The Thief by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott

The Thief is the latest in the "Isaac Bell" series by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott. The series is a fascinating look at life around the turn of the last century. The storm clouds of World War I are gathering. Germany is trying to line up allies before war breaks out. Detective Isaac Bell and his beloved Marion are returning from Europe on the Mauritania when he first happens upon a mysterious villain known as the Akrobat. Two fellow passengers on the Mauritania have created a machine that synchronizes sound and pictures in movies. The Germany Army is desperate to get its hands on the machine--and Isaac is just as determined not to let them. The action is spread from Berlin and Paris to New York and Hollywood--with plenty of spectacular chase scenes at points in between. The Thief provides an interesting inside look at the fledgling motion picture industry. Today, when we have 3-D and PIXAR and CGI in our movies, it's hard to imagine that at one point, the technology didn't even exist to make sure the sound coming out of an actor's mouth matched the movement of his lips.