From Publishers Weekly
Hagberg takes a hiatus from the hair-raising adventures of CIA agent Kirk McGarvey (The Kill Zone; Joshua's Hammer; etc.) to offer this gripping, Clancyesque cat-and-mouse sea chase featuring a state-of-the-art U.S. nuclear submarine and an enemy sub of unknown origin. In the Bay of Bengal, the crew of an oceanographic research vessel witnesses a submarine fire a laser into the sky; moments later, they're blasted out of the water. Meanwhile, in the Pakistani desert, four Navy SEALs, including Scott Hanson, the U.S. president's brother, covertly watch the test of a small hydrogen bomb. They manage to get a message to Kuwait City and shoot down a Pakistani helicopter before being taken prisoner and tortured. The president and his staff conclude that the sub in the Bay of Bengal fired the laser to damage a U.S. spy satellite and thereby prevent surveillance of Pakistan's preparations to unleash a nuclear strike on India. Cmdr. Frank Dillon Jr., skipper of the nuclear sub Seawolf, is ordered to launch a team of Navy SEALs into Pakistan to rescue their captive teammates. When a highly placed spy in Washington betrays the mission, the Seawolf is diverted back to the Bay of Bengal to try to stop the mystery submarine from again disabling the spy satellite, now scheduled for repair by a team of astronauts. Superb pacing moves well-drawn characters toward nuclear brinkmanship, and the slight surplus of military nomenclature and government agency alphabetese is easily overlooked in this spellbinding read. FYI: Including the 15 titles Hagberg wrote pseudonymously as Sean Flannery, this is the 31st novel by the former Air Force cryptographer. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Publishers Weekly, Jul 1 2004
"Superb pacing moves well-drawn characters toward nuclear brinkmanship . . . in this spellbinding read."


Review
"Up-to-date and action driven . . . tons of techno-fact."


Book Description
From the USA Today bestselling author of Joshua’s Hammer and High Flight

On the Bay of Bengal a civilian research vessel witnesses a submarine fire a laser into the sky. Before they can process what they see, the sub blasts them out of the water and captures the lone survivor.

Immediately, one of the United States spy satellites becomes inoperative, and seemingly disappears. With the United States blind, Pakistan plans to announce their presence as a nuclear threat with an attack on India that would leave millions dead.
The only witnesses to the plan, and the only ones to know that the bomb is small enough to be dropped from an aircraft, are a CIA insertion team, headed by the President’s own brother, former Navy SEAL lieutenant Scott Hanson. Their knowledge may prevent a nuclear holocaust, but they’ve been captured and tortured.

Thrust into the action is Commander Frank Dillon, Jr., commanding officer on the American nuclear sub Seawolf, together with a team of SEALs. Their mission is to get them back safely. But with the world on the brink of war, getting out may be the greatest challenge.



About the Author
David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling High Flight, Assassin, and Joshua’s Hammer. He makes his home in Vero Beach, Florida.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

On the Bay of Bengal a civilian research vessel witnesses a submarine fire a laser into the sky. Before they can process what they see, the sub blasts them out of the water and captures the lone survivor.

Immediately, one of the United States' spy satellites becomes inoperative and seemingly disappears. With the United States unable to watch, Pakistan plans to announce its presence as a nuclear threat with an attack on India that would leave millions dead.

The only witnesses to the plan, and the only ones to know that the bomb is small enough to be dropped from an aircraft, are a CIA insertion team headed by the president's own brother, former Navy SEAL lieutenant Scott Hanson. Their knowledge might prevent a nuclear holocaust, but they've been captured and tortured.

Thrust into the action is Commander Frank Dillon Jr., commanding officer on the American nuclear sub Seawolf, together with a team of SEALs. Their mission is to get the CIA team back safely, but with the world on the brink of war, getting out may be the greatest challenge of all.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Hagberg takes a hiatus from the hair-raising adventures of CIA agent Kirk McGarvey (The Kill Zone; Joshua's Hammer; etc.) to offer this gripping, Clancyesque cat-and-mouse sea chase featuring a state-of-the-art U.S. nuclear submarine and an enemy sub of unknown origin. In the Bay of Bengal, the crew of an oceanographic research vessel witnesses a submarine fire a laser into the sky; moments later, they're blasted out of the water. Meanwhile, in the Pakistani desert, four Navy SEALs, including Scott Hanson, the U.S. president's brother, covertly watch the test of a small hydrogen bomb. They manage to get a message to Kuwait City and shoot down a Pakistani helicopter before being taken prisoner and tortured. The president and his staff conclude that the sub in the Bay of Bengal fired the laser to damage a U.S. spy satellite and thereby prevent surveillance of Pakistan's preparations to unleash a nuclear strike on India. Cmdr. Frank Dillon Jr., skipper of the nuclear sub Seawolf, is ordered to launch a team of Navy SEALs into Pakistan to rescue their captive teammates. When a highly placed spy in Washington betrays the mission, the Seawolf is diverted back to the Bay of Bengal to try to stop the mystery submarine from again disabling the spy satellite, now scheduled for repair by a team of astronauts. Superb pacing moves well-drawn characters toward nuclear brinkmanship, and the slight surplus of military nomenclature and government agency alphabetese is easily overlooked in this spellbinding read. (Aug.) FYI: Including the 15 titles Hagberg wrote pseudonymously as Sean Flannery, this is the 31st novel by the former Air Force cryptographer. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews