The Aden Effect

August 27, 2012
Reviewed by Justin Scott. No one can blame the Naval Institute Press for hunting another Red October. But even though Berube lays down military acronyms like suppressing fire (enough WEPSs, CHENGs, BUPERSs, RPGs, OODs and VERTREPs, to launch Tom Clancy fans toward their USNI Dictionary of Naval Terms), The Aden Effect deserves to cut its chains and steam on its own. Starring disgraced U.S. Navy commander-turned-mercenary Connor Stark in a sprawling battle against Somali pirates, Yemeni intrigue, al-Qaeda chaos, Chinese arrogance, and Washington treachery, it is an ambitious first novel by a former naval intelligence officerâbut itâs astonishingly schizophrenic. It reads as if two people wrote it: an intelligence officer and an excellent writer mistakenly thrown in the brig. Berube has some interesting characters, but they talk too much, telling in leaden dialogue whatâs going to happen, then whatâs happening, then what happened. But when they finally shut up, the author provides exciting, plausible actionâenough to make you hold your breath and squeeze the pages until theyâre wet with perspiration. Even more to his credit, Berubeâs prose has an unexpected emotional impact. The Navy stuff reads like heâs been thereâalthough itâs oddly detached from the sea itselfâperhaps reflecting the insulating effect of modern ships and high-tech gear. Heâs happier in helicopters, while the best set pieceâa terrific shoot-out involving Stark and his prickly sidekick and rival, U.S. diplomatic security special agent Damien Golzariâexplodes miles from salt water on a rock in the desert. At his worst, Berubeâs charactersâ inner thoughts are trivial, if not downright banal, their ceaseless banter is forced, and their sensibilities and observations are oddly out-of-date. (When was the last time anyone got a bad meal in Londonâs splendid restaurants?) Similarly, his analysis of the political situation in the Horn of Africa reads as if he wrote the book some years ago and never got around to revising it. To be fair, trying to keep a thriller up to date is a mugâs game, as futile as trying to time the stock market. And the author does personalize the chaos with his portrait of the factitious family of Yemeni shipping magnate Mutahar. Clichés abound. Readers can hope Berube burned through them allâlike his gallant, but lamely led, undermanned and budgetarily defanged cruiser USS Bennington running out of fuelâbefore he starts his next book, because his Connor Stark is a believable individual. Stark is, potentially, much more than the standard cynical and embittered victim of unfair treatmentâa guy who has done what it took to move on and enjoy a life with friends and a wonderful lover, Maggie the Ullapool barkeep. I predict a tourist invasion of Maggieâs West Highlands fishing port led by readers of The Aden Effect, all demanding a dram of single malt in Maggieâs Friar John Cor pub. Justin Scott, author of The Shipkiller, collaborates with Clive Cussler on the Isaac Bell adventures (The Thief), and writes the Robert Ludlum Janson series (The Janson Command) under the pen name Paul Garrison.

October 15, 2012
Berube's first thriller utilizes knowledge gained from working for the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the result is an exciting read. C. J. Sumner is the U.S. ambassador to Yemen. Needing help dealing with pirates off the coast and negotiating access to oilfields, C. J. recruits Connor Stark, a former naval officer turned mercenary, who reluctantly accepts the job. Meanwhile, security agent Damien Golzari, investigating the death of a diplomat's son, turns up in Yemen, where he and Stark soon realize they are going to have to work together. The trail they follow leads right to the heart of the U.S. government. Berube keeps the heavy technical terms to a minimum, letting the engaging characters and intriguing, multifaceted story shine. Military-fiction readers will find much to enjoy here. Naval Institute Press has launched the careers of both Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts, and they may have found another jewel in Berube.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)