Voyage of the Devilfish

From Publishers WeeklyIn the near-future of this uneven but exciting techno-thriller, the Russian Republic's newest super-sub, the Kaliningrad, departs for the Arctic Ocean under hard-liner Adm. Alexei Novskoyysp evidently ok . His objective: to coordinate a massive nuclear strike on the U.S. under the guise of a routine naval maneuver. Stalking the Kaliningrad in turn is the U.S. attack sub Devilfish --whose captain, Cmdr. Michael Pacino, learns just before sailing that Novskoyy sank his father's sub 20 years ago. Why an officer with personal motives for vengeance is assigned to such a vital mission is but one of the unnecessary implausibilities that burden the story line. These structural shortcomings, however, are secondary to convincing depictions of cat-and-mouse games in the waters beneath the Arctic icepack. As told by first novelist Dimercurio, a former submarine officer, collision poses a greater risk than do torpedoes and missiles as the submarines hunt each other at point-blank range, building to a page-turning, nuclear-tipped climax. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalRussian admiral Alexi Novskoyy, a hardline Communist who commands the Soviet Northern Submarine Fleet, wants to resume the Cold War by starting a hot one. Aboard the most advanced Soviet sub, Kaliningrad , he determines to use his fleet to attack the United States. Dispatched to track the rogue admiral, outgunned and uncertain about Novskoyy's intentions, USS Devilfish captain Michael Pacino relies on stealth and extraordinary submarine tactics to stop the Russian sub and foil the attack. In his first novel, Navy veteran Dimercurio takes the reader from the Pentagon to the polar icecap, maintaining the suspense throughout. Those who liked The Hunt for Red October ( LJ 10/15/84) will love this book, which includes an extensive glossary of military terms and acronyms. Recommended for all fiction collections.- Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., MetamoraCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.