cover image Syren’s Song: A Connor Stark Novel

Syren’s Song: A Connor Stark Novel

Claude Berube. Naval Institute, $28.95 (216p) ISBN 978-1-61251-915-9

The war between Sri Lanka and the insurrectionist Tamil Tigers propels Berube’s enjoyable, if sometimes perfunctory, second Connor Stark novel (after 2012’s The Aden Effect). After the Sea Tigers, the rebels’ naval arm, sink most of the Sri Lankan navy, the Sri Lankan government hires Stark, the CEO of Highland Maritime Defense, one of the world’s premier security firms, to gather intelligence on the Tigers. Stark commands a new ship, Syren, an experimental vessel rejected by the U.S. Navy, whose unique capabilities make her perfect for the assignment. The Tigers’ commander, Vanni, is in possession of a secret weapon developed by his chief scientist, and if Stark can’t figure out how to counter the weapon, the Sri Lankans and his own ship are doomed. The author checks all the right naval battle boxes, but Vanni’s too-easy demise and the limited theater of operations make this not essential reading for fans of military thrillers. (Nov.)