February 6, 2018

To Hunt a Sub

by Jacqui Murray

Available only on Kindle

An unlikely team is America’s only chance

Summary

A brilliant Ph.D. candidate, a cynical ex-SEAL, and a quirky experimental robot team up against terrorists intent on stealing America’s most powerful nuclear weapon, the Trident submarine. By all measures, they are an unlikely trio–one believes in brawn, another brains, and the third is all geek. What no one realizes is this trio has a secret weapon: the wisdom of a formidable female who died two million years ago.

Long summary

The USS Hampton SSN 767 quietly floated unseen one hundred fifty-two feet below the ocean’s surface. Its task for the past six months has been reconnaissance and surveillance. The biggest danger the crew faced was running out of olives for their pizza. That all changed one morning, four days before the end of the Hampton’s tour. Halfway through the Captain’s first-morning coffee, every system on the submarine shut down. No navigation, no communication, and no defensive measures. Within minutes, the sub began a terrifying descent through the murky greys and blacks of the deep Atlantic and settled to the ocean floor off the coast of Cuba and perilously close to the sub’s crush depth. When it missed its mandated contact, an emergency call went out to retired Navy intel officer, Zeke Rowe, top of his field before a botched mission left him physically crippled and psychologically shaken. Rowe quickly determined that the sub was the victim of a cybervirus secreted inside the sub’s top secret operating systems. What Rowe couldn’t figure out was who did it or how to stop it sinking every other submarine in the American fleet.

Kali Delamagente is a struggling over-the-hill grad student who entered a DARPA cybersecurity competition as a desperate last hope to fund a sophisticated artificial intelligence she called Otto. Though her presentation imploded, she caught the attention of two people: a terrorist intent on destroying America and a rapt Dr. Zeke Rowe. An anonymous blank check to finish her research is quickly followed by multiple break-ins to her lab, a hack of her computer, the disappearance of her three-legged dog, and finally the kidnapping of her only son.

By all measures, Rowe and Delamagente are an unlikely duo. Rowe believes in brawn and Delamagente brains. To save the America they both love, they find a middle ground, guided by the wisdom of a formidable female who died two million years ago.

Extra:

What sets this story apart is the edgy science used to build the drama, the creative thinking used to unravel the deadly plot and the captivating prehistoric female who unwittingly becomes the guide and mentor to Kali Delamagente as she struggles to stop a madman from destroying her life.

Comments:

Her premise is so exciting!

Beautiful, intriguing book!

I am already hooked on the story in spite of the chills running along my spine.

Hooked! Sharing…

is a satisfying read from a fresh voice in the genre, and well worth the wait. The time devoted to research paid off, providing a much-appreciated authenticity to the sciency aspects of the plot. The author also departs from the formulaic pacing and heroics of contemporary commercialized thrillers. Instead, the moderately paced narrative is a seduction, rather than a sledgehammer. The author takes time rendering relatable characters with imaginatively cool names like Zeke Rowe, and Kalian Delamagente. The scenes are vividly depicted, and the plot not only contains exquisitely treacherous twists and turns, but incorporates the fascinating study of early hominids, and one ancestral female in particular who becomes an essential character. –Michael Smart on Goodreads

A fusion of technology, academics, and archaeology make “To Hunt a Sub” a thrilling ride. The stakes are high as a Ph.D. student and an ex-Seal risk all to stop terrorists from stealing American submarines carrying nuclear weapons. The writing is clipped and crisp, fitting well with the genre—there’s little fluff. The author’s expertise in technology shines through. A quick read I finished in just a few days. Solid debut novel. – Carrie on Goodreads

A thriller with a pace that entices, rather than pushes, you forward. This book which has long been in the works finally seems to make the wait worthwhile. In creating a scenario which is quite technical, the author’s knowledge and research into the subject guides the reader through the plot quite effortlessly. Though a writer of long standing, this first fiction novel of Jacqui Murray leaves one wondering and waiting for what else is still to come from her pen. A study of prehistoric hominids adds another element of intrigue to the plot. –Ankur Mithal at Goodreads

So last night I couldn’t sleep and finally got up about 3 o’clock in the morning and thought I would just read for a while and maybe I would get to sleep unfortunately, I read your book. Needless to say, I was only halfway done when I started at 3 a.m. and by 6 a.m. I had finished the book! too good to go to sleep. Excellent book. Can’t wait for the next one. WOW

This is a complex layered story that successfully blends well-researched archaeology and cutting-edge technology, with a high stakes terrorist plot to steal nuclear submarines. It’s got characters to root for, and villains to loathe.

I loved the way the author combined vulnerability and strength in her main characters. I loved where the macho character ‘Rowe’ takes Kail’s hand even though she pulls away. And there is this beautiful raw, insight into what it can cost you to be a mother. Otto is very cool too.