"Cuban Deep", by George Wallace

Published in 2019

Hunter Killer #3

Commander George Wallace was for years Executive officer of class nuclear submarines and worked extensively with the Seal community. It is not surprising that “Cuban Deep” is peppered with Submarine Phraseology.

Examples:

Forward room, set depth one ze-ro feet.
Forward room, set depth one ze-ro feet.
Conning tower, tubes one, two ready
Fire one. Fire two

The story in a few words:

Admiral Juan Valdez is the puppet master behind Venezuela’s doctorship believes that seizing Latin America is well within his grasp. What he is really aiming for is the massive undersea oil deposit that lies to the north. He must take Cuba….. he will go to no ends to get to it. Then came the crew of submarine USS Toledo with its handful of SEALs to protect America’s interest…Voilà….the chase in on….enjoy.

My thoughts:

Superbly done and the most realistic submarine story I have ever read. At the moment I am watching a TV documentary on submarines called “Hell Below” I see how accurate this thriller is even if at times it is a bit over the top and no doubt in my mind it is written for our enjoyment. Both the characters and the plot are credible of course it helps when a story stars with action and ends with even more roaring action. Excitement galore when the SEAL team are stranded on a small island, we eventually find out that one mucky-muck is working both sides.

This is a superbly crafted story giving us multiple twists and giving us more suspense as we follow the elite American warriors doing their thing….I was kept on the edge of my seat from the got-go. Once into it I had a hard time putting aside…that captivating.

This is the story of a power grab attempt by a Venezuelan admiral and the America’s elite thwarting the intent….

Examples:

Make all preparations for surfacing *Secure the ventilation. Shut bulkhead flappers.

"Dead and Gone", by John W. Mefford

Dark Horizon

Alex& Ozzie book #1

A new series with familiar characters for us to enjoy and I certainty did. In this fresh suspense mystery Mr. Mefford has Alex, an FBI veteran, teamed with her brother, Ozzie, in a new venture, their own PI firm in Austin.

A wicked new drug is on the loose and overdoses are running rampant. Alex and Ozzie are asked by an affected family to go after the drug dealers who gave their kids the pills. They did not hesitate but doing so may put their lives on the line…..

As always Mr. Mefford gave us suspense and teased us all along while Alex and Ozzie are on the job. I was so captivated with the comings and goings that I simply stayed and follow the heroes till the very end. The case is not only what is captivating squeezing some personal drama in the characters' lives was the right formulae.

Alex has doubts about Brad’s (husband) fidelity and navigates her personal drama while trying not to put her mission in peril. She is very conflicted but Ozzie gives her the support needed. But the past has a way to crush you……and the story ends with Brad on the run…..why?. And the drug situation?.....well….

Maybe the next installment “Dead Silence” will give us more….what a teaser.

Nicely done

Thank you, Mr. Mefford you made my day.

"The President is Missing", by Bill Clinton

A Political Thriller

Published in 2018, former U.S. President teamed up with the renown novelist James Patterson to give us a story that topped the best seller list for weeks. Although at the time some argued that the story missed the mark, commented negatively on the prose and the absurdity of the plot. Reading some years later I admit to have enjoyed every moment of this highly fictionized thriller. I took it for what it was…a fiction but could something similar happen today?

Told from the first-person perspective, the story follows U.S. president Jonathan Lincoln Duncan as he races against time to find a traitor in his cabinet, preventing a massive cyberattack from crippling the country’s economics, infrastructure and defenses. If “Dark Ages” is deployed it would destroy the United States. President Duncan will do everything for this not to happen.

Of course, this is the James Patterson we know too well but through the narrative we see the influence the former President had. The book is filled with knowledge of the American political system. Together they have weaved a story with all the essential ingredients to have us engaged for hours. I definitely had a hard time putting this book down even if it is somewhat farfetched. So much action, suspense and the well-rounded main characters and the diverse mix of supportive ones helped to push this story forward, not a dull moment from start to finish.

Reading “The president is Missing” is not taxing. The style is simply said in everyday words, the whole experience is read in short chapters and is wrapped up with no fanfare.

I like this story crazy has it sounds but can something like this happens one day?

"The Department", by Jacqueline Faber

A psychological thriller

The Department is a dark academic thriller, a story that delves into the mysterious disappearance of a college student and the secrets unearthed by a struggling philosophy professor.

This story is said through the dual perspectives of Lucia and Neil, the two important figures in this story.

Nothing is going well for Professor Neil Weber: his wife left him, his academic research is going nowhere and is prospect of tenure is on the line…..Until Lucia Vanotti disappears, a college student at Neil’s university. What happened to her and why does Neil care about finding her?....

From the campus classrooms to sex dens we follow how their world descend into obsession and delusion while they uncover what drive them to behave the ways they never could have imagined.

Although I enjoyed the insights and thought- provoking moments I found this story to be way too long and dragging too much, it moves at a slow crawl and keep this tempo till the very last page…I had a hard time keeping with it and was so happy seeing the end coming.

The characters have a dark past and nothing is positive. This story is a trip into the disturbed world of a illusioned professor and a female student…A story written and said many times…

Indeed I did not enjoy this thriller but maybe you will so don’t take my words for it, have a look for yourselves.

I received a copy of this book from Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it

"Storm Warning", by Elizabeth Goddard

Hidden Bay book #1

This brand-new series by one of my favourite authors is one fast-paced drama that kept my attention till I flipped the last page.

The story in a few words:

After a disturbing accident that left photographer Remi Grant struggling to remember she needed to get away and focus on the now. The perfect place to hide is on the Rocky Washington coast working at a lodge. There, twice her life was saved by Hawke Beckett, a former military pilot, with a past of his own and both are forced into survival mode…who wants Remi and Hawk eliminated…..

My thought:

I know from the get-go that I would love this book Ms. Goddard never miss a beat and has a knack to keep me at the edge of my seat. This latest was no exception, so many things going on, so many twists and turns it is almost impossible to foresee the next move. The mystery is very suspenseful and exciting. Who wanted to kill Remi and what was her dark secret?

Although Hawke wanted to forget his botch mission crossing path with Remi was all he needed and all the reasons he shouldn’t be helping her…..and chemistry between the two couldn’t be better and nature did its course….awe…

I enjoyed the remote location, the diversions created by the villains, and the delightful whodunit saga for our enjoyment.

Another excellent story by a master storyteller. Well-said and done.

I received this ARC from the publisher Revell via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it