tycoon is poised to rise to power by monopolizing the earth's depleted freshwater reserves and dominate the world. Austin has a hunch the mythical tribal goddess may be the key to locating a secret formula that could turn seawater into fresh. But with each step into the bush, he and his NUMA team feel like fish out of water -- and must fight a trail of enemies through a dense jungle of treachery and murder

Clive Eric Cussler (born July 15, 1931 in Aurora, Illinois)is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist.