Shock Wave

From the back cover...

Tasman Sea, 1856.  A British clipper ship bound for Australia's penal colony is crushed in a raging typhoon.  A few pitiful survivors wash up on a deserted island.  Among these are Betsy Fletcher and Jess Dorsett, who discover an immense supply of exquisite diamonds..

Seymour Island, Antarctica 2000.  Dirk Pitt rescues Maeve Fletcher, a descendant of Betsy and Jess, after an unknown cataclysm kills thousands of marine animals plus nearly two hindered people aboard a cruise ship.  Pitt traces the carnage to the global diamond operations of Maeve's father Arthur Dorsett, and her callous sisters.

Dirk Pitt is a member of the NUMA crew a government sponsored team to study marine life.  Perhaps he can be described as a kind of American James Bond or Indiana Jones.  This entry in the Pitt series is a thriller than moves from Antarctica to Canada to DC.  He must fight a ruthless diamond hunter as well as dangerous environmental threats.
I've only read a few Cussler thrillers but so far they are exciting satisfying adventures, so I see no reason not to continue.  I haven't read them in order and don't feel I have missed anything which is unusual for me because I prefer to go in order.