Cuban Deep

Hunter Killer #3

by George Wallace, Don Keith

WHEN A VENEZUELAN ADMIRAL ATTEMPTS AN AMBITIOUS POWER GRAB, AMERICA’S ELITE WARRIORS MUST STOP A DISASTER OF UNIMAGINABLE SCALE.
______________________________________

Admiral Juan Valdez is the puppet master behind Venezuela's dictatorship. He has spent years modernizing Venezuela’s military while the poor of his country starved. All the while, Valdez was working toward his grand vision of seizing much of Latin America. Now Admiral Valdez is convinced that Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru are all well within his grasp. And when the time is right, he will strike.

But the real key to his victory lies to the north. With the recent discovery of massive undersea oil deposits, he must take Cuba. For oil is money. And money is power.

The crew of the submarine USS Toledo, along with a handful of SEALs and intelligence operatives, have been sent in to protect America’s interests.

But with Russia’s best technology at his disposal, Valdez’s elaborate plot puts the Americans right in the line of fire.

Genres: Fiction, Military Fiction

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2019

About the author

Born and raised in Eastern Ohio, Commander Wallace received his commission in the US Navy and a degree in engineering from The Ohio State University. After the obligatory and memorable interview with Admiral Rickover, he was accepted into the nuclear power and submarine communities. He served on two of Admiral Rickover’s famous “Forty One for Freedom”, the USS John Adams SSBN 620 and the USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624, during which time he made nine one-hundred-day deterrent patrols through the height of the Cold War.

Commander Wallace served as Executive Officer on the Sturgeon class nuclear attack submarine Spadefish. Spadefish and all her sisters were decommissioned during the downsizing that occurred in the 1990′s. The passing of that great ship served as the inspiration for “Final Bearing.”

Commander Wallace then commanded the Los Angeles class nuclear attack submarine USS Houston SSN 713 from February 1990 to August 1992. During this tour of duty he worked extensively with the SEAL community developing SEAL/submarine tactics. Under his command, the Houston was awarded the CIA Meritorious Unit Citation.

Commander George Wallace retired to the civilian business world in 1995, after twenty-two years of service on nuclear submarines.

Commander Wallace lives with his wife, Penny, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Reviews

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent submarine, SEAL, CIA thriller involving Cuba and Venezuela. On the negative side, I felt the authors overwrote the persona of the baddies. Both the Venezuelan submarine captain and the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was a good book. I really enjoyed following the storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of a couple of the characters. The ending was slightly underwhelming and felt a bit rushed which normally isn’t the case for Wallace and Keith.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Herbert Scott Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valdez###

Again, many plots at same but all coming together at end. The story line WAS great. Seems like issues that are faced everyday by the people defending our country. Of course the literary exceptions are allowed for considering the leadership in Congress. Enjoyable reading and continued my learning curve especially on the topography of the fighting environment.

[Linda Schmidt- · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban Deep focuses on the corrupt communist hierarchy ruling Venezuela who plan to manipulate US environmental concerns to control oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. As usual the authors focus on American submarine and SEAL personnel who strive to protect their country. The characters are realistic in their mental and physical strength and the plot is credible, which makes good reading.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just completed the third book in the series and haven’t been disappointed yet!

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts with action and ends with thunderous action! It is that good. Do you like nuclear submarine action? You will love this book too. Just exactly how well would a state of the art Russian submarine, in the hands of a treacherous Venezuelan Admiral, do against our highly trained USA team? Do you like SEAL action? There is lots of that too. Seems there is a SEAL team stranded on this small island called Cuba. There are white hats and there are black hats. One of the reasons that team is stranded is because one of the white hats is working both sides. Our Venezuelan Admiral seems to have delusions of grandeur, thinking he can take over most of South America and Cuba. The US submarine plans to make sure that doesn’t happen. Without a doubt, this is the best book I have read this year. Thank you to author Andrew Watts, for recommending it.

[Ken Mathews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast moving yarn.

A good fast-paced story, if not a bit unbelievable. With all the books I’ve read there a a pattern of incompetent or ‘out-of-touch’ very senior leadership, systems or technology failures at the wrong times, and moles in the works. Is this really how it is? I’m not a submariner but I do have a lot of time in choppers. The authors description of the Jetranger and its capabilities was wrong that with a little bit of research could have been more accurate and made a better read. My mind of course then questioned the accuracy of the submarine technical writing.
I liked the bits about loyalty and integrity amongst the SEALs and submarine crew, something that is sadly lacking in our world in general.

[Eric Cousineau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series that I have read and I was not disappointed. A fast-paced read that grabs you on the first page and is powered by non-stop action and a taut, emotional narrative This book is a real page turner!

Wallace and Ketith’s work is an outstanding naval thriller right up there with the likes of Tom Clancy and Patrick Robinson. This wonderfully crafted story with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last page. It was so captivating and exciting that I simply couldn't put it down. I had to read the whole thing in one sitting! I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Venezuela Admiral with dreams of grandeur plots to take over the government and tap a new found oil reserve in waters off Cuba. The commander of a submarine acquired from the Russians is a little Napoleon with a secret advantage that allows him to track a US nuclear sub which is in the waters off Cuba and he fires torpedoes but stops them short of exploding. What follows is the maneuvering between the Admiral and US Seals and the Submarine commander, a rogue CIA agent and Cuban agents. Plenty of action on land and in the water with realistic depiction of submarine action. A good read that kept my attention to the end.

[Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Danger and Deceit from the Jungle to the Depths

The world is at risk with Cuba at the focal point as greed and power take aim at treasure buried deep under the Caribbean. Memorable characters in this good vs evil sweeping epic are all trying to do their part and maybe even stay alive.

George Wallace and Don Keith have crafted a blockbuster with all the intrigue you would expect from the best. Deadly cat and mouse engagements, old scores to settle, foul betrayal, sea battles, and terrorism at its darkest. It was mind-boggling trying to keep up with what would happen next.

[Bill Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

Finally someone has written a Submarine book without the word "fire one" in it. Being a former submariner this was a refreshing as real as it gets submarine adventure. It could be real, I could see the things going on in my head even though my background was a fleet boat and a fast attack. This was a great thriller and I can only assume that the Seal Team part was also accurate. Even better than Hunt for Red October. Great book guys, looking for your next foray. BTW I never give 5 stars because there should always be an incentive to be more creative. There should be more than 5 stars anyway.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best naval/military thrillers I have read since The Hunt for Red October. Along with nonstop action and intrigue, the descriptions of equipment, personnel, and tactics are spot on with real-world Navy operations. I would suggest making sure you clear your schedule for a couple of days once you start reading Cuban Deep because it is almost impossible to put down. While this is my first Wallace and Keith book, I will be loading the previous two in to my Kindle Unlimited library and getting busy. I received an Advance Review Copy and have chosen to provide this review.

[Thomas Abele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story with too many characters. Found myself constantly having to refresh my memory about who someone was in the overall story line. Also many scenes just ended leaving you wondering how you got from point A to point D. Action was unevenly spaced throughout and sporadic. At the end of the book I had no interest in continuing to follow the characters. No close attachment was developed for any character because development was shallow and unfulfilling. Best part of read were moments on board the submarine.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Potentially Good, but Loses Direction ..

First, this series is diverting AWAY from being about submarines, to including subs as just part of the story. Maybe that’s good, maybe not ... but definitely not what I was expecting when I picked up the book(s). Second, there is again a very abrupt ending ... there are things missing from the plot that are not resolved, and these problems keep the book from being ‘good’ ... a 2-star rating might be harsh, but the authors are cutting the readers off at the knees — providing incomplete stories.

[jeremy dierst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it funny that the bad guy character is named after a coffee commercial character. The name Juan Valdez was used in Colombian coffee commercials for years. And that is what I pictured every time I saw the name. Other than that, the plot was easy to follow and in theory could be somewhat believable. It is good most of the same characters are mentioned and brought along from the previous novel, without too much back story. The different locations used in each novel so far, are fairly distinct and detailed.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban Deep (The Hunter Killer Series Book 3), my fifth read from author George Wallace, co-written with author Don Keith. Again reminiscent of the best works of author Andrew Watts, another well-developed, well-written book. “I received a complementary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to reading more from this author with Fast Attack (The Hunter Killer Series Book 4) high on my TBR list. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The headline really does say it all. I was fascinated with the submarines battling it out, the insertion of the SEAL time and how the Agency had some bad apples inside, out for themselves. The writing was stellar, and hard to imagine two authors wrote it together. It was seamless and hard to put down. Thanks for the advance copy! Again, the espionage and how involved each puzzle piece was made this a nonstop read.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow ! This was so much to fun to read ! A power hungry Venezuelan admiral plans to take over the oil supply. You get both bad and good CIA agents involved along with the Navy and it’s Seal teams. If you like an action packed international conspiracy story you won’t be able to put this one down. Outstanding cast of characters, non stop action and a terrific story line makes this a keeper !

[Gary B Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many subplots, could have gotten by with half of them. Had to keep a description of the characters handy to keep up with the various stories. Overly complicated. Some of the language used would be uncharacteristic for some of the characters and would be more likely to be found in a pulp action novel.

[Ian Birtwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I found this one a bit too pedestrian. The action was a bit thin on the ground and was mainly not submarine based. I appreciate that it might be a bit difficult to come up with stories based solely on board, but others have managed this and I would hope that the next in the series (Fast Attack) does this.

[Steve Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a techno-thriller based upon very authentic submarine tactics, knowledge of weapons, SEAL Team scouting, insertion and combat procedures. The political intrigue is engrossing and believable. CUBAN DEEP rivals the best of Clancy's novels.

[Mrs. Clyde Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want a good ebook that appeal to Joe Teacher fans, this is it!

Good fast read. Characters are well defined. Plot has good dimension and local colors .
Cuba adds the spice to this tale!

[Walt Mccluskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban deep

Good series and lots of action interspersed throughout. Ended in a little too much omission of detail setting up the next installment as though author was tired of this one but uncertain about the next.

[John H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One more butt-clenching adventure!

Once again, Wallace and Keith come up with a credible tale that will satisfy those in the submarine service and the SEAL community. Also enjoyed the weaving in of 20th Century Cuban history. On to their next one!

[William McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. A decent follow-up to the first two novels in the series. Like the previous book, this one also has some improbable occurrences and coincidences. The author is an experienced submariner and his intimate familiarity with equipment and tactics enhance his storytelling. On to book #4.

[William M. Bulling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series !!!!

Another book intensifies that grabs you from the beginning. I'm learning a lot about submarines and SEALS. Lots of action and suspense. Looking forward to the next book.

[stephen conn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban deep

A fast paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns and a varied cast of character's and fast paced action the detail of submarine action makes you feel your on the sub

[Ev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuban Deep

A vast improvement good story line. Kept me riveted wanting to get to the next page,but making sure I didn’t miss anything. 👍👍👍👍

[Jim Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely best submarine and SOF stories....great read.