Collapse Depth

Danny Jabo #1

by Todd Tucker

Lieutenant Danny Jabo is a young officer onboard the USS Alabama, a Trident submarine. When a mad man tries to stop the ship's vital mission, it's up to Danny and the rest of the heroic crew to stop him.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Military Fiction, Action, War, Mystery, Historical Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2012

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW ... just WOW!

Since Tom Clancy singlehandedly created the submarine sub-genre of the techno-thriller with his masterwork, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, I've enjoyed these novels. With COLLAPSE DEPTH, Todd Tucker can take his place among the competition with his head held high and giving way to no man.

Using the latest "cold" war realities of the continuing tensions between China and the USA as a springboard for a submarine black-op mission based in diplomatic subterfuge and duplicity, Tucker has got it all exactly right - political brinksmanship that hangs on the knife-edge of pressing the triggers for WW III; an utterly believable plot based on the well-intentioned sabotage of a stressed and conflicted officer; incident after event after accident that demonstrate the unbelievable level of danger that submariners (always brave volunteers)face with aplomb and bravery every single day of their working life; the heartbreaking stress associated with the lives of naval spouses who must complacently suffer more time missing their partner than with them; and, of course, the corporate reality that naval incidents must have a face to be blamed and political "consequences" that affect the careers of officers who are guilty of no more than doing the best they can for their colleagues in arms.

The technical features of a submarine's operations, far more than being overdone or getting in the way, are so expertly described that they are instructive, informative and entertaining in their own right. The pace, throughout the entire novel, doesn't flag for even an instant. And the ending, while perhaps moderately more optimistic than I might expect to see in our frustrating real world, is eminently satisfying and still realistically open-ended.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[Elaine Mayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book quite a bit. It is a tightly written, suspenseful story of the men (mostly officers) on a submarine. The author wraps within the story the everyday workings of the officers on the submarine, as well as extraordinary situations the officers encounter. I came away with an understanding of submariners and the amount of training and education they undergo as well as the rigors of the life.

So why the three star rating? [puts on proofreader hat] There were proofreader-type problems that stopped me in my reading tracks.

- One "pores over" a document, not "pours over".
- "Jago checked the position no the chart. . ."
- "millions of tons of sweater that surrounded" = "sea water" (I'm pretty sure)

I liked the book though and would recommend it. I see that the author has written several other books, so I'll pick them up.

[John Podlaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfamiliar with life on a submarine and intrigued by the book description, I downloaded a free Kindle version of "Collapse Depth" and started reading immediately - leaving my 58 other downloads to collect additional electronic dust in the "to be read" folder. I found the story both educational and suspenseful, learning technical terms, gaining an understanding of the day to day life on a nuclear Trident submarine, and then wondering whether or not the saboteur will be successful in destroying the boat. The book is difficult to put down because there is always something new introduced into the storyline - forcing readers to stay up late at night to see how these new emergencies are handled. Kept my interest throughout!

Like many of the other reviewers, I also found the typos and formatting errors distracting, at times, having to stop and decipher before continuing. Mr. Tucker, do yourself a favor and have "Collapse Depth" edited and properly formatted...it will reap huge benefits in the future.

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Whale of a Submarine Tale

This is a very fine submarine tale that has a huge dose of reality in it. By that I mean, the author's real–life experience of being a volunteer for the Nuclear Submarine Force comes through; especially in the confident way he describes the action and the characters. There is a small dose of history here and there, so that those of us who are land lubbers can really appreciate some of the whole picture.

Now, I am the land–lubber in my family. My spouse was a nuclear reactor operator aboard a nuclear submarine during the Vietnam War. This was years before I met him, and I am recommending Todd Tucker's submarine novels to him. I will have to forewarn him, however, about the too numerous to count spelling and grammar mistakes. They are sure to really bug him, gifted as he is in his ability to spot a change from the norm.

[Cinda Dietrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, Todd is a good friend and a great writer. He is my inspiration and has written a number of non-fictions and 1 other fiction. (I do have other inspirations as a writer - my friend Bryan Miller, another author, and Mike Gayle - I don't know him personally(!!) - but whom I model my writing from) - anyway, back to Todd! His first fiction, Over and Under is something to read too- I loved it, but Collapse Depth is an action thriller with great characters and a great plot. I had no knowledge of the naval/submarine world until I read this book. Now I can tell you what a fathom is and how smart and brave you must have to be to go on a submarine mission -- even when there isn't a catastrophe! This is what I love about reading and taking risks on books that you might shy away from because they aren't your preferred genre -- you learn new things! Who knew what life was really like on a submarine? Todd tells the story so that all audiences can understand, and you don't have to have previous knowledge - you will get the education without being a submarine expert yourself, and you will enjoy it along the way.

[Tim Dees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being fascinated by submarines, this book appealed to me greatly. The central character is a junior officer on a nuclear submarine, and he continues his adventures in subsequent books in the series. BEYOND HERE THERE BE SPOILERS: the climax of the action is when the submarine crashes into an uncharted seamount while moving close to flank speed. As it happened, a few days after I read this, I met a former crewman of the U.S.S. San Francisco, a nuclear sub that did exactly this in 2005. The man I met was a newbie crewman, on the boat for only two weeks, when the mishap took place. As near as I can tell, the descriptions of life on board an American submarine are highly accurate. This is a great book if you like this kind of stuff. When I finished it, I immediately bought the other two books in the series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy submarine stories and have for as long as I can remember. Very thankful for acronym list provided
( I was reading on a n iPad, so it was very easy to check out the ones I didn't know.)

Great plot, strong characters that were likable and took their responsibilities seriously, even the crazy one!! Spoiler--sorry!

I dont write book reports on Good Reads, but I highly recommend this book--typos, misspelled words and all.

I give it 4 stars.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting storyline

This one was primarily about a submarine on secret orders and the sabotage attempt that almost sank it. The submarine life and actions is well described.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, liked the characters involved. Quite a bit of suspense especially towards the end. I'd recommend this book to all my friends.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The USS Alabama, like the rest of the Trident submarine force, exists for one reason only: strategic deterrence. Onboard her are enough nuclear missiles to destroy a dozen or more prominent cities, for use in a nuclear conflict. Her existence is a dark message: it doesn’t matter who strikes first in a nuclear war: no one walks away. And now...she’s steaming towards Taiwan through a haze of mysterious accidents which threaten to cripple the ship and expose her in waters which the Chinese State considers its own turf. With two Chinese submarines actively hunting her, the crew of Alabama have no time to waste in rooting out the traitor in their midst and getting underway.

Although I’ve watched numerous submarine movies (U-531, Red October, Crimson Tide), Collapse Death marks new reading terrain for me. Tucker alternates between the technical thriller – the running and personal drama, almost entirely aboard the ship. Lieutenant Jabo, who at the outset tenders his resignation in preparation for a more lucrative civilian career, takes center stage, as the captain relies on him to find out what’s bedeviling their ship. Although he has his doubts about the future of the Trident force’s mission, Jabo is an attentive officer who excels in a crisis -- which is good, because there’s someone aboard who is suddenly obsessed with creating them. Fires, crew poisonings ; Collapse Depth borrows on its author’s at-sea experience to deliver a sense of how complicated a modern* submarine is, how easily things can go wrong: additional details about the operation of nuclear submarine are given to the reader through Jabo’s instruction of a new junior officer. The crisis only grows until the last few pages of the novel, as the crew desperately fights to save themselves – both from the deep and from outside enemies.

Although occasionally checkered with a few copy-editing oversights on the Kindle version Collapse Depth’s fast story and incredible amount of detail in an unusual setting, make it a promising start. I look forward to continuing in the series and following young Lt. Jabo.

(The timing of Collapse Depth is a bit woolly, but my guess is somewhere in the early 2000s: the Soviet Union is long gone, and China starting to appear as an obnoxious military presence in the eastern seas. Cellphones are not mentioned, but Wikipedia and Polaroids both are.)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best nuclear submarine book I've ever read! Although other than some Tom Clancy books years ago, I don't have a huge list of read novels about submarines. I requested this through interlibrary loan because I loved Tucker's Over and Under and wanted to see what his other writing was like. Then I was sucked into a sub war book in two days--what's up with that? His writing is just darn good. I didn't mind all the technical jargon because I could always infer what was going on. Turns out that Tucker served in the Navy on a Trident sub and knows a thing or two about nuclear submarines.

Lt. Danny Jabo is close to retiring from sub life--his wife is pregnant with their first child and the 9-5 job is calling to him. When the USS Alabama is sent out into almost unchartered waters to deliver some undisclosed cargo to Taiwan, everyone is on edge, especially after a Chinese missile takes out a cargo ship. Then there is a fire, a gas issue, a death, and everyone realizes that a saboteur is on their own sub. Lt. Jabo saves the day, but has plenty of help from the close-knit crew. I had no idea how much sleep these crewmen DON'T get? Nuts.

[Matilda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was… a book.

1,5/5⭐️ from me. I enjoyed the submarine facts, even as someone interested in the submarine force I got some new info. Unfortunately that is the only positive thing I have to say.
First of all the inconsistencies, especially regarding mental health and navy psych tests and psychologicsl requirements. Secondly Danny Jabo was a very shallow character. He was perfect, no flaws just pure, manly guile and bravery. Honestly it read a bit like fanfiction written by a teenager. I also did not enjoy the amount of ”fuck” in all of its forms. I am no saint, and I don’t mind swearing in books, but in this case it was so very unoriginal and just plain comical in the worst possible way.
No characters really had any personality at all, they were as flat as they come and the story was predictable and really not all that interesting.
A good editor could have helped this booka lot, possibly bringing it up to 2 or 2.5 stars. There is a word in my native language for books like this, it loosely translates into ”supermarket/newsstand literature” and it is quite descriptive of this book.

Read this for the submarine ambiance, or if you want to give yourself a headache and throw a book across the room. Either way, don’t get your hopes too high.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is the best military thriller I've read cold in quite a while. Tucker does a great job mixing good characterization with exciting scenes. Junior Officer Danny Jabo is a fun protagonist who makes the learning of submarine life interesting.

The plot revolves around internal conflict. Without the expected geopolitical conflict over Taiwan with China, the story zeros in on how complicated a nuclear submarine is. It also gets me excited for the next book when our heroes take the Alabama (or another sub) into a conflict with other navies.

The last third is page-turning excellence. I read it straight through excited to see what happens next.

A few small quibbles with the John McClane-like,"It's only a flesh wound," reactions to the injuries during the last third. And why they don't evacuate the injured to a hospital ship or to a base makes little sense. But since this was Tucker's debut novel, I'm sure he shakes it out better in the next novels.

I liked Collapse Depth so much I bought the next three Danny Jabo books last night. If you like naval thrillers givae Collapse Depth a read.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good submarine book. I’ve had this author on my list for awhile & finally got to it. The initial story sounded interesting. The actual reason for Alabama’s mission is far-fetched. The US government wants the Trident missle sub to do something you just don’t do. The story and characters end up being really rough in details (I’m not looking at the typos).

This is a sorta-mystery with a side of politics, with life on a submarine in the middle. Do not expect any drama to happen outside the Alabama. They could be transiting to anywhere and the story would be the same. It is really cliche, where the officers have chatty, athletic wives who are educated but have nothing to do but exercise. The main character everyone loves, so he can do no wrong. The rest of the characters fit a specific mold that can be found in other submarine stories.

So flat characters, a mystery that isn’t, no submarine combat and lots of “sub life” description makes for a dull, fast read. I’ll look to see if there is any sub combat in future stories. If not, I’ll pass.

[Stephen Ross Algin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to undersea,warfare

In the great tradition of Tom Clancy Brad Thor and Michael Di Merchurio, this adventure kept you gripping the pages for the next big twist.
I would he e enjoyed MORE sub-speak. It would have been great if the author was able to add more to the story since we were told about the 2 Kilos that were moving west- t.but I understand this is just to tantalize the reader. I very mch enjoyed all Of the lingo that has carried from my favorite authors and the obvious attention to detail without sacrificing excitement for definition. Absolute worth whatever they ask please support thi author a great read.
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[Terry Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU WILL READ THIS Quick

This is a review of book 1 in the series. This book goes on my list
of could not put it down. The action just got hotter and hotter, chapter
by chapter. I would have liked for the bad guy, to have remained undisclosed
for a while longer, but suspense was maintained by the actions of others.
The final blow was not obvious, and led to a great finish. A great book for
an old Navy sailor to read and enjoy.
I do have to mention that I read book 2 before I read book 1, and found book
1 a much better read.

Terry Ryan

[Gujju Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The risks that comes with the life in the submarine, is well explained in "Collapse Depth". The horrible sort of death and destruction described is unbearable. How can any country, groups or a person encourage war and destruction for sheer greed, fanaticism or blood thirst is beyond me. The desperation to stay alive, to escape from the horrible death comes up clearly in the writing by Todd Tucker. Hats off to all the brave Defense personnel and their beloved ones.

[Dan Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Submarine Book

My first submarine books were by written by Tom Clancy back in the 70's. I have not found a good submarine author until Mr Tucker. I liked the description of life and routines aboard the nuclear submarine. The characters are great and the sudden and unexpected problems that occur during a patrol will keep your interest. A very good book of you like submarines! I plan on reading the rest of the series.

[Ralph Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has a magnificent knowledge of the Navy as well as the sub and the movement of the ocean.


While some of his narration may appear to be somewhat lengthy occasionally, one is totally persuaded that the scene before you is factual !
After all, the best literature serves purpose of facts, or.just entertainment! This book appears to meet both requirements!

Ralph Wayne
Austin, Texas

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabotage on a Sub

This was a good book about the men that were serving on a Trident submarine and the mission they had to complete. Someone didn't want the mission completed and you'll never believe who is was.

This was the first book I've ever read about submarines and I enjoyed it. I think you will too.

[George W. Grindahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding and Riveting Read

Thoroughly enjoyed this action packed “story”. Very well researched with quite believable events that could occur on a submarine. Mr. Tucker interspersed hard driving technical happenings, with real world off the boat relationships without getting mushy!

Again, what a great read. Thank you Todd Tucker. Keep-‘‘em coming.

[Rick Jung, Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super story-telling; one of the few can’t-put-it-down books. If you like submarines, and stories about them, or within them, then you’ll really like the intrigue within this book. There are a bunch of typos but that does not detract from the tensions and people-conflicts. Great value - reading time well spent.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've Been There ...

... thanks to Todd Tucker and his compelling writing. To be so drawn into a plot as a participant, beyond mere spectator, is a rare thrill. Gotta read more Tucker!

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I’m in the minority here. I just can’t get into the constant descriptions of submarine life. I find it very boring. I fault the author for not being able to make it much more interesting. It’s too dry and the drama is nowhere near enough to make up for it.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm hooked.

I can't wait for the next Danny Jabo book. I hope this series gets as popular as the Hornblower books, and we get to follow Danny all the way to Admiral.

[Donald K. Ulsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific read.

I haven't read a book as spellbinding in a long time. I actually read it in one setting. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

[Olusegun Olabode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read, could do without the civilian perspective though

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collapse Depth

My first Danny Jabo story but will not be the last. Intrigue on nuclear submarine. Accidents that seem suspicious. When people start dying things are getting serious.

[billy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Profanity!!!

I know it's a sailor story and sailors curse. I don't. And I don't read profanity laced stories. Trash writing!!!

[Tom King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very realistic portrayal of submarine life. The interaction of the sailors is spot on. The story line is entertaining.
I enjoyed it. Brings back many memories.
ETC/SS Nuke retired.