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The Threat: A Novel

by David Poyer

I’m a big fan of Poyer’s past work. In fact, except for his Civil War-era novels, I’ve read all of his books, and as different as they are (ranging from modern war-at-sea novels to a look back to rural Pennsylvania in the 1930s) they’ve all been excellent. Sadly, though, I don’t think The Threat is up to his past standards.

Dan Lenson, the main character here, is probably the luckiest sailor alive. He’s survived having his ship run over by an aircraft carrier, attempts on his life by angry crewmen, getting blown up by the Iranian Navy, becoming lost in the Canadian Yukon, being tortured by Saddam’s Revolutionary Guard, and having a low-yield nuclear weapon detonated abeam the first ship he actually got to command. After all this excitement, being named to the National Security Council as the chief of the counterdrug office seems like it would be a letdown. Lenson quickly makes an impact in his new job, which results in him being shuffled off to join the rotation of military aides who carry the nuclear “football”. Sinister forces are at work behind the assignment, though; the sitting President is a dishonest sleazebag who is loathed by the military– some of whom may be plotting to assassinate him and pin the blame on a convenient target. Like, say, a decorated-but-unstable military officer whose wife just left him. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Poyer still has the exquisite eye for detail, and description that he has long had, but because he turns it to the political arena it doesn’t have nearly the same impact as it does when he describes the high-speed chess of battles at sea, or even the quieter poetry of the sounds and sights of a ship under way. The plot development was regrettably predictable, and the good and bad guys are straight from Thriller 101. There are some memorable scenes (like when the President faces a hostile crowd of grunts at a field base in Africa), but overall this wasn’t up to the standards of Poyer’s previous books. You might still enjoy this, but if you’re new to his series start with The Med or one of the Tiller Galloway series.

The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America’s Coastal Cities

by Mike Tidwell

As much as I enjoyed Tidwell’s Bayou Farewell, I expected to enjoy The Ravaging Tide too. However, I couldn’t even finish it; the tone was just too preachy. Tidwell makes some important points about the importance of coastal cities (and wetlands) to the American economy, and he lays out a pretty good case for why all Americans should care. However, that wasn’t enough to get me to finish. Maybe I’ll give it another try at some future time.

Four Days to Veracruz : A Novel

by Owen West

Four Days to Veracruz : A Novel is one of the most vivid thrillers I’ve ever read– and I read a lot of ’em.
The author, Owen West, is a serving Marine officer who’s also an adventure racer (think Eco Challenge). He draws on both those skill sets for this book, which tells the story of a newlywed couple who accidentally trespass on a Mexican drug lord’s estancia and are held hostage. They manage to escape, killing the drug lord in the process, but when they go to the local police their real problems start. Fortunately, the newlyweds are both adventure racers, and the husband is a Marine infantry officer (the husband and his best friend, Gavin Kelly, are both return characters from West’s Sharkman Six).
West did a great job with pacing and plotting, and his descriptions of the physiology and psychology of adventure endurance racing are interesting in themselves. There are many minor implausibilities (not the least of which is the inclusion of an Aztec serial killer as a foil for the chase), but they’re outweighed by West’s skill at moving the story along. Highly recommended.