The Trident Deception

January 6, 2014
Fans of submarine thrillers who are saddened by the demise of Tom Clancy will welcome Campbell’s debut. Israeli Prime Minister Levi Rosenfeld refuses to heed the advice of his minister of intelligence to nuke the Iranian military site at Natanz, where the final preparations for a nuclear weapon are being completed. Later, a terrorist attack prompts Rosenfeld to approve a secret plan that will trick America into doing the job for them. After receiving false orders, the ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky races from the waters off Hawaii toward the Persian Gulf. The American military deploys subs, ships, and planes with orders to stop the Kentucky, but she fights her way past one and all, determined to fulfill her mission, which is now to destroy all of Iran. You may not be able to actually drive a sub after reading this one, but you’ll probably know enough to at least launch a salvo of Trident missiles. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency.

Starred review from February 1, 2014
Campbell utilizes his background as a retired navy commander and his familiarity with submarines to craft a terrific thriller debut. The USS Kentucky has departed on a three-month tour when the captain receives orders that shock both him and his crew. They are to head to an area near Iran, where they are commanded to unleash their nuclear weapons in retaliation for an attack on Washington, D.C. The ship goes silent, and it proceeds on the mission. What the crew doesn't know is that the orders are false, designed to get the U.S. to make the first strike. The president and the navy continuously send rescind orders, but they don't know that someone involved in the conspiracy is on board the sub and in charge of the radio. The countdown begins. Campbell does an amazing job, balancing character interaction with high-octane action, all the while keeping the technical jargon to a level understandable by nonmilitary readers. This is the best novel about a submarine since Tom Clancy's classic The Hunt For Red October (1984).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)