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Trident Deception #6
Deep Strike
The U.S. Atlantic fleet is in a race to stop a rogue Russian submarine—funded by ISIS—en route to launch a missile attack against the east coast of the U.S.
A shoulder-launched missile attack on a convoy of vehicles leaving the U.N. headquarters in New York kills several diplomats, including the American ambassador. Security footage reveals that the killer behind the attack is a disgraced former special forces operative, Mark Alperi. But before U.S. intelligence operatives can catch up with him, Alperi is already onto the next phase of his plan.
With funding from the nearly shattered ISIS, Alperi plans an attack on the U.S. that will be more devastating than 9/11. He bribes a desperate Russian submarine commander with access to an expensive experimental drug for his daughter who is suffering from a rare disease. In exchange, the Russian commander will take his submarine to the Atlantic Ocean and launch a salvo of missiles at various targets along the East Coast of the United States. The commander lies to his crew that it's a secret mission, with dummy missiles, for a training exercise. At the same time, unbeknownst to the commander, Alperi has arranged for four of the missile warheads to be replaced with four surplus nuclear warheads and arms them.
When the Russian submarine sinks the U.S. sub that is tracking it, the U.S. military is alarmed. When Intelligence uncovers Alperi's plot, though, it becomes a race against time—find the Russian sub and sink it before it can launch a devastating nuclear attack.
A shoulder-launched missile attack on a convoy of vehicles leaving the U.N. headquarters in New York kills several diplomats, including the American ambassador. Security footage reveals that the killer behind the attack is a disgraced former special forces operative, Mark Alperi. But before U.S. intelligence operatives can catch up with him, Alperi is already onto the next phase of his plan.
With funding from the nearly shattered ISIS, Alperi plans an attack on the U.S. that will be more devastating than 9/11. He bribes a desperate Russian submarine commander with access to an expensive experimental drug for his daughter who is suffering from a rare disease. In exchange, the Russian commander will take his submarine to the Atlantic Ocean and launch a salvo of missiles at various targets along the East Coast of the United States. The commander lies to his crew that it's a secret mission, with dummy missiles, for a training exercise. At the same time, unbeknownst to the commander, Alperi has arranged for four of the missile warheads to be replaced with four surplus nuclear warheads and arms them.
When the Russian submarine sinks the U.S. sub that is tracking it, the U.S. military is alarmed. When Intelligence uncovers Alperi's plot, though, it becomes a race against time—find the Russian sub and sink it before it can launch a devastating nuclear attack.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2021
112 people are currently reading
979 people want to read
About the author
Rick Campbell
13 books343 followersRICK 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 23, 2021
FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS
“Don’t run to your death.” – US Navy SEAL life rule.
“When a crisis confronts the nation, the first question often asked by policymakers is: "What naval forces are available and how fast can they be on station?" – US Navy Admiral Carlisle Trost.
Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century. It’s a wild time to be alive. While there has been much societal progress, the world is quite possibly even more dangerous than it was when it merely had Communists and Capitalists pointing nuclear weapons at each other. Unconventional Warfare has sprung many means of leaving nation states in a world of hurt and non – state threats, are multiplying rather than becoming extinct. It’s into the realm of asymmetric war that Rick Campbell, naval warfare maestro sets his latest novel, Deep Strike. The creator of a naval warfare saga charting the life and times of National Security Adviser Christine O’Connor, Campbell recently put the capstone on a three-act story arc, wrapping it up with his fifth book. This created a rare opportunity, that of the ‘clean slate’. With past story threads decisively tied up, fresh opportunities could be seized. And it’s a brave new world for Christine O’Connor Campbell’s heroine who now finds herself the new queen of Langley as the second female DCI in the Agency’s history.
The rewards are great, but barely before she can settle in to the Seventh-Floor office, the first crisis of her directorship lands in her in – tray. An agent of chaos in on the rampage, paid for by a terror group which demands new glory and fresh bloodshed. And the only man who might have the talent to hunt him down might be unwilling to pick up his gun once again. Now to the review. What happens when a skeleton in the closet bursts out and starts leaving dead bodies behind?
The novel begins in the USAF’s Creech Air Base. It’s another mundane day at the Predator Drone section of the complex where a specific drone strike is being mounted. Targets are identified, munitions are selected and bad guys who spend all live long day thinking about how to kill Americans are blasted aside. The routine is only broken up by two targets who manage to flee the initial strike. The drone pilot hits them with a hellfire missile and calls it a day. One year later, the repercussions of that drone strike literally explode onto America’s streets. The American Ambassador to the UN and his DSS bodyguard detail are violently bushwhacked by a highly skilled contract killer. Before anyone can react, the target has been roasted alive by the thermobaric 40mm grenades, and the corpses of his security detail lie graphically strewn across a New York Street. A few hundred miles south, the new Queen of Langley, Christine O’Connor arrives at her first West Wing Cabinet meeting as the DCI. The FBI’s findings are outlined and to her horror, O’Connor realizes the killer is someone from her past. Returning to Langley, O’Connor and her deputy directors resolve to begin a manhunt. In Russia, a submarine captain whose cancer-stricken daughter needs an experimental medical treatment, decides to make a deal with a devil that just might get millions of people killed. And in the Pacific Northwest, recently retired Navy SEAL Jake Harrison is trying to take a solid crack at civilian life, when he’s given the ultimate job offer that can’t be refused. To hunt a SEAL gone bad. From the treacherous back alleys of Damascus to the cold snows of Odessa, O’Connor and Harrison match wits against an unpredictable nemesis who as the net tightens, has a final gambit to leave his pursuers in peril.
In terms of plot, Deep Strike brims with the energy that can only come from a writer embracing that freedom which comes when spinning a whole new original plot thread not bound by the constraints of past foundations. The story is some of Campbell’s best writing to date and features the flourishes which make his naval fiction the most gripping and readable in the genre to date. Unconventional situations pushing highly expensive military hardware to their furthest limits, a balance of detail and excitement about the worst things that could happen to the world and a cast of flawed but always compelling characters whose bad luck is matched by sheer tenacity to survive, whether drowning in the North Pole or getting bashed around by a violent spymaster. Deep Strike, combines what makes Campbell’s writing the best modern day naval fiction with the creative freedom of beginning a new story arc to impressive effect. There are many surprises in store as Christine finds. A new job, a whole new profession and new power, that comes along with new enemies and new apocalyptic dangers to try head off.
Action and setting? Marvelous. Campbell has almost equal among the mainstream writers of contemporary naval military fiction. His series has the fastest paced naval warfare among any novelist today, and with his decades of experience in the silent service, can portray a tense stalk of part of the Russian nuclear arsenal with unmatched skill. But it’s not just the high seas where Campbell shines. He deals with the paramilitary side of contemporary Post 9/11 espionage in a bigger way than his previous books, and the effort and time taken in the espionage chapters shows. From the spectacular opening assassination that kicks off the maelstrom, to a hectic crossfire in a Damascus office block, the violent legwork on land blends compellingly with the cat and mouse naval hunt across the Atlantic. The settings are also perfectly chosen as well. Whether it be the sun-bleached concrete of New York’s Second avenue, thrown into chaos by fire and charred flesh, the dark rabbit warrens and back streets of Damascus where war profiteers ply their trades, or the claustrophobia of one of Russia’s most dangerous war machines, the author continues to achieve excellent immersive effect.
Research? Excellent as usual. The author has continued to display his mastery the difficult art of balancing the real-world detail with a good, entertaining story. Whether it be how the USAF conduct drone strikes, the ins and outs of HUMINT in the 21st century or how small and large weapons systems operate, Deep Strike is impressively rich in detail, but detail that is used with the optimal precision of a sniper shot. Highlights include contemporary counter – surveillance in a world where the NYPD domain awareness system reigns supreme, how modern-day arms dealing works and even the terrifying mechanics of how a feasible submarine launched ballistic missile attack on the United States could be conducted. My favorite piece of kit the author features in the book, however, is the world’s most lethal container crate. An unconventional weapons system but one which nearly delivers the bad guy’s a near victory, it’s these small surprises that makes the author’s novels a treat with him blending unconventional scenarios and never utilized technology to great effect. Another surprise also involves the recent disclosures of bona fide war crimes that have started to pop up with distressing frequency among the west’s demi gods, the Special Forces units who have been on the front line relentlessly for 20 years and counting. Deep Strike explores one of those very men and examines just what it takes for a man who have few lines left to cross to go deep into the abyss.
Characters? Many standouts. I’ll focus on three, Jake, Khalina and Alperi. First, Jake. Harrison’s character arc is somewhat fascinating and a welcome deviation from the usual military man sucked into spying game tale. At the start of the story, he ultimately rejected the job offer at the Company, headed back to his family, and decided to take a crack at being a good, peaceful family man due to his long-suffering wife. Of course, that situation doesn’t last and soon Jake finds a compelling reason to go off to war once more. Namely taking dead or alive an individual he knows would be dangerous to the world. But the war he’s entering into is a covert one and is nothing quite like what he’s faced before. Despite the strict right and wrong morality however, Harrison doesn’t do too badly despite clashing with his new morally grey CIA colleagues. Excellent common sense, quick thinking and superb marksmanship see him through the day and end up saving his life where mistakes and delays by others nearly cause global disaster.
Next, Khalina Dufour who steals the show in the chapters she appears in. Dufour is an enigmatic CIA operative who is much more than she appears. Possessing mysterious political pull with the operation’s side of the seventh floor leadership, and having gained a legendary reputation through the Middle East’s underworld which provokes outright hatred and contempt, Dufour also happens to be an absolutely lethal hand to hand combatant and more than a match for the opposition that gets in her way. Highly abrasive, supremely confident in her own skill and righteousness, Dufour and Harrison’s interplay is the most fascinating arc in the book between two warriors, one overt and one covert, who forge a tentative respect for each other while dodging death together. Shrouded in legend, myth and maybe a bodyguard of lies, Dufour is a major highlight of Deep Strike, one whom we will assuredly learn more of as this new story arc progresses.
Finally, we come to Mark Alperi. Alperi is the bad guy and primary threat of this story. Once one of the former demi – Gods who fought the war on terror, Alperi was cast out of the heavens by committing horrible crimes he believed were for the good of his country. Becoming a vengeful gun for hire, Alperi carefully cobbled together a meticulous scheme to get even at the perceived ingratitude he was subjected to, over the dead bodies of his former countrymen. Cruel, narcissistic but maintaining his world class skill at taking lives with precision, Alperi is a formidable adversary balancing brains with brawn, putting up a fight while setting in motion a few final gambits to try win beyond the grave.
Clean slates are sometimes scary things. No course already chartered. No footsteps to tread. No trails to follow. But for a writer, this provides a rare opportunity. To have faith in one’s own precision and create something new with nothing to tie them down. In Deep Strike, that opportunity played out to superb effect. Author Rick Campbell demonstrates already impressive writing abilities by writing a cracking good start to a whole new story arc in his naval fiction series, one that promises new horizons and new worlds to conquer.
With a balanced, entertaining plot about unconventional threats, impeccably balanced research that enhances an already good narrative even further, and a cast of compelling characters who have to deal with the fallout of actions taken, the future of one of the few great naval fiction series in American thriller fiction continues to look bright even in these unpredictable times.
RECOMMENDED.
“Don’t run to your death.” – US Navy SEAL life rule.
“When a crisis confronts the nation, the first question often asked by policymakers is: "What naval forces are available and how fast can they be on station?" – US Navy Admiral Carlisle Trost.
Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century. It’s a wild time to be alive. While there has been much societal progress, the world is quite possibly even more dangerous than it was when it merely had Communists and Capitalists pointing nuclear weapons at each other. Unconventional Warfare has sprung many means of leaving nation states in a world of hurt and non – state threats, are multiplying rather than becoming extinct. It’s into the realm of asymmetric war that Rick Campbell, naval warfare maestro sets his latest novel, Deep Strike. The creator of a naval warfare saga charting the life and times of National Security Adviser Christine O’Connor, Campbell recently put the capstone on a three-act story arc, wrapping it up with his fifth book. This created a rare opportunity, that of the ‘clean slate’. With past story threads decisively tied up, fresh opportunities could be seized. And it’s a brave new world for Christine O’Connor Campbell’s heroine who now finds herself the new queen of Langley as the second female DCI in the Agency’s history.
The rewards are great, but barely before she can settle in to the Seventh-Floor office, the first crisis of her directorship lands in her in – tray. An agent of chaos in on the rampage, paid for by a terror group which demands new glory and fresh bloodshed. And the only man who might have the talent to hunt him down might be unwilling to pick up his gun once again. Now to the review. What happens when a skeleton in the closet bursts out and starts leaving dead bodies behind?
The novel begins in the USAF’s Creech Air Base. It’s another mundane day at the Predator Drone section of the complex where a specific drone strike is being mounted. Targets are identified, munitions are selected and bad guys who spend all live long day thinking about how to kill Americans are blasted aside. The routine is only broken up by two targets who manage to flee the initial strike. The drone pilot hits them with a hellfire missile and calls it a day. One year later, the repercussions of that drone strike literally explode onto America’s streets. The American Ambassador to the UN and his DSS bodyguard detail are violently bushwhacked by a highly skilled contract killer. Before anyone can react, the target has been roasted alive by the thermobaric 40mm grenades, and the corpses of his security detail lie graphically strewn across a New York Street. A few hundred miles south, the new Queen of Langley, Christine O’Connor arrives at her first West Wing Cabinet meeting as the DCI. The FBI’s findings are outlined and to her horror, O’Connor realizes the killer is someone from her past. Returning to Langley, O’Connor and her deputy directors resolve to begin a manhunt. In Russia, a submarine captain whose cancer-stricken daughter needs an experimental medical treatment, decides to make a deal with a devil that just might get millions of people killed. And in the Pacific Northwest, recently retired Navy SEAL Jake Harrison is trying to take a solid crack at civilian life, when he’s given the ultimate job offer that can’t be refused. To hunt a SEAL gone bad. From the treacherous back alleys of Damascus to the cold snows of Odessa, O’Connor and Harrison match wits against an unpredictable nemesis who as the net tightens, has a final gambit to leave his pursuers in peril.
In terms of plot, Deep Strike brims with the energy that can only come from a writer embracing that freedom which comes when spinning a whole new original plot thread not bound by the constraints of past foundations. The story is some of Campbell’s best writing to date and features the flourishes which make his naval fiction the most gripping and readable in the genre to date. Unconventional situations pushing highly expensive military hardware to their furthest limits, a balance of detail and excitement about the worst things that could happen to the world and a cast of flawed but always compelling characters whose bad luck is matched by sheer tenacity to survive, whether drowning in the North Pole or getting bashed around by a violent spymaster. Deep Strike, combines what makes Campbell’s writing the best modern day naval fiction with the creative freedom of beginning a new story arc to impressive effect. There are many surprises in store as Christine finds. A new job, a whole new profession and new power, that comes along with new enemies and new apocalyptic dangers to try head off.
Action and setting? Marvelous. Campbell has almost equal among the mainstream writers of contemporary naval military fiction. His series has the fastest paced naval warfare among any novelist today, and with his decades of experience in the silent service, can portray a tense stalk of part of the Russian nuclear arsenal with unmatched skill. But it’s not just the high seas where Campbell shines. He deals with the paramilitary side of contemporary Post 9/11 espionage in a bigger way than his previous books, and the effort and time taken in the espionage chapters shows. From the spectacular opening assassination that kicks off the maelstrom, to a hectic crossfire in a Damascus office block, the violent legwork on land blends compellingly with the cat and mouse naval hunt across the Atlantic. The settings are also perfectly chosen as well. Whether it be the sun-bleached concrete of New York’s Second avenue, thrown into chaos by fire and charred flesh, the dark rabbit warrens and back streets of Damascus where war profiteers ply their trades, or the claustrophobia of one of Russia’s most dangerous war machines, the author continues to achieve excellent immersive effect.
Research? Excellent as usual. The author has continued to display his mastery the difficult art of balancing the real-world detail with a good, entertaining story. Whether it be how the USAF conduct drone strikes, the ins and outs of HUMINT in the 21st century or how small and large weapons systems operate, Deep Strike is impressively rich in detail, but detail that is used with the optimal precision of a sniper shot. Highlights include contemporary counter – surveillance in a world where the NYPD domain awareness system reigns supreme, how modern-day arms dealing works and even the terrifying mechanics of how a feasible submarine launched ballistic missile attack on the United States could be conducted. My favorite piece of kit the author features in the book, however, is the world’s most lethal container crate. An unconventional weapons system but one which nearly delivers the bad guy’s a near victory, it’s these small surprises that makes the author’s novels a treat with him blending unconventional scenarios and never utilized technology to great effect. Another surprise also involves the recent disclosures of bona fide war crimes that have started to pop up with distressing frequency among the west’s demi gods, the Special Forces units who have been on the front line relentlessly for 20 years and counting. Deep Strike explores one of those very men and examines just what it takes for a man who have few lines left to cross to go deep into the abyss.
Characters? Many standouts. I’ll focus on three, Jake, Khalina and Alperi. First, Jake. Harrison’s character arc is somewhat fascinating and a welcome deviation from the usual military man sucked into spying game tale. At the start of the story, he ultimately rejected the job offer at the Company, headed back to his family, and decided to take a crack at being a good, peaceful family man due to his long-suffering wife. Of course, that situation doesn’t last and soon Jake finds a compelling reason to go off to war once more. Namely taking dead or alive an individual he knows would be dangerous to the world. But the war he’s entering into is a covert one and is nothing quite like what he’s faced before. Despite the strict right and wrong morality however, Harrison doesn’t do too badly despite clashing with his new morally grey CIA colleagues. Excellent common sense, quick thinking and superb marksmanship see him through the day and end up saving his life where mistakes and delays by others nearly cause global disaster.
Next, Khalina Dufour who steals the show in the chapters she appears in. Dufour is an enigmatic CIA operative who is much more than she appears. Possessing mysterious political pull with the operation’s side of the seventh floor leadership, and having gained a legendary reputation through the Middle East’s underworld which provokes outright hatred and contempt, Dufour also happens to be an absolutely lethal hand to hand combatant and more than a match for the opposition that gets in her way. Highly abrasive, supremely confident in her own skill and righteousness, Dufour and Harrison’s interplay is the most fascinating arc in the book between two warriors, one overt and one covert, who forge a tentative respect for each other while dodging death together. Shrouded in legend, myth and maybe a bodyguard of lies, Dufour is a major highlight of Deep Strike, one whom we will assuredly learn more of as this new story arc progresses.
Finally, we come to Mark Alperi. Alperi is the bad guy and primary threat of this story. Once one of the former demi – Gods who fought the war on terror, Alperi was cast out of the heavens by committing horrible crimes he believed were for the good of his country. Becoming a vengeful gun for hire, Alperi carefully cobbled together a meticulous scheme to get even at the perceived ingratitude he was subjected to, over the dead bodies of his former countrymen. Cruel, narcissistic but maintaining his world class skill at taking lives with precision, Alperi is a formidable adversary balancing brains with brawn, putting up a fight while setting in motion a few final gambits to try win beyond the grave.
Clean slates are sometimes scary things. No course already chartered. No footsteps to tread. No trails to follow. But for a writer, this provides a rare opportunity. To have faith in one’s own precision and create something new with nothing to tie them down. In Deep Strike, that opportunity played out to superb effect. Author Rick Campbell demonstrates already impressive writing abilities by writing a cracking good start to a whole new story arc in his naval fiction series, one that promises new horizons and new worlds to conquer.
With a balanced, entertaining plot about unconventional threats, impeccably balanced research that enhances an already good narrative even further, and a cast of compelling characters who have to deal with the fallout of actions taken, the future of one of the few great naval fiction series in American thriller fiction continues to look bright even in these unpredictable times.
RECOMMENDED.
October 25, 2020
3.25* An intriguing thriller involving a rogue Russian submarine carrying nuclear warheads in a plot that targets the United States. The plan was hatched by a disgraced US Navy SEAL whomis out for revenge and funded by a rebuilding Al Qaeda. There are a lot of characters in this book. It's easy to get confused, although there is a handy guide to who's who at the back of the book. Maybe if I had read the other books in this series, it would've been easier. One could say the main protagonist is Jake Harrison, former Navy SEAL who is hired by CIA to stop this plot. I wish he featured in more of the book, but alas, the plot does not really allow for it. There are a lot of details about submarines and submarine warfare. Have to confess that those details slowed the story right down for me. But, for those who are interested in such things, these would be fascinating and educational. The action, when it occurred, was exciting. I certainly enjoyed the last third of the book more than at the beginning.
**Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
**Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
March 24, 2021
American submarines go up against a rogue Russian submarine captain while a disgraced former SEAL plots vengeance against the USA. Fast paced story telling as time is running out to thwart a terrorist or Russian nuclear attack. Credulity is stretched at times and the gender tropes will have HR busy for sure but like its previous volumes it was a great “can’t put down “ read.
Can’t wait to see where the series goes next as a pivot is involved. The author explains it in the acknowledgments. Surprisingly the main character is a woman, Christine O’Connor, currently the CIA Director. That might be the real deception of this series filled with martial, macho men and their machines of war.
Can’t wait to see where the series goes next as a pivot is involved. The author explains it in the acknowledgments. Surprisingly the main character is a woman, Christine O’Connor, currently the CIA Director. That might be the real deception of this series filled with martial, macho men and their machines of war.
February 7, 2021
Definitely one for Tom Clancy fans. This is part of a series but you don’t need to have read the previous books.
As an act of revenge on the US a two pronged attack is planned. The instigator is an American ex-SEAL using Al Qaeda money to bribe a Russian submarine captain to launch missiles at the US, the captain not knowing that his standard cruise missiles have been replaced with nukes.
So we have a cat and mouse chase at sea where American forces try and locate and destroy the Russian sub while on land the intelligence agencies are tracking down the perpetrators. It is very Clancy, the mix of big picture with the action at the operational level. Good set of characters and the technology feels spot on. Nearly everything works really well, except maybe for one “reveal” that is a bit telegraphed.
But this gives everything you could ask from a techno-thriller. There are some books I have yet to catch up on from Rick Campbell and this was a good reminder that I need to do so.
My thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.
As an act of revenge on the US a two pronged attack is planned. The instigator is an American ex-SEAL using Al Qaeda money to bribe a Russian submarine captain to launch missiles at the US, the captain not knowing that his standard cruise missiles have been replaced with nukes.
So we have a cat and mouse chase at sea where American forces try and locate and destroy the Russian sub while on land the intelligence agencies are tracking down the perpetrators. It is very Clancy, the mix of big picture with the action at the operational level. Good set of characters and the technology feels spot on. Nearly everything works really well, except maybe for one “reveal” that is a bit telegraphed.
But this gives everything you could ask from a techno-thriller. There are some books I have yet to catch up on from Rick Campbell and this was a good reminder that I need to do so.
My thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.
November 20, 2024
Decent but there are better authors with similar storylines.
October 2, 2022
Plot: The Trident Deception Series consists of several full-length novels in the military genrè. A retired Navy author provides page-turning excitement of near-miss disasters in American conflicts, primarily with Russia. Suggest starting at the beginning of the series, as several characters - like the President, Chief of Staff, a navy seal, and a strong female lead traverse all novels written to date - will be more.
Liked: If you are a fan of The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy - you'll love The Trident Deception Series. All are nail-biting, page-turning stories. Some graphic violence; if you're a victim of wartime PTSD, these might not be for you. Clean reads, no sex, no objectionable language. Learned a bit about submarine tactics.
Not so hot: Audio speed is a bit slow for my taste; I bumped the rate to 1.4 on the iPhone.
Written by Rick Campbell, and narration is fine; there are several, each book in the area of 10-15 hours of listening in audiobook format, released from March 2014 to date by Blackstone Audio.
Recommended.
Liked: If you are a fan of The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy - you'll love The Trident Deception Series. All are nail-biting, page-turning stories. Some graphic violence; if you're a victim of wartime PTSD, these might not be for you. Clean reads, no sex, no objectionable language. Learned a bit about submarine tactics.
Not so hot: Audio speed is a bit slow for my taste; I bumped the rate to 1.4 on the iPhone.
Written by Rick Campbell, and narration is fine; there are several, each book in the area of 10-15 hours of listening in audiobook format, released from March 2014 to date by Blackstone Audio.
Recommended.
April 8, 2021
A real page-turner that's hard to put down. Rick Campbell has crafted a thriller that takes you around the world with a plausible plot to take the US off the map.
Several new key characters introduced into the sixth book in the series, but you could read this as a stand-alone novel. Worth reading- just don't plan on much sleep until you're finished.
Several new key characters introduced into the sixth book in the series, but you could read this as a stand-alone novel. Worth reading- just don't plan on much sleep until you're finished.
August 18, 2021
Overall, this was a fun book to read. It might be interesting one day to go back and reread all the books in order, one after the other and see how any repeating characters in addition to the primary two characters change and grow (if at all) over the course of the series. The action is pretty good, overall. It alternates between sequences on the land and under the sea. The plot is decent. It is funny, though; on the one hand, it was a fast read. On the other hand, for being such a "short book" (when compared to the page count of other "technothrillers" and whatnot), it sure felt like it took "a long time to read."
The short chapters and lack of extensive exposition and/or "info dumps" helps propel the book along and give it a decent sense of urgency. Plus, the "constant movement" in the majority of the chapters also helps give it a sense of continual forward motion. So it is funny to me that while the entirety of the story pretty much takes place over a period of 10 days or so and it "feels like" the narrative is transporting the reader to the "climax" (or "anticlimax"), the book still felt like it was "slow moving" in areas and was taking me longer to finish than I realized.
It is funny.
There were a couple of moments that did catch me by surprise.
There was one bit of character development that I especially enjoyed. Overall, the character development was decent. The "secondary main characters" are fairly well developed, I thought, considering how short the novel is (around 350 pages, which seems smallish compared to the sizes of other novels published nowadays). On the one hand, I am not sure how much character development I really expect in stories like this; a little bit is fine, but if I were being honest, I tend to read these more for the "excitement" and "wow-factor" than I do characters with a lot of depth to them.
I would probably have rated this maybe 3.8 stars, max, but the ending was a huge disappointment for me, as was the author's inability to maintain whatever intensity he was able to generate at times throughout the story. I will probably rate it 3 stars, that being the case. Regardless, I did enjoy reading it and I will read the next novel when it is published.
The short chapters and lack of extensive exposition and/or "info dumps" helps propel the book along and give it a decent sense of urgency. Plus, the "constant movement" in the majority of the chapters also helps give it a sense of continual forward motion. So it is funny to me that while the entirety of the story pretty much takes place over a period of 10 days or so and it "feels like" the narrative is transporting the reader to the "climax" (or "anticlimax"), the book still felt like it was "slow moving" in areas and was taking me longer to finish than I realized.
It is funny.
There were a couple of moments that did catch me by surprise.
There was one bit of character development that I especially enjoyed. Overall, the character development was decent. The "secondary main characters" are fairly well developed, I thought, considering how short the novel is (around 350 pages, which seems smallish compared to the sizes of other novels published nowadays). On the one hand, I am not sure how much character development I really expect in stories like this; a little bit is fine, but if I were being honest, I tend to read these more for the "excitement" and "wow-factor" than I do characters with a lot of depth to them.
I would probably have rated this maybe 3.8 stars, max, but the ending was a huge disappointment for me, as was the author's inability to maintain whatever intensity he was able to generate at times throughout the story. I will probably rate it 3 stars, that being the case. Regardless, I did enjoy reading it and I will read the next novel when it is published.
February 20, 2021
Book Review: Deep Strike (Trident Deception #6) by Rick Campbell
(Published by St. Martin's Press, March 16, 2021)
4.5 Stars.
Well, Rick, it does work out!
With proficient knowledge of the specifics through direct experience as a former naval commander, situational creativity and an agreeable writing style, the reader in for a gem of a read!
Staged in Pakistan, Syria, Moscow and the Russian Northern Fleet "Ice Curtain" K- submarine base at arctic Gadzhiyevo, Russia, across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C. and Langley, Virginia, the scope of action is of such magnitude that the assassination of a US ambassador and such are but cameos runs.
The naval warfare and spy fiction techno-thriller focuses on two main spheres of action:
- the global hunt for a terrorist; and,
- the hunt and kill US ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) deployment and blockade against K-561 Kazan, a Yasen class attack submarine, Aleksandr Plecas, Commanding.
Due to the scope, a list of main characters is necessarily rendered before the prologue, such as that which one may find in a major movie production.
Lead protagonists Christine O'Connor, Director, CIA, Jake Harrison, paramilitary CIA officer, Lonnie Mixell, former Navy SEAL, Aleksandr Plecas, Commanding Officer of K-561 Kazan, and Murray Wilson, most senior captain in the Submarine Force are complemented by a full array of players in the US Administration, the CIA, DNI, officers and men of US Los Angeles and Virginia fast attack submarines; the Russian Federation, the FSB, Russian Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command, officers and men of the Russian Yasen class submarines.
Plus, looming out of real life, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Al-Qaeda.
It's the aftermath of a skirmish of global proportions between the US and Russian naval fleets. The Russian military had staged a coup d'état, then took overt action against US military assets. With US intervention, Russian civilian government was restored with the Russian fleet largely annihilated.
The Russian Federation is now slowly rebuilding and refitting its devastated fleet with the launch of its newest nuclear submarine,
- the K-561 Kazan, a Yasen class attack submarine...
----
The novel is slightly reminiscent, and, frankly, dwarfs in scope a personal favorite, "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy, one of my all-time favorite authors (through his passing in 2013) whose extensive repertoire does extend beyond submarine warfare.
On tap by the author, following "Deep Strike" Book 6 is Books 7 and 8 (both still to be released) to form a trilogy featuring protagonists Mixell, O'Connell and Harrison.
Certainly, top priority on my TBR, along with "Treason" Book 5, released in 2019.
And Mr. Rick Campbell - definitely an author to be followed.
Highly entertaining. Recommended!
Review based on an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.
(Published by St. Martin's Press, March 16, 2021)
4.5 Stars.
"To help the story move along without getting bogged down in acronyms, technical details, and military jargon, I simplified the dialog and description of operations and weapons systems....
I did my best to keep everything as close to real life as possible while developing a suspenseful (and unclassified), page-turning novel.
Hopefully it all worked out and you enjoyed reading."
- Author Rick Campbell, retired US Naval commander
Well, Rick, it does work out!
With proficient knowledge of the specifics through direct experience as a former naval commander, situational creativity and an agreeable writing style, the reader in for a gem of a read!
"...Pilot, left ten degrees rudder, steady course zero-six-zero. Make your depth four hundred feet..."
Staged in Pakistan, Syria, Moscow and the Russian Northern Fleet "Ice Curtain" K- submarine base at arctic Gadzhiyevo, Russia, across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C. and Langley, Virginia, the scope of action is of such magnitude that the assassination of a US ambassador and such are but cameos runs.
The naval warfare and spy fiction techno-thriller focuses on two main spheres of action:
- the global hunt for a terrorist; and,
- the hunt and kill US ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) deployment and blockade against K-561 Kazan, a Yasen class attack submarine, Aleksandr Plecas, Commanding.
Due to the scope, a list of main characters is necessarily rendered before the prologue, such as that which one may find in a major movie production.
Lead protagonists Christine O'Connor, Director, CIA, Jake Harrison, paramilitary CIA officer, Lonnie Mixell, former Navy SEAL, Aleksandr Plecas, Commanding Officer of K-561 Kazan, and Murray Wilson, most senior captain in the Submarine Force are complemented by a full array of players in the US Administration, the CIA, DNI, officers and men of US Los Angeles and Virginia fast attack submarines; the Russian Federation, the FSB, Russian Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command, officers and men of the Russian Yasen class submarines.
Plus, looming out of real life, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Al-Qaeda.
"High value target. That's all you need to know."
It's the aftermath of a skirmish of global proportions between the US and Russian naval fleets. The Russian military had staged a coup d'état, then took overt action against US military assets. With US intervention, Russian civilian government was restored with the Russian fleet largely annihilated.
The Russian Federation is now slowly rebuilding and refitting its devastated fleet with the launch of its newest nuclear submarine,
- the K-561 Kazan, a Yasen class attack submarine...
----
The novel is slightly reminiscent, and, frankly, dwarfs in scope a personal favorite, "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy, one of my all-time favorite authors (through his passing in 2013) whose extensive repertoire does extend beyond submarine warfare.
On tap by the author, following "Deep Strike" Book 6 is Books 7 and 8 (both still to be released) to form a trilogy featuring protagonists Mixell, O'Connell and Harrison.
Certainly, top priority on my TBR, along with "Treason" Book 5, released in 2019.
And Mr. Rick Campbell - definitely an author to be followed.
Highly entertaining. Recommended!
Review based on an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.
November 7, 2021
Campbell is great at writing exciting naval warfare books particularly involving submarine combat (owing to the fact he was a sub commander), though this time around he took a shot at writing some espionage and intelligence into his story to a greater degree than his previous works. In this, the series takes a bit of a change in pacing, characters, and stakes. It's different, and it works just fine as a fun military fiction thriller, but something was just missing from this one that made Campbell's previous efforts special. I should make you aware that Empire Rising is one of my favorite books of all time and I would argue rivals that of Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising or Larry Bond's Red Phoenix, so perhaps that nostalgia colors my view of what genuinely is a good book. I just feel Campbell can do better because he definitely has, but my assumption is that this is just because he (understandably) doesn't want to fall into a formulaic writing style with high stakes world wars happening every other book. That may get boring for the reader as well.
The new villain was interesting, but I don't want to spoil anything so that's basically all I can say. I am slightly disappointed in seeing less of Christine O'Conner because she's just the epitome of badass, but quite frankly she's been through enough already. She deserves some time off. And of course, it's great seeing Jake Harrison and Murray Wilson again.
I'm sure Campbell had people advising him on how the CIA works but I can't help but chuckle at how "James Bondish" the two main CIA character introductions in this book are. Not every field agent has to be sexy as hell and I highly doubt the CIA is such a wild west government agency that they're open to letting agents do certain things depicted here. Let's see if this style improves in the next few books.
The submarine combat scenes, as usual, are sublime. If you're looking for more of that from Rick Campbell, you've got plenty of it here.
Overall, a recommend from me, particularly if you're a fan of Campbell's previous work. I'm curious how the story will progress from here. I'd recommend reading some of his earlier books first before this one, but if you really must read this one first, I'd say its an okay standalone, as events in the previous books are only partially mentioned. EVERYTHING will make way more sense though if you read his other books, most of which are high recommends from me.
The new villain was interesting, but I don't want to spoil anything so that's basically all I can say. I am slightly disappointed in seeing less of Christine O'Conner because she's just the epitome of badass, but quite frankly she's been through enough already. She deserves some time off. And of course, it's great seeing Jake Harrison and Murray Wilson again.
I'm sure Campbell had people advising him on how the CIA works but I can't help but chuckle at how "James Bondish" the two main CIA character introductions in this book are. Not every field agent has to be sexy as hell and I highly doubt the CIA is such a wild west government agency that they're open to letting agents do certain things depicted here. Let's see if this style improves in the next few books.
The submarine combat scenes, as usual, are sublime. If you're looking for more of that from Rick Campbell, you've got plenty of it here.
Overall, a recommend from me, particularly if you're a fan of Campbell's previous work. I'm curious how the story will progress from here. I'd recommend reading some of his earlier books first before this one, but if you really must read this one first, I'd say its an okay standalone, as events in the previous books are only partially mentioned. EVERYTHING will make way more sense though if you read his other books, most of which are high recommends from me.
Want to read
March 25, 2020For this week's Waiting on Wednesday, I’m in a real thriller mood, so I thought I would look at an exciting upcoming military thriller which I am really looking forward to, Deep Strike by Rick Campbell.
This is the sixth book in Campbell's Trident Deception series. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the previous book in this series, Treason, last year, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced story, excellent action sequences and intriguing military scenarios. As a result, I am quite keen to get a copy of Deep Strike, which is currently set for release in mid-August 2020, and Campbell has cooked up another compelling-sounding scenario for his new thriller.
Thanks to this epic synopsis, I have to say that I am quite excited for Deep Strike, and I really like the sound of this fantastic new addition to the series. Campbell has come up with a deeply intriguing plot for his new book, and I cannot wait to see how this compelling plot unfolds. This book has so much potential, especially as it looks like it is predominantly going to be set aboard several submarines. The author is a former US Navy Commander and submariner, and as such has an impressive amount of knowledge when it comes to submarines and underwater combat. This knowledge shined through in Treason, and some of the most memorable scenes in this previous book were set aboard a submarine, including several elaborate underwater naval combat sequences. Treason honestly featured some of the best examples of submarine-on-submarine battles that I have ever read, and I cannot wait to see what Campbell has in store for Deep Strike. This upcoming book sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, and I look forward to grabbing my copy in a few months.
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
This is the sixth book in Campbell's Trident Deception series. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the previous book in this series, Treason, last year, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced story, excellent action sequences and intriguing military scenarios. As a result, I am quite keen to get a copy of Deep Strike, which is currently set for release in mid-August 2020, and Campbell has cooked up another compelling-sounding scenario for his new thriller.
Thanks to this epic synopsis, I have to say that I am quite excited for Deep Strike, and I really like the sound of this fantastic new addition to the series. Campbell has come up with a deeply intriguing plot for his new book, and I cannot wait to see how this compelling plot unfolds. This book has so much potential, especially as it looks like it is predominantly going to be set aboard several submarines. The author is a former US Navy Commander and submariner, and as such has an impressive amount of knowledge when it comes to submarines and underwater combat. This knowledge shined through in Treason, and some of the most memorable scenes in this previous book were set aboard a submarine, including several elaborate underwater naval combat sequences. Treason honestly featured some of the best examples of submarine-on-submarine battles that I have ever read, and I cannot wait to see what Campbell has in store for Deep Strike. This upcoming book sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, and I look forward to grabbing my copy in a few months.
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
August 29, 2020
I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC for Rick Campbell's forthcoming novel "Deep Strike." For those of you not familiar with Campbell's canon, he is something of a specialist in naval warfare, with emphasis on submarine warfare. I have read many of his books, and cannot recall ever being disappointed. "Deep Strike" revolves around a terrorist plot to utilize a Russian nuclear sub to devastate the American heartland. From the first pages, it is a page turner with few pauses in the action. Campbell's particular strength is knowing how to navigate (no pun intended) the submariners' community and most particularly their weapon systems and the way they employ them, and he is clearly on top of his game in this exciting novel of suspense and undersea warfare. Without giving too much away, the book is a techno thriller much along the lines of Tom Clancy's groundbreaking "The Hunt For Red October," and if you enjoyed that book, you will surely enjoy this one. One of the things that I like about Campbell is that he knows the limits of what he can get away with given the constraints of very real security issues and the limits of a general audience's knowledge of military jargon. He explicitly reminds his audience that this is a work of fiction in a field where much information is closely held. Nonetheless, you leave this novel, like the others that preceded it, with an enhanced understanding of what modern subsurface warfare is like, even in times of "peace."
September 8, 2020
Wow, what a great story. This is the first Rick Campbell book that I’ve read, and I’m thrilled that there is another five in this series to read. It’s always exciting to find a new Author that can grab your attention, with a thoroughly well written and entertaining story. It’s full of great characters, and a plot that I really enjoyed. I sometimes found myself reading faster and faster to find out what was going to happen. Brilliant!!
Lonnie Mixell was a man out for revenge. With the close bond that all Navy Seals had for each other there was no way that he thought one of his own, especially his good friend Jake Harrison would turn him in. After all, killing a prisoner during war time should have been more than ok. Getting locked away for so many years had made Lonnie very angry, so Jake Harrison was on his list for pay back, and he was just behind the number one on the list, America. Soviet Captain Alexsandr Plecas felt totally helpless. His daughter was quite ill in hospital and a cure seemed to be out of his reach. There was no way he could afford the medicine that might heal her, or was there?
If you enjoy thrillers that are full of action and suspense, then you will certainly enjoy this book. 5/5 Star Rating.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy for an unbiased review.
Lonnie Mixell was a man out for revenge. With the close bond that all Navy Seals had for each other there was no way that he thought one of his own, especially his good friend Jake Harrison would turn him in. After all, killing a prisoner during war time should have been more than ok. Getting locked away for so many years had made Lonnie very angry, so Jake Harrison was on his list for pay back, and he was just behind the number one on the list, America. Soviet Captain Alexsandr Plecas felt totally helpless. His daughter was quite ill in hospital and a cure seemed to be out of his reach. There was no way he could afford the medicine that might heal her, or was there?
If you enjoy thrillers that are full of action and suspense, then you will certainly enjoy this book. 5/5 Star Rating.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy for an unbiased review.
March 9, 2021
This new release from the thrilling Trident Deception Series is now my favorite in the series! All the parts of the book were clear and I loved the difference between the other books.
TWIST - When you read this book, it’ll be focusing more on the other characters. Most of the time it involves Captain Murray Wilson and Christine O’Connor like in Treason. However, new characters are introduced like Pat Kendall, Loonie Mixell, and other people.
PLOT - The plot of DEEP STRIKE was a pretty interesting one. It’s not as much as the Submarine Novel. It mostly involves Mixell, and the US, trying to stop him from destroying America. While it might not involve submarines as much as the first book, it still has the best plot in the series.
CHARACTERS - All the new characters introduced and well-produced. I liked how Campbell added background information which wasn’t just pushed in. It blended into the story and felt normal.
ACTION - The amount of action will keep you on your toes. You’ll finish the book in one whole sitting because you can’t put it down. It has a great amount of action, and there’s no flaw in this topic.
RATING OUT 100 - 97. I’m not going to give it full marks because this book probably could have more submarines. Otherwise, it’s still a good book!
I received a review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
TWIST - When you read this book, it’ll be focusing more on the other characters. Most of the time it involves Captain Murray Wilson and Christine O’Connor like in Treason. However, new characters are introduced like Pat Kendall, Loonie Mixell, and other people.
PLOT - The plot of DEEP STRIKE was a pretty interesting one. It’s not as much as the Submarine Novel. It mostly involves Mixell, and the US, trying to stop him from destroying America. While it might not involve submarines as much as the first book, it still has the best plot in the series.
CHARACTERS - All the new characters introduced and well-produced. I liked how Campbell added background information which wasn’t just pushed in. It blended into the story and felt normal.
ACTION - The amount of action will keep you on your toes. You’ll finish the book in one whole sitting because you can’t put it down. It has a great amount of action, and there’s no flaw in this topic.
RATING OUT 100 - 97. I’m not going to give it full marks because this book probably could have more submarines. Otherwise, it’s still a good book!
I received a review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
July 26, 2022
Book Review - Deep Strike - Rick Campbell
In Rick Campbell's action-packed thriller “Deep Strike”, the US Atlantic fleet is in a race to stop a rogue Russian submarine - funded by ISIS - in route to launch a missile attack against the east coast of the US. This book is one for Tom Clancy fans. It is book six of Campbell’s Trident Deception series, but readers don’t need to read the previous books to enjoy this techno thriller. It is very Clancy-like, the mix of big picture with the action at the operational level. It also has a good set of characters, and the technology feels spot on. I have liked all the books in the series but this one was the best so far. The plot was great, and I liked the change in the style and balance of the story. It reminded me a lot of Tom Clancy novels with complexity, intricacy, and sophistication. There are lots of details about submarines and submarine warfare which makes for fascinating and educational reading. Campbell explicitly reminds readers that this is a work of fiction in a genre where much information is closely held. Nonetheless, I read this exciting novel, like the others that preceded it, with an enhanced understanding of what modern subsurface warfare is like. It was a really good read. I love the series and highly recommend it to Clancy fans and military and techno thriller enthusiasts.
In Rick Campbell's action-packed thriller “Deep Strike”, the US Atlantic fleet is in a race to stop a rogue Russian submarine - funded by ISIS - in route to launch a missile attack against the east coast of the US. This book is one for Tom Clancy fans. It is book six of Campbell’s Trident Deception series, but readers don’t need to read the previous books to enjoy this techno thriller. It is very Clancy-like, the mix of big picture with the action at the operational level. It also has a good set of characters, and the technology feels spot on. I have liked all the books in the series but this one was the best so far. The plot was great, and I liked the change in the style and balance of the story. It reminded me a lot of Tom Clancy novels with complexity, intricacy, and sophistication. There are lots of details about submarines and submarine warfare which makes for fascinating and educational reading. Campbell explicitly reminds readers that this is a work of fiction in a genre where much information is closely held. Nonetheless, I read this exciting novel, like the others that preceded it, with an enhanced understanding of what modern subsurface warfare is like. It was a really good read. I love the series and highly recommend it to Clancy fans and military and techno thriller enthusiasts.
June 3, 2021
If you take a Tom Clancy book, remove the tension, dumb down the dialogue, remove half the adjectives, and delete most of the character development, you've got this book. The problem is that this book is twenty years out of date. It would probably do well if it was packaged as a Young Adult fiction book for those who want a start at reading this style of novel. But for anyone who has been reading this genre for a few years, it's like - nothing to see here, move on.
At one point I was waiting for one of the villains to give an evil laugh, twirl his mustache and tie a damsel to a ground-to-air missile. To say that the characters are undeveloped, would be to acknowledge that there were characters. People get shot two or three times and shake it off like, it's ok it's only a flesh would, yeah right in the abdomen.
Yes, I know this a very successful series, but that doesn't mean that it's good.
At one point I was waiting for one of the villains to give an evil laugh, twirl his mustache and tie a damsel to a ground-to-air missile. To say that the characters are undeveloped, would be to acknowledge that there were characters. People get shot two or three times and shake it off like, it's ok it's only a flesh would, yeah right in the abdomen.
Yes, I know this a very successful series, but that doesn't mean that it's good.
March 6, 2021
This is for fans of military thrillers- and Campbell's fans. Mark Alperi, a disgraced ex-SEAL, is on a vengeful streak. He's behind an attack on the UN and now he's convinced a Russian sub commander to help him launch a truly awful assault on the US. And he's using money from terrorist groups. Only one man can stop him - Jake Harrison. There isn't much in the way of character development - although the good guys and bad guys are very clear. It is, however, a very plot driven action novel which means you'll be turning the pages. As implausible as some of this is (at least I hope it's implausible), it makes for a good armchair read (would be a good airplane read if we were doing that). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Part of a series but perfectly fine as a standalone.
March 20, 2021
After the American ambassador to the UN is killed in a bold daytime attack perpetrated by a disgraced former Seal Lonnie Mixell, the CIA recruits his former friend Jake Harrison to hunt him down. Meanwhile a Russian submarine on its maiden voyage sinks a US submarine that was tailing it and disappears. The CIA discovers that with money from Al Qaeda Mixell has masterminded a nuclear attack on the US. The hunt is on to find both the rogue sub and Mixell.
I found the beginning a bit slow but informative with all the details about submarines and naval warfare. Then the action picked up and this became a nail biting read. This was the first Rick Campbell book I've read and I'm definitely going to read this series starting at the beginning.
I found the beginning a bit slow but informative with all the details about submarines and naval warfare. Then the action picked up and this became a nail biting read. This was the first Rick Campbell book I've read and I'm definitely going to read this series starting at the beginning.
August 26, 2020
A really good complex book in the vein of the old Clancy books. This is my first book from the author but I plan to purchase his other books in this series. It starts with a brazen daytime attack on a convoy of officials from the UN including the US ambassador. The US is now on the hunt for the mastermind of this attack. This attack is more than it seems and leads to a very intricate plot to destroy the US. This is a really good book. I want to say more but don't want to give away any of the plot. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley, Rick Campbell and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, Rick Campbell and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my honest review.
August 21, 2022
With his book, Deep Strike, author Rick Campbell again gave the reader a tense, page turning submarine story. Even though the submarine scenes did not take up as much of the story as in previous five books, the suspense was definitely there. Additionally, Campbell showed he is also adept at spinning an intriguing cloak and dagger story with some surprises along the way.
I’m always amazed at the details that he puts into his writing. Of course his knowledge of U.S. submarines due to his real life experience, but his knowledge of foreign submarines and places shows he’s done his research (or perhaps in some cases, just sure makes it seem like he has).
A definite 'Must Read'.
I’m always amazed at the details that he puts into his writing. Of course his knowledge of U.S. submarines due to his real life experience, but his knowledge of foreign submarines and places shows he’s done his research (or perhaps in some cases, just sure makes it seem like he has).
A definite 'Must Read'.
March 22, 2021
4/5. Book 6 of this superior thriller series (with at least two more promised). The equal of its predecessors, the author details the efforts of the Navy to stop a rogue Russian cruise missile submarine at sea while government agents try to track-down the plot’s mastermind on land. The action is fast-paced after a slower start and I couldn’t put the book down. The scenes aboard the subs in Tom Clancy technically accurate and the undersea combat scenes are exciting, with the final one being perhaps the best of any of the many I have read.
March 14, 2021
Harrison is called back into service by the CIA when it is discovered his old high school buddy, Mixell, who now hates Harrison with a passion for turning against him during Seal ops when Mixell killed prisoners of war, has become an ardent enemy of the United States who he fervently believes has also betrayed him. Mixell masterminds a multipronged attack intended to take out all who "betrayed" him. Harrison's job is to stop him. A decent read typical of the series.
March 23, 2024
Ok book- IMO,too much in beginning that had me confused- I knew it would all come together,but between the Russian names,Arabic names plus varying location,it had my head spinning- eventually it became clear- pissed off ex Seal,after prison,seeks pay back by receiving big dollars from Al-queda,hiring and paying arms dealer,Russian navy captain and others,to send 12 nukes to various US cities- CIA and submarine stop the attack.
October 15, 2020
An excellent thriller which I really enjoyed.
I must admit I learned an awful lot about submarines (which I didn't expect) but the detail took nothing away from the tension of the story.
A satisfying conclusion, albeit one where I guessed the twist, and I've added the author to my 'favourites' list.
Many thanks.
I must admit I learned an awful lot about submarines (which I didn't expect) but the detail took nothing away from the tension of the story.
A satisfying conclusion, albeit one where I guessed the twist, and I've added the author to my 'favourites' list.
Many thanks.
March 19, 2021
This is the first part of a new story arc with recurring characters from the previous novels. It still has amazing submarine action and also has a lot of action regarding terrorism.
Unlike most thriller series, Rick Campbell keeps the story moving in relation to three main characters and it gives the reader a fun time racing through the story.
Unlike most thriller series, Rick Campbell keeps the story moving in relation to three main characters and it gives the reader a fun time racing through the story.
June 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Not a bad read but not a great read. The plot follows a fairly predictable line with nothing too unexpected happening. The story will keep your interest but is nothing that can't be put down to start up the next day. Merely OK.
March 24, 2021
Home Run
Really enjoyed reading Deep Strike as it was comparable to his first two books in the Trident series as far as suspense and surprises are concerned. Deep Strike had a nice blend of submarine action and other action filled story lines.
Really enjoyed reading Deep Strike as it was comparable to his first two books in the Trident series as far as suspense and surprises are concerned. Deep Strike had a nice blend of submarine action and other action filled story lines.
April 16, 2021
Hunt for Red October, meets Crimson Tide, meets Fail Safe, meets Sum of all Fears!
Liked them all, but this is the Best Rick Campbell book to date. Fast paced, good story and characters. Loved how we weren’t submerged on a Sub for the entire book. A must read!
Liked them all, but this is the Best Rick Campbell book to date. Fast paced, good story and characters. Loved how we weren’t submerged on a Sub for the entire book. A must read!
April 21, 2021
Finally!
Book One was great. The series got repetitive and far fetched
Through books 2-5. Book six offered some promise of improvement but soon fell away. No way are these books close to the writings of Tom Clancy. I persevered until the end. Thank you.
Book One was great. The series got repetitive and far fetched
Through books 2-5. Book six offered some promise of improvement but soon fell away. No way are these books close to the writings of Tom Clancy. I persevered until the end. Thank you.
October 7, 2023
Another great work from the author. However, some of the dialogue/tactics are eerily similar with Ice Station Nautilus. Especially the trailing of Yury Dolgoruky/Kazan into the Marginal Ice Zone.
A nice read though
A nice read though
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