Sea Strike

Commander Amanda Lee Garrett and her stealthy destroyer, the USS Cunningham, are drawn into an incipient war between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China in this action-packed sequel to Choosers of the Slain. All of the resources of the ship are summoned into action as Amanda, during a heart-stopping battle and sea rescue in hostile waters, first gathers evidence of Chinese submarine movements and nuclear preparations. Worried by her secret romance with helicopter pilot Vince Arkady, Amanda struggles valiantly to fulfill her duties as a captain, making life-and-death decisions far away from higher command. From the first fire-fighting drill to the moment the ship limps into port, the story has the compelling logic of a whodunit, as the crew of the Cunningham sifts through a mass of seemingly innocent details to identify a lethal threat. Cobb is a military buff par excellence, and his technical maritime knowledge lets him speculate credibly on the near future of Naval special operations. As lively as the work of Dean Ing and Dale Brown, leaner than Clancy's novels, Cobb's books are sure to find enthusiastic readers of the genre. (Jan.)