Vengeance

Trident Deception #8

by Rick Campbell

The “heir to Clancy’s throne” (The Real Book Spy) returns with his most compelling, explosive techno-thriller ever.

Despite decades of treaties, military missions, and covert actions devoted to preventing it, Iran has finally assembled its first nuclear bomb and the U.S., with UN backing, has decided it’s time to take direct action. The first move is to blockade the Persian Gulf with a carrier strike group, but Iran strikes back quickly. With Russia’s backing, Iran launches a devastating attack and now the U.S. forces are in a race against the clock to survive until reinforcements arrive and a counter-strike launched.

While events grow desperate in the Middle East, a plot to kill the President is unfolding. Jake Harrison, a now AWOL Navy SEAL, is lured back into action by his former partner Christine O’Connor to find and stop the freelance assassin, a man who has long been Harrison’s nemesis.

With a deadly war brewing on two fronts—both overt and covert—the uneasy allies of Jake and Christine must use all their resources to circumvent the coming war. And as tensions threaten to boil over, Jake will be faced with the ultimate what is he willing to sacrifice for the revenge he wants?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Military Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published December 16, 2025

About the author

RICK CAMPBELL, a retired Navy Commander, served on four nuclear-powered submarines, finishing his career with tours in the Pentagon and the Washington Navy Yard. On his last submarine, he was one of the two men whose permission is required to launch the submarine's nuclear-warhead-armed missiles.

Upon retirement from the Navy, Rick was offered a two-book deal by Macmillan / St. Martin's Press for his novel The Trident Deception, which was hailed by Booklist as "The best submarine novel written in the last thirty years, since Tom Clancy's classic - The Hunt for Red October". His first six books were Barnes & Noble Top-10 and Amazon #1 bestsellers, and the 7th and 8th books in the series are scheduled for release in April 2024 and spring 2025.

To learn more, visit Rick Campbell's website and his "Submarine 101" page at www.rickcampbellauthor.com.

Reviews

[Grandma Susan]

DNF. Too much military jargon for me.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast read. It is a lot of fluff, not a lot of substance, like a "poor man's version" of a Tom Clancy novel. The character development is so-so. The naval scenes feel like they are "by-the-numbers" in that the American forces get kicked around until it is time for them to stop getting kicked around and "start saving the day." It was no surprise that the American surface fleet gets devastated by Russian submarines and it requires American submarines to save the day because, you know, military surface ships suck and can't do anything to protect themselves.

What I liked character-wise: I found myself wishing that Jake and Khalila would have remained "a couple" versus Jake getting back together with Christine by the end of the book. I enjoyed the dynamics of their relationship as it developed over the course of the last few books and how she began to relax a bit around him in this novel. It felt more natural to me then his "still holding a torch" for Christine like we are told that he does, and I think Khalila is a better match for him.

Speaking of which: Jake and Khalila ("finally") consummate! The attack on the Iranian underground facility was pretty dope, no lie there, and I thought it was excellent spontaneity on her part to make sure the team was able to escape their predicament and get out of the facility before the facility was flooded with radioactive gas. Granted, it was probably convenient that a dead female lab tech just happened to be in the room where the team was trapped (since no other techs were encountered before that point), but it was still creative on the author's part to have her play the role she did to turn the tables on the security forces.

I half-expected Khalila to "break her promise" to Jake and kill Mixell by either shooting him from behind or through an opening in the warehouse at the end. I think that would have been "better" (especially if Christine had already been killed and Jake was about to die!).

Plot-wise: As I was reading the book, I thought the Russian submarine commander Novikov had some solid ideas in terms of trying to defeat the American forces even if they were not successful in sinking the biggest prize - sinking the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt super-carrier. The one I remember the most that I liked involved the three Akulas that blitzed the line of sonobuoys like they did with the Yasen-class submarine providing anti-aircraft coverage with its anti-air missiles. That was a cool idea, and I do not think I have seen that concept used before (at least, not with a group of submarines rushing a defensive line with another submarine providing a kind of protective interference).

I also thought Mixell's idea to mold C-4 explosives to look like Easter eggs was crazy and ingenious on the one hand. I am glad that it did not succeed, but I sincerely expected the vans to still be sniffed by dogs trained to detect explosives and thereby did not think it would work. So, yeah, crazy that it did nearly succeeded as well as it did.

Finally, Mixell's idea to hire a lookalike to take his place after he plants the C-4 eggs at the White House was just genius! That was a great idea on his part, and I thoroughly enjoyed how it played out in the book. One of the better moments in the book, I thought.

Plot points of which I was not fond: I felt that the story wrapped up a little too neatly, to be honest. This may be a bit morbid, but Mixell should have just gutted Christine and left her to be found by Jackson hanging and bleeding out at the warehouse. Otherwise, he should have just put a bullet in her head and been done with it. Or, to make sure she suffered before dying, shot her two or more times in the stomach and left her somewhere to die alone (based on other nasty deaths discussed in books or movies). If she was left abandoned somewhere to die alone, that would be that. His "great plan for vengeance" made him stupid in the end.

I also felt like the destruction of the Russian forces was unrealistic. I freely admit - I am not familiar enough with the destructive capabilities of the Tomahawk missiles, so perhaps it was more realistic than I realized, but it was so rushed that if you blinked you might have missed it. It was "over-and-done" and completely unsatisfying. Not that I necessarily want to read about men dying in the trenches, but it felt "too convenient", and I do not think the Russians would have taken such a retaliatory attack lying down like they did. I realize the attack was in support of Ukraine and was itself retaliatory in nature due to Russia's actions in the Persian Gulf, but it did not feel realistic or like the payoff in the end was appropriate to the indicated stakes in the beginning of the book.

Also, would 600 missiles really do that much damage? Assuming my rough estimate of distance is correct (big assumption there, I grant you), the total length of the land area is approximately 200 miles long if Russia was trying to create a "land bridge" connecting Russia directly with the Crimean Peninsula (not sure how wide; I do not remember it being said how wide this corridor of captured territory was, but probably more than 1 mile wide). So, theoretically, 200 square miles. That is three missiles per mile; is that really enough to disrupt the Russians enough to allow the Ukrainians to drive them out? 600 missiles does sound impressive (considering just over 800 were used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq), but I do find myself wondering how effective it really would have been.

It was odd - after each submarine performed a "snap shot", it felt like the author used the exact same paragraph to explain what a "snap shot" is and why it is used. I felt like after the first initial explanation future explanations were not required. Ah, well.

It was also odd that there was a discussion about how the crew of the one American attack submarine could survive in the sunken submarine long enough to be rescued at least a week later providing all went well, and yet I do not remember the book mentioning the crew being rescued after the conflict was over. I double-checked the end of the book when there is the meeting with the presidential advisors/cabinet members about the results of the conflict in the Persian Gulf and what responses should be made. No mention is made that the crew of the USS Asheville being rescued, which I thought was kind of janky as I felt it was important and should have been discussed (or at least mentioned, even as an afterthought).

Also, the implications are that the sunken ships are clogging the "main channels" to enter-and-exit the Persian Gulf because of how shallow the Gulf is. At least four large merchant vessels (including two supertankers) are sunk, yet no mention is made of how these obstructions to shipping will be removed so that the sea lanes are opened up and ships can again safely transit the Gulf waters. So....what happened to these large, sunken merchant ships that supposedly had become navigational hazards because of where they sank? (I guess one of them did potentially make it to shallow water, but that still leaves at least three other vessels obstructing traffic.

The editor did miss something an amusing error on page 262 when he writes that a Nimitz-class carrier only weighs one hundred tons, hahahah! More like 100,000 tons. Ah, well. Missed it by that much

It was a fun book. It was a fast read. I enjoyed most of the book (except for its sub-par, mediocre ending). I enjoyed seeing Khalila in this book as well. If the author continues more stories in this series, hopefully we see more of her in those books. She was probably the best part of this book, in my opinion, and I would enjoy seeing more of her in future books (and teamed up with Jake in the process). I might have rated it 4-stars (at least 3.5-3.7 rounded up) but for the rushed ending. I did enjoy it more than 2-stars, so 3-stars it is.

[Mark Easter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was inevitable that Mixel would return to seek vengeance. Equally predictable was the Russians once again wielding their forceful misinterpretation of history and gangland tactics to draw more blood from the world. Naturally, Iran would also find yet another extreme path to chase their warped vision of Islamic destiny. Combine all that with fleet and submarine warfare in the Persian Gulf, and you’ve got the perfect setup for another gripping installment of The Trident Deception series.

[Lawrence Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rick Campbell is an author I am an automatic buyer for. I've written about my absolute adoration for Empire Rising, still to this day the best China/US Pacific War book I've ever read and one of the best military fiction books of a modern war I've ever read, up there with Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising and Larry Bond's Red Pheonix though those two took place in the 80s.

Unfortunately the latest trilogy of his Trident Deception series was a very mixed bag, with this particular outing, possibly the last of the entire Trident Deception series if his author's note is to be believed, being the worst of the entire series in my opinion. This is no disparagement to Campbell or necessarily this book, I think it is probably a bog standard quality spy thriller with a pretty decent submarine warfare B plot. But that's just the thing: Campbell is a military fiction writer, not a spy novelist. He excels at submarine warfare and fleet action and even jet dogfighting scenes. I fell in love with Empire Rising because of his skills at depicting these parts of modern warfare. So to watch him flail around with a half decent spy thriller plot for the last three books has been frustrating to witness.

This book just did not keep my interest as I was reading which is a rarity with Campbell. Spy thrillers are usually very character focused, which is a strength that is not possessed with most military fiction authors, Campbell included. Lonnie Mixell's character has just gotten tiresome in how absolutely psychopathically evil and magically competent he is at conducting terror attacks. And since MIxell is serving as the character that moves the plot forward to finally conclude the status of Jake and Christine, its become annoying for me to witness him just obsessively yet perfectly outsmart US security services yet again. The will-they-or-won't-they stuff with Jake and Christine took a slightly interesting turn ever since the tragedy that occurred in the last book, so that was fine, and it concluded in a nice fashion here.

But in all honesty, as usual, the best part of this book was the military conflict, because of course it is. Captain Murray Wilson and the USS Michigan are once again in the thick of it, and the fleet actions and submarine fights are damn good as usual. It might be prudent for Campbell to end his series at this point since global events in this series are starting to shift far from global realities today. For example, a new Russo-Ukrainian War kicks off in this book, slightly matching the ground borders in real life but executed in a much different fashion than what Putin did. Iran's nuclear program is a threat that needs to be dealt with, and its certainly dealt with in an interesting way.. Campbell attempts to stay relevant to current geopolitics but its always tricky. I still wonder how Clancy maneuvered his way out of his own plot where the US actually officially recognized Taiwan as a sovereign nation back in the 90s. Maybe he retconned it, but I ain't about to slog through the rest of his bibliography to find out.

The opinion I've expressed before when reviewing the previous Lonnie Mixell books is that Campbell is a far superior military fiction writer, not a spy thriller writer, and this book just adds to that sentiment. I look forward to seeing what Campbell's upcoming sci fi series will be. Hopefully it'll be a return to form for someone who is great at fleet action and submarine combat. Space navies are cool to read about and I hope he can really get back to what he does best.

A recommend really only if you've followed Campbell throughout his writing career and are super curious about how Lonnie Mixell, Jake Harrison, and Christine O'Conner resolve, but expect this to be rather mid as a spy thriller.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – Vengeance – Rick Campbell
“Vengeance” by retired Navy submarine commander Rick Campbell is a genuine military techno-thriller packed with tension, military hardware, and geopolitical brinkmanship. It’s a fast, punchy read that drops the reader straight into the action with lots of thrills along the way.

With uncompromising pacing, Campbell keeps the pressure on while weaving submarine warfare, intelligence operations, and global conflict into a tight, fast-moving narrative.

Campbell’s submarine background shines through with authentic military detail. The technical elements feel grounded without bogging the story down, giving the action real weight.

The returning characters are sharp, capable, and easy to root for, and the new additions fit smoothly into the series’ rhythm. The Jake Harrison and Christine O’ Connor partnership adds depth to the story with a plausible plot.

Vengeance, Book 8 in The Trident Deception series, is a well‑crafted military techno-thriller that delivers gripping action, authenticity, and suspense in abundance. Fans of submarine warfare and geopolitical thrillers will have a good time with this one – I did.

[Rajesh]

(As a courtesy for receiving the pre-release copy, I won't star rate it. It could change before publication after all.)

And wow, should it.

If you've read earlier Rick Campbell books, you know what you're getting: techno-thriller, naval combat with a soupçon of geopolitics and a dash, maybe an 1/8th of a teaspoon of character development and interpersonal relationships. Plot, logic, all that may have existed at the precis level. But it didn't quite survive the actual writing process.

Chapters 20 and 39 required so much suspension of disbelief I felt an AI outlined it and Rick wrote it. And others.

But it's a fantasy world, kinda like today but not exactly. Still, not my fave or he's just running out of cool naval stories to wrap books around. Maybe I'm at fault. Subs are cool. Maybe I need to read more ship books. Or plane books or something. Who's the hovercraft techno-thriller czar!?!? Find me!

[RubieReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast-Paced, High-Stakes Techno-Thriller

This book delivers nonstop tension from the very first page.
The moment Iran unveils its nuclear bomb, the story explodes into a gripping mix of military action and political intrigue.
The battle in the Persian Gulf is especially thrilling packed with sharp strategy, intense combat, and the desperate fight for survival as U.S. forces hold the line.

What really elevates the story is the parallel mission back home.
Jake Harrison, a gritty and complex former SEAL, is pulled into a dangerous hunt for a deadly assassin tied to his past. His uneasy partnership with Christine O’Connor adds emotional depth and keeps the suspense high as they race to stop a plot that could ignite an even bigger catastrophe.

I loved how the book blends global stakes with personal revenge, creating a taut, fast moving story that keeps you hooked.
It’s smart, intense, and incredibly engaging… a must read for fans of military and political thrillers.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with the assassination of the Secretary of Defense. The killer was identified and as a result Jake is eventually located and agrees to help find Mixell the killer.There is little information to go on so Jake and Kalinin, Jake's partner, are sent on a mission to Iran in order to prevent them being able to make nuclear weapons. Once they got back to Langley, they began their search for Mixell. Mixell is given a major mission that he will be paid a major fee for accomplishing.

Learn why the Strait of Hormuz becomes so important and why as well as why it becomes so dangerous, Discover how Christine, CIA Director and Jake's friend was able to track him down, what major mission Mixell had to perform and how it all ended up. The story will definitely keep your interest and is well worth the read.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC-I didn't realize this was part of a series. I think even if I read them in order, I'd not likely have made it to number 8. The writing reminded me of someone just starting and hadn't mastered the 'show, don't tell' part yet. I couldn't keep the characters straight even with the appendix, which is usually a sign that the book won't be good, nor did I care about any of them. I'm disappointed that this wasn't any good, the plot of this one and his others look so good, but I'm not going to try them.

[William McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. The 8th (and probably final) novel in a modern naval combat series. The Russians share nuclear technology with Iran, which brings it years closer to having its own atomic weapons. The U.S. destroys this capability and stations a carrier battle group nearby. The Russians send submarines which destroy the American escort ships and trap the carrier, itself, between themselves and an Iranian minefield. The U.S. surges its own sub flotilla to try to stop the Russians. Undersea combat ensues. Meanwhile, back home, a government agent-turned-domestic terrorist tries to take-out the president.

[KerryO · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome political thriller. My head was on a constant swivel jumping between the shipping lanes of the Straits of Hormuz and Jake’s activities in and around Washington, DC. Non-stop action with a very believable scenario. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Steven L. Shreve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trident Deception Book 8

All the books in this series have been amazing. Gets you from the start and holds on. I’ve gotten very attached to the characters. I highly recommend this series of books. If you like fast paced books, submarine warfare and CIA shenanigans, you will love this series as much as I do.

[Wanda Weinhandl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great political thriller! Very good story that moves along convincingly with strong characters and plenty of raw action. Interesting in how it unfolds, how things in this type of series have evolved.
Thank you Goodreads and St Martins Press for this ARC book.

[Jerrold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Compelling and well written. Would like to read more from this author.

[Ryan Hillis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overused plots.

[Mark Nocera · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great effort. excellent submarine book, good story lines. waiting for the next one. well done

[TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended

Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:

https://www.tzerisland.com/bookblog/2...

[B.Yonder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrived but competent. Entertaining enough.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good thriller with plenty of suspense and non stop action in the Trident series.
Navy SEAL Jake Harrison has been off grid living a quiet life out of the Navy's spotlight, and without their sanction, until one day he isn't.
They come to him for his covert black ops style help.
He is called back into action to save the President who has a target on his back, and to try to stop the next war from breaking out over nuclear carrier strike in the Persian Gulf.
Very good story that moves along convincingly with strong characters and riveting action.
All too realistic today.