Overture to Disaster

by Chester D. Campbell

It's a thriller right out of today's headlines, though it took place in the early nineties.

The theft of Soviet nerve gas weapons as the Cold War ends and the fate of a Special Operations helicopter mission to Iran set the stage for a thrill ride across continents as international chicanery gone wild seeks to restore dictatorial rule in the former Soviet republics. Can a disgraced Air Force colonel, a Belarus investigator framed for murder, and a spymaster suddenly left in the cold stop a disaster that will paralyze Washington?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Mystery

509 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2013

About the author

Chester D. Campbell was born in Nashville, TN in 1925, smack in the midst of the "Roaring Twenties." Though too young for such at the time, he had visions of roaring "off into the wild blue yonder." After more than a year and a half of non-roaring during World War II, he left the service as an Aviation Cadet and studied journalism. His first taste of mysteries came early in his newspaper career when he read two novels by Horace McCoy. Over the next 42 years, he spun words as a reporter, freelance journalist, political speechwriter, advertising copywriter, magazine editor, and public relations pro. He kept his dream of creating mysteries alive and took up novel writing on retirement. He has currently published five Greg McKenzie Mysteries and two books featuring PI Sid Chance. He has added three Post Cold War thrillers and a standalone suspense story . The Greg McKenzie character had his origins in Campbell's Air Force experience. After serving as an intelligence officer in the Korean War, he remained in the Air National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Nashville, TN.

Reviews

[Charles Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overture to Disaster by Chester D. Campbell is a post-Cold War political thriller that, in light of current events in Ukraine and other parts of the former Soviet Union, reads as if it could have been taken from the headlines or the lead story on CNN. I received a free copy for review, and found myself immersed in a story that rivals the best Tom Clancy novel.
This novel has everything – rogue former KGB agents who are determined to bring the U.S. to its knees through the use of stolen nerve gas with the help of the Peruvian terrorist group, Shining Path; senior U.S. officials who put profit and position before honor; and a few daring individuals, Russian and American, who are willing to put their lives on the lines to preserve peace and order.
Campbell’s knowledge of weaponry, tactics, and bureaucratic and political doings is first-rate, and he weaves it all together with characters that, while true to life, seem larger than life. The suspense is drum-tight, and the odds are astronomical, as a wrongly cashiered Air Force special operations pilot and a dedicated Russian criminal investigator race against time to prevent what could tip the world into a catastrophic confrontation with no winners.
Don’t even think about reading this book unless you have several hours to devote to it, because once you start reading, it’ll suck you into a world of betrayal and intrigue, and not let you go until the end.
I reserve five-star reviews for only the best of books, but if I could, I’d give Overture to Disaster six. Don’t let this one pass you by.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very slow getting started but turned out to be one helluva read. Intrigue, mystery, politics and terrorists, what else could you ask for.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/20/1991, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Captain Anatoli Shumakov after a tongue lashing from hire ranking officers he was pondering what next? General Valentin Malmudov handed the Captain a signed invoice (President Mikhail Gorbachev, KGB Vadim Bakatin) stating he was to take charge of the chemical & biological weapons. The Captain is going to call Colonel Kalin to verify that. The phone line did not work. Soldiers were killed & the weapons were taken.

Washington DC, General Philip Ross Wing Patton (Air Force) was about to embark on the campaign of Operation Easy Street. Mostafa Nazari (liaison) wanted to defect to the U.S. President Thornton Giles authorized a clandestine mission to extricate Mostafa & his family. General Patton carefully planned & rehearsed the mission.

General Patton had married the daughter of General Fredrick Parker Strong (Army). Senator Tyler Thrailkill (Pennsylvania) called him late at night to discuss an ongoing contract with Western Aircraft Corporation (XTF–Experimental Tactical Fighter jet) & a trust fund (W.P.). The General called his attorney Walker Holland. Senator Thrailkill continued with his invitation.

Colonel Warren Rodman (Roddy, pilot), Captain Peter Dutch Schuler (copilot) & Tech Sergeant Barry Nickens (flight engineer) were in charge of the MH-53J chopper. Major Mike Hardin (Army, Delta Force) was in charge of the ground force for Operation Easy Street. The chopper was hit by a TOW anti-tank missile.

Colonel Rodman awoke & was in the hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany. Captain Schuler was slowly recovering. Colonel Rodman was being investigated for the failed mission. The court martial proceedings were being led by Brigadier General Elliott Wintergarden. Colonel Wilburn Gridley is the presiding judge. Colonel Paul Pitts is Roddy's defense counsel & Colonel Ralph Finch (JAG) was the military counsel. Major Juan Antonio Bolivar (intelligence) & Captain Schuler were called to the witness stand.

The exciting plot starts to unfold.

What was Nikolai Romashchuk (KGB General; Major) up to & planning? Who is Adam Stern & what is he up to & planning? Are there Shining Path Peruvian terrorists (Maximov, Metreveli, Pepe, Bravo, Raul, Tomas) also involved somehow/some way?

Can the Air Force Colonel Warren (Roddy) Rodman (Alvin Easton), & a Belarus Chief investigator Yuri Danilovich Shumakov (Ivan Netto) framed for murder save Washington?

Awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A governmental bureaucratic nightmare but a very well written fact/fiction Post Cold War political thriller clandestine (spy vs spy) book. It was very easy to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could make also make great clandestine movie or a mini TV series. I love lots of detail. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free book (Story Cartel).
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chester Campbell's post-cold war thriller deserves strong consideration as the basis for a motion picture script. The world was full of uncertainty after the former Soviet Union collapsed under it's own weight. This story starts out with a hijacking of nerve gas chemical weapons by rogue elements of the military in Belarus. Then we shift to a young investigator for the government, who learns that his brother's death in the explosion accompanying the theft of weapons was not accidental. There's an American helicopter pilot whose clandestine rescue mission in the same region turns into disaster, an event blamed on him. Both of these become our protagonists, as events later draw them to Mexico. It took carefully crafted writing skills to cobble together this foundation into an international terrorism and government takeover plot spanning three continents. Our author is living proof that second careers often bring out the best in an individual. I'm hoping he keeps up the good work. Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from BookBud for free. I expected one of those rejects that wasn't getting much attention but instead found a very captivating and suspense filled book, with well developed characters and plot that was believeable and well developed.

By the second chapter I was hooked, reading the story wanting to know how it was all going to end. I was not disappointed in the least. The end will definitely bait you to read another of his books and it appears the saga continues.

I do recommend this book if you like a good suspense thriller filled with government corruption, real bad guys, and solid good guys. I had a lot of fun with this story.

[Rajuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undoubtedly a good thriller, at par with the best that I have read in recent times. Intricate plot; gripping narration. Though the end left me in a bit of a blizzard, it also gave me a warm feeling of satisfaction. Go ahead. Read and recommend.

[John Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

great end to the trilogy!!!