Korea Strait

September 24, 2007
The taut 10th entry in Poyer's series featuring U.S. Navy commander Dan Lenson (following The Threat
) is rich in the naval detail fans have come to expect. After refusing a request that he take a medical retirement (after his political hot-potato adventures saving the president from assassination), Dan is less than pleased when he's “put on the shelf” and ordered to oversee a small crew of U.S. civilians and retired military personnel who will participate in an international training exercise off the Korean peninsula. But even before he comes aboard the South Korean frigate on which he and his team will be stationed, the discovery of a disabled North Korean submarine off the coast—and the lethal response of the survivors, trapped within—is the first clue he has that North Korea may have decided to plunge the world into nuclear war. From there, Poyer provides readers with a satisfying, fast-paced narrative in which Dan must negotiate his past, his superiors and an unpredictable submerged enemy. Poyer's tech talk throughout is nicely turned, and Dan Lenson remains a winningly weary hero.

September 15, 2007
Comm. David Lenson ("The Threat") returns in an exciting high-tech novel vaguely set in a Clintonesque era when military budgets are slashed and the administration is despised by the military. To get him away from enemies at the Pentagon, Lenson is transferred to South Korea to work on a civilian-dominated, multination antisubmarine research task force. "Surprise!" The North Koreans choose that very moment to send their own submarines down the peninsula. Can conflict be averted, or will this be the opening shots of World War III? Just to make life a little more interesting for Lenson, Poyer throws in a few typhoons. Along with the weather and the enemy subs, Lenson, whose personal flaws make him appealing, has to deal with incompetence, pettiness, and the political agendas of both the Koreans and his own navy. Fans of modern naval warfare will relish the details and sea action, as well as the insights into the Korean situation and the Korean people. Recommended for popular thriller collections.Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

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