Review: WOW ... just WOW!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 28, 2013
Since Tom Clancy singlehandedly created the submarine sub-genre of the techno-thriller with his masterwork, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, I've enjoyed these novels. With COLLAPSE DEPTH, Todd Tucker can take his place among the competition with his head held high and giving way to no man.Using the latest "cold" war realities of the continuing tensions between China and the USA as a springboard for a submarine black-op mission based in diplomatic subterfuge and duplicity, Tucker has got it all exactly right - political brinksmanship that hangs on the knife-edge of pressing the triggers for WW III; an utterly believable plot based on the well-intentioned sabotage of a stressed and conflicted officer; incident after event after accident that demonstrate the unbelievable level of danger that submariners (always brave volunteers)face with aplomb and bravery every single day of their working life; the heartbreaking stress associated with the lives of naval spouses who must complacently suffer more time missing their partner than with them; and, of course, the corporate reality that naval incidents must have a face to be blamed and political "consequences" that affect the careers of officers who are guilty of no more than doing the best they can for their colleagues in arms.The technical features of a submarine's operations, far more than being overdone or getting in the way, are so expertly described that they are instructive, informative and entertaining in their own right. The pace, throughout the entire novel, doesn't flag for even an instant. And the ending, while perhaps moderately more optimistic than I might expect to see in our frustrating real world, is eminently satisfying and still realistically open-ended.Highly recommended.Paul Weiss