When Duty Calls

Rating:
Summary: Average submarine thriller
Review: "When Duty Calls", one of the many submarine thrillers by Richard P. Henrick, is at best an average story. The book hits the ground running, but wallows in the middle, and the conclusion seems drawn out. The big surprise at the end isn't much of a surprise either.

The story involves a submarine crew from WW II that is called back to duty for one last hurrah. Their expertise in operating an older submarine is needed in order to plan a surprise attack on the enemy. The enemy is the Russians who have developed a laser that can eliminate incoming missiles well before they could cause any destruction.

Basically, the laser system is a takeoff on the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, aka "Star Wars") by the Reagan administration. The system is discovered by accident by a woodsman who has spent the majority of his life living in the wilderness. Once the US learns of the weapon, the retired members are called back to active duty one last time. They team with Alpha team to combat the enemy force. The ending is as expected and offers no surprises. Overall, it's an average novel, but might be more entertaining to fans of submarine thrillers.

Rating:
Summary: Average submarine thriller
Review: "When Duty Calls", one of the many submarine thrillers by Richard P. Henrick, is at best an average story. The book hits the ground running, but wallows in the middle, and the conclusion seems drawn out. The big surprise at the end isn't much of a surprise either.

The story involves a submarine crew from WW II that is called back to duty for one last hurrah. Their expertise in operating an older submarine is needed in order to plan a surprise attack on the enemy. The enemy is the Russians who have developed a laser that can eliminate incoming missiles well before they could cause any destruction.

Basically, the laser system is a takeoff on the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, aka "Star Wars") by the Reagan administration. The system is discovered by accident by a woodsman who has spent the majority of his life living in the wilderness. Once the US learns of the weapon, the retired members are called back to active duty one last time. They team with Alpha team to combat the enemy force. The ending is as expected and offers no surprises. Overall, it's an average novel, but might be more entertaining to fans of submarine thrillers.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting story
Review: This book reminded me of the recent movie U-571. Once again, Mr. Henrick takes us to places we've never been before, w/ an interesting cast of characters. The plot moves quickly, and I can't get enough of stories about groups of old timers called back for one last mission. And by the way, the very ending of the novel is a real surprise!