The Trident Deception: A Novel

Good book, but not really a submarine book. I love to read submarine novels, and this is not. It more about fight the drug smuggler, and the submarine was use in a small part of the battle. Still a good read, just not what I expected.

Rick Campbell's first novel, THE TRIDENT DECEPTION, is a submarine thriller in the vein of THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.Commander Brad Malone, Commanding Officer of the submarine Kentucky receives nuclear launch orders against Iran. Malone and the crew also learn that Washington, D.C. has been obliterated in a way much worse than 9/11. Readers find out, however, that this information is false and does not come from proper channels. The Kentucky must be stopped within ten days, even if it means her crew must perish. Tension remains very high throughout this novel, and Campbell gives readers many surprise twists.How high is that tension? My husband served in the Navy for six years; we are high school sweethearts and were either engaged or married the whole time he served. Many times as I read, I thought, "What if this had really happened when ...?" and, "There but for the grace of God ...."Many characters are involved in many locations - the Kentucky, the vessels sent to try to stop her, Washington, D.C, and Israel. Campbell offers two lists: one in front matter, another in back matter, to help readers out with who's who. I referred to these lists on several occasions. These characters were very realistic and human; they struggled with what was at hand. I also appreciated the fact that there were several strong women characters, one of which is a commanding officer.One suggestion I would make to Campbell has to do with a comment he made in his Author's Note: "I compromised on some of the dialogue and on some of the accuracy ...in order to keep the story moving... (388). Why not explain the Naval dialogue and acronyms in front matter, just as the major characters are outlined in front matter? Many other writers in many genres do that, and doing so would benefit many readers.I see that Empire Rising, a follow-up novel, will be published late this coming winter and have already placed a pre-order for that one! I want to know what happens next, after everyone is debriefed and back on duty.More about me: I'm an instructor of English at a two-year college and also hold a library science degree. I read a broad variety of books, but few have held the power that this one did!

I liked this book….a lot! I know because, unlike some books, I looked forward to each opportunity to pick it up and continue reading and as a result got through it more quickly than I thought I would. There are ZERO slow paced sections to this novel! A military thriller for sure!I bought this book because I was a Naval Officer for 22 years and specialized in aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). We hunted submarines. At one time I really knew subs, how they were used and what they did. Now…there were lots of places in this book that had me saying to myself: “Heck….that wouldn't happen, or shouldn't happen or couldn't happen,” but as I got toward the end of the story I realized that Tom Clancy and other renowned authors do this all the time in their plots…and we accept it, and they get away with it, because they are who they are and their stories are so good. This story is also good!I occasionally wondered if the average reader would have a bit of trouble following along with the more technical aspects of submarine employment, operations and tactics as written by Mr. Campbell…and I’m not really sure. But other reviews here suggest that that is not a problem at all. Rick does, in an “Author’s Note” at the end, explain that in order to keep the story unclassified a lot had to be changed or just fabricated. He also had to “ease up” the language in which we Navy aviators and submariners specialists speak (acronyms and trade language) so that the average reader could follow along. I think he did a fine job here.I was a Naval Flight Officer in P-3 Orions and the P-3C community is mentioned quite frequently. Rick did a pretty accurate job with our operations and tactics; but, then again, I’ve been out of the Navy quite a while. The P-3’s roll is brief but its play in the story is game changing.I read a lot. And not ashamed to say I read a lot of fiction…mostly established authors like Clancy, DeMille, Thor, Kellerman, Grisham, Baldacci, etc. Assuming there is some sort of learning curve to writing fiction, Rick Campbell is clearly on a fast track. I will certainly buy the sequel to this book when it is finished.

Too much like a film script, and not a great one. The series is repetitive and full of unlikely plots and twists.Like a lot of these mass produced book series they depend on the reader believing some very strange and unlikely behaviour in the main characters. They are single dimensional and none of them appear to see the obvious twists coming up. One wonders how a country could manage with these people in charge of the toilets never mind serious government positions. The more of the series you read the more fantastical the whole becomes. This might suit the younger reader but it ain't no Harry Potter. The author is pushing out comic books for cash and I won't be reading any more of his puerile garbage.

Trident Deception (231218) Reason for Starting with Free Sample. New author to me, costly books and the competition (in his genre that I have read thus far) makes the hurdle very high! At 10/11%, together with earlier parts of the novel readily justify my purchase, in my mind, as I am much moved by the drama’s illustrated there. At 16% this is doubly endorsed and totally locked into the story. 24% this is just SUCH GOOD reading . What a clever tale 29%! At 43% we are locked into a most tense and thrilling story. This is such a good book - well done the author!(47%). WOW! (53%). At 76% I have to say that I cannot get enough of this, it is superb and leaves the reader in danger of skipping associated material in the rush to keep up with events which are so irresistible. The events at 88% defy description and say so much for the skills of this author. A really super read and with the sort of ending that I enjoy. I am looking forward to the sequel that is currently on sale and coming my way. Thank you Mr. Campbell.

The plot is contrived to the point that credibility never takes off.If that were not enough of a problem, the writing is tortured with no character being more than a cardboard cut out. It has the readability - and I struggled to finish it - of a workshop manual.

Very much in the vein of Tom Clancy (when Tom Clancy was good!), this is a submarine thriller wrapped into a techno-thriller.A US Sub is given false orders that could take the world towards WW3, and with no way to contact the sub, the US (and its allies) are forced into the unthinkable, the need to track and sink one of their own.We see life on a sub that thinks the US has been attacked and their mission is a retaliation attack, we see the chasing subs and we see the politics and agendas back in the US as a female Sec of Defence tries to work out who is doing what, and why.It has pace and tension and all builds into an excellent thriller. My only query would be the lack of security for someone as important as the Sec of Defence.

I have always enjoyed novels featuring Submarines and this one is no exception, brilliant exciting story line with many twists and turns with a very pleasing ending . So read and enjoy this book comes highly recommended by myself