Damage Control

Alan Craik #6

by gordon-kent

During a fleet exercise in India, Alan Craik faces a minefield of explosive events that threaten to tear the country and a U.S. battlegroup apart. A military base is attacked by "fringe elements," an Indian submarine mutinies and then shoots down a U.S. Navy aircraft, and a group of Indian scientists are killed when they are attacked with Sarin gas. Craik, ignoring the conventional wisdom that the incidents are unrelated, believes that a fanatical group have control of certain elements of both the Indian government and its armed forces. Then the rebels seize part of India's nuclear arsenal. Suddenly, a U.S. carrier battle group joins Pakistan, China, and Saudi Arabia on the target list. The world is faced with the spectacle of a nuclear-capable nation in the hands of a self-destructive religious cult, and it's up to Craik and a team of specialists to re-capture the nukes and prevent massive devastation. But with time running out and the cult leader still at large, are they already too late?

Genres: Thriller

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damage Control is the 6th book in the Alan Craik series, and far and away the best, beating out even Top Hook which prior to this I regarded as the best book in the series. From the opening pages this book is action filled and gripping dealing with an organised group of Hindu environmentalist fanatics who have there eyes on starting an apocalypse in order to save the earth from humankind's destructive ways.

This group manages to perform a successful mutiny and slink away with not only a Kilo class submarine, but numerous Indian naval destroyers. When the mutinied submarine is spotted by an out of place and unexpected US Navy aeroplane they shoot it down then launch an attack on a nearby US aircraft carrier to cover up their actions and keep the US Navy out of action.

Intermingled is a few interesting subplots that provide further character development in the series such as where we see Mike Dukas's character develop further with Leslie, long time support character Rafe steps once again into a pivotal role in the plot. A slimy and unlikable political animal within the Admiral's flag agitates for personal gain and we find out more of Harry O'Neill's background and some of the reasons he was able to go from retired CIA agent to powerful security consultant.

All in all, it's an excellent action filled narrative that doesn't stray far into the absurd but rather keeps to a rather realistic portray of events utilising military technology, systems and techniques of the time it was written (2005) .

[Philippe Giorgetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not his best

Very enjoyable if a bit to complicated, it gets a bit to technological for my teast
But a very good format

[Dag Brück · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced action in a complicated world; parallel threads of the story interacting with each other. Hard to put down from page one.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read. good action and generally accurate military details.