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Engage at Dawn #1

Engage at Dawn: First Contact

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Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2020

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About the author

Edward Hochsmann

17 books152 followers
Edward Hochsmann is a retired U. S. Coast Guard search and rescue and law enforcement professional. The veteran mariner, aviator, college professor, and defense analyst has added “author” to his list of experiences. Ed likes reading, police procedurals, contemporary music on the road, and classical music in the office. After a career traveling from Australia in the west to Italy and Germany in the east, Ed has settled into a quiet life in the Florida Panhandle to focus on writing (and not shoveling snow!)

Stay connected with Ed -
website: https://www.edwardhochsmann.com/

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Maureen .
1,734 reviews7,563 followers
July 16, 2023
Author Edward Hochsmann is a retired US Coast Guard search and rescue and law enforcement professional, and his great knowledge and expertise really shows in Engage at Dawn: First Contact.

The Coast Guard cutter Kauai, is on a mission to check out an abandoned and badly damaged boat used for drug running. The crew are also tasked with locating a crashed alien craft, (thought to have been responsible for the damaged boat). If this alien craft does indeed exist, they need to find it before an organisation known as the 252 syndicate beat them to it. This is a very dangerous mission for the ageing Kauai, and its crew, and as the story progresses, that will definitely prove to be the case.

Though there is an awful lot of military and technical jargon, for the layman in particular, the storyline was really interesting, with a great set of characters, and it definitely pulls you ever onwards towards an explosive ending. I could see this transferring perfectly to the big screen, amidst brilliant special effects. Interesting read.
Profile Image for BooksCoffee.
1,068 reviews
September 4, 2020
Hochsmann melds high-tech gadgetry and fast action with elements of science fiction in this first-rate action thriller.

The baffling discovery of an abandoned and oddly destroyed drug-runner’s derelict boat throws Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek and his crew in the path of 252 Syndicate, a transitional criminal organization. Aided by Dr. Peter Simmons, a mysterious government agent, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kauai races to locate a crashed alien vessel. But their aging Cutter Kauai stands no chance in front of 252 Syndicate’s advanced technology. The operation quickly turns into a life or death situation with both parties racing to locate the vessel and access advanced extraterrestrial technology.

A sense of authenticity permeates the story, and despite abundance of the military jargon and technical mumbo jumbo, Hochsmann mostly keeps the momentum strong. The chapters move seamlessly as new revelations unravel at a relentless pace. The interesting speculations about the destroyed alien vessel and floating alien conspiracy theories are integrated skillfully into the plot, and Hochsmann expertly evokes Coast Guard landscape, military protocols, people, and politics associated with wide-scaled extra-terrestrial conspiracies.

His deeply realized characters complement his cleverly executed plot. Ben with his well-rounded world-weariness and edgy impatience makes for an electrifying protagonist who is determined to protect his crew and friends at any cost. His profoundly protective nature and his struggle with realistic moral dilemmas gives an authenticity to his character while the run-ins with DIA Agent Simmons add to his allure. The excessively secretive Simmons and the overly-cautious Samuel are both relatable and convincing. The secondary cast is sketched with equal conviction: they're multifaceted humane characters, each with a full array of strengths and weaknesses, each fighting to realize their collective goal.

The crew’s everyday interactions add levity while their growing bond reinforces that a normal life exists for them onboard despite the circumstances. Hochsmann seems to have fun while creating Coast Guard protocols and precise military language and culture. It hampers the flow of the narrative, but at the same time the descriptions make the Coast Guard landscape a fascinating place.

Some of the military gadgets, including USCGS Kauai and cutters Polar and Skua are fictional instantiations of the original, but Hochsmann succeeds in infusing over-the-top technology with authenticity.

This is a wonderfully intricate SF action thriller, and one not to be missed.
Profile Image for Karen Siddall.
Author 1 book124 followers
September 14, 2020
The story unfolds as two exciting, interwoven strands: the search for a possible extraterrestrial vehicle and drug smugglers trying to recover their ship full of product that was accidentally destroyed when the alien ship materialized near it in waters off Key West. As I had previously read the prequel to this book, Vis Major, I knew some of what to expect in the extraterrestrial plotline, and I almost squealed with delight when the "old beachcomber" and shack finally appeared. The drug smugglers' plot is also exciting and very intense. I realized I was holding my breath at several points along the way, such as when the crew was working with a bomb and while Frankle and Bell were watching the path to the escape boat at the terrorists' hideout awaiting the "GO" signal.

I loved the peek inside the Coast Guard's operations and appreciate the "civilianization" of some of the dialogue to make it easier to understand what was going on. There were so many new and interesting things mentioned along this line that I googled quite a few phrases or object names for more information. For example, the mention of the 'fouled anchor' incorporated in the Kauai's crest is a very familiar image, yet one that has its own story and tradition I'd never known. The author writes excellent banter and includes some fun yet cynical and slightly irreverent jesting regarding military nomenclature.

I also appreciated the depiction of the Kauai's crew as multidimensional individuals with lives and concerns outside their duty stations. The crew is comprised of both male and female members, and I thought the various working relationships were natural and true-to-life. I quickly connected with the characters and empathized with how they worried about balancing home life with their careers.

ENGAGE AT DAWN: FIRST CONTACT is very well written, which made this exciting and action-packed story easy-to-read and hard to put down. It can be read solo, but I highly recommend starting with the prequel, Vis Major, which is the flipside story (the aliens' point-of-view); it is excellent. I was delighted to see that there is a sneak preview of the next book in the series, Engage at Dawn: Seize and Destroy, included at the end of this volume. So, YAY! More to come! I recommend this book and series to readers that enjoy military adventure stories, Coast Guard-themed fiction, and first contact tales.



I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
Profile Image for AmyReadsLit.
117 reviews16 followers
November 1, 2020
"Imaginative and Captivating"

Coast Guard Officer, Ben Wyporek, and his crew climb aboard vessel, Kauai, for a dangerous mission to locate a crashed alien vessel before a transnational criminal organization, known as the 252 Syndicate, can find it. Suspicious, secretive Dr. Simmons is summoned with the crew (under the government's instructions) to preserve the discovery of aliens to determined the hostility of their presence. Lieutenant Samuel Powell is skeptical about his true motive to the mission and does everything in his power to protect Ben and the team. This action packed Sci-thriller tests the relationships amongst military teams through unexpected circumstances.

Hoschsmann's real life experience reflected well throughout the book. He is a retired coast guard, specialising in search and rescue and law enforcement, now living in the Florida Panhandle where he focuses on his writing career.

Engage at Dawn is a well written novel. Hoschsmann's plot is well planned and has plenty engagement for readers. The characters involved reflects each element of Hoschsmann's personality. Each provide great banter and witty comments with a tongue in cheek twist of military tones. I loved the military lads banter between the crew. It made it warming against the harsh seas setting. Ben is a well-rounded and impatient leader. He struggles with the realistic dilemmas but not his career senses. This makes him a terrific protagonist who is determined to protect his crew and friends at any cost. The drama with Dr. Simmons adds to the dramatic tension, casting us to the precise point of focus that is needed for entertainment.

The setting held up some military terms I didn't understand. This was a little disruptive because I didn't know the meanings. As the dramatic attention shifted, I disregarded this thought and made myself learn from it instead. Hoschsmann doesn't explain things but you get the idea of what is happening. This makes the book feel more realistic and places trust in the writer because you know what he understands. If any military enthusiast or member were to read this, I think they'd appreciate it more for this point. If this were a movie, it would make such a terrific action film that I can see being full of special effects ect. This can be read as a stand-alone book but there is a prequel that fans should check out. I look forwards to seeing in the Sci-Fi category in the foreseeable future as it was a fantastic read.
Profile Image for Debbie Rozier.
1,384 reviews91 followers
October 26, 2020
Set off the coast of Florida, the Coast Guard cutter KAUAI has been sent to check out a drug running boat that has been abandoned and some very odd damage has been observed on it. Dr. Simmons, an astrophysicist, working for the government has been brought aboard the ship on a fact finding mission. Sam the CO and Ben the XO find out the mission is actually to find a potential UFO and make contact with it. All this is going on at the same time some nasty gangsta folks are trying to get revenge for whoever tore their boat full of drugs up!
This book was such a great combination - like a salted caramel iced coffee. Stay with me here.. it has lots of layers: you learn about the Coast Guard and procedures and the inner workings in that branch of service, you get the action packed part of the gangsta drug cartel and you get a little alien encounter!!
There are lots of great characters in this book. My favorite is Hoppy. She is a no nonsense widow mom who is smart and tough!
My favorite scene is when the ship approaches Resolution Key the first time and we meet a lovely fisherman from Newfoundland.
I loved the titles of each chapter and the location, time, and date provided before the chapter starts.
It’s very apparent the author know his stuff about the Coast Guard and add his knowledge with all the action in the story and this makes for a great read. This came out on September 15 and by looking at the sneak peek, there will be a book 2 which I will be reading.
Profile Image for Ed Morawski.
Author 39 books46 followers
May 29, 2021
There is one thing I insist on in the books I read and write: realism. I crave authenticity, fact, and logic. I do my research and I expect every author to do the same. I can’t stand it when an author can’t get firearms, vehicles, aircraft, ranks, jargon or tactics correct – and I will gleefully point out such errors. This absolutely holds true in thrillers, mysteries, crime, historical fiction, and especially science fiction – where the key word is science.

I am pleased to report there are none of these problems in ‘Engage at Dawn: First Contact’. There are no guns with endless bullets, no time nonsense when a boat travels miles instantly, no sailors being called sergeants, and no limb rending injuries where the heroes continue as if nothing happened. This is a well written, extensively researched, fast paced and exciting novel by a former Coast Guard officer. It is an enjoyable read.

About the only slight criticism I can come up with is I thought Sam was a bit too hard on Agent Simmons. And I was also amused at the strict formality among the Coast Guard. The Air Force was a much more easy going atmosphere in my experience.

In summary, ‘Engage at Dawn: First Contact’ is an outstanding example of a perfect realistic thriller and I look forward to reading the next book.

Profile Image for Vanshika Khurana.
227 reviews27 followers
July 23, 2021
⛴A young coast guard officer named Ben Wyporek gets on a mission along with his crew to check out a substantially damaged boat which was actually used for drug-running. They need to find the alien vessel out, before transnational criminal organization discover it. The coast guard cutter Kauai is atually not prepared to undertake or handle this mission.

⛴In no time, this mission turns out to be very serious, a kind of life and death race with much sophisticated, technology savvy syndicate to find and contact the first known extraterrestrial visitors to Earth.

⛴The story becomes much exciting as the mission proceeds further. I believe the character development and the way conversations are done adds a value to the plot. The story is well written, well researched and fast paced, hence an intriguing read.

⛴The descriptions make the Coast Guard landscape a fascinating place. Also, the book cover and the title are pretty thoughtful and justifies the plot wholly.
I could visualize some of the events happening in the story and this book, if turned into a movie, would be much thrilling and enticing.
Profile Image for Nathaniel Henderson.
Author 11 books170 followers
December 7, 2020
Engage at Dawn unfolds with with a methodical rhythm, almost like the thrum of well-tuned engine. Until the climatic scene, it rarely revved up to a fever pitch, but it pulled me along nonetheless in two powerful ways:

First, the author’s mastery of technical details, injected with precise timing to inform without slowing or derailing the plot, was fascinating—from coast guard terminology to drones to ET detection tech. Paired with the realistic-sounding lingo, it worked to draw me into the world.

Second, the characters were fun, with unique aspects, banter, and camaraderie. Hochsmann does an admirable job of fleshing out the individual aspects of characters’ history with some chunks of biographical prose. I would’ve liked to have a bit more info on the baddies, but they proved to be worthy antagonists.

When the explosive ending arrives, I really didn’t like having to stop to go to work, and was happy when I could get back to it.

An interesting, well-written addition to the first contact genre.

4.5/5 Rivets
Profile Image for Kate.
15 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2020
Alright so I am not much of a sci-fi person but this book really got me hooked.

When the crew of a Coast Guard Cutter Kauai discovers a damaged boat full of drugs they don't think much about it. That's until dr. Simmons arrives and reveals the truth - the ship was probably damaged by landing of the aliens.

I am not gonna spoil the plot for you but let me point out some of the great things about the book first.

I loved how the characters were build - they were relatable and I found myself not breathing when one of the main characters Ben was in danger. When the book ended I felt like I was leaving the crew and I didn't really like it.

The plot was not predictable at all even though I expected the opposite based on the blurb. I thought what more can happen than aliens showing up? Well let's just say a lot, but you have to find out yourself.

But there was one thing that made the book harder to read for me and that's the language. The people were called by name, by their status on the ship and there was a lot of abbreviations for that which I am still confused about til this day.

Overall I enjoyed how relaxing experience it was to read this book and I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a little sci-fi adventure.
Profile Image for Tom Gormley.
Author 5 books30 followers
November 15, 2020
Five-foot-ten Ben Wyporek is the young second lieutenant XO of the 110-foot US Coast Guard patrol boat Kauai. While sailing near Key West, the Kauai discovers a sailboat hulk filled with narcotics that was mysteriously damaged but still afloat. Their discovery puts Ben into a crash course of adventure with DIA agent superspy Dr. Peter Simmons. Together they will face interagency rivalries, fight numerous armed to-the-teeth drug runners and maybe meet aliens, all while sailing with the Kauai near the Florida Keys.

Edward Hochsmann’s first novel is a hit, combining top notch character and story development with detailed Coast Guard action scenes, merged with some neat not too distant futuristic gizmo twists and turns. The book is well written and keeps the reader’s attention throughout. The plot unfolds realistically and keeps grabbing attention.

I look forward to the sequel!
Profile Image for Eric.
Author 4 books25 followers
May 26, 2021
+1 For indie book. A little outside my genre, but I'm reading 'wide,' finding different indie authors to sample. I've enjoyed this book more than most I've read recently. This is a perfect example of what I love about indie books. Take someone (the author) with a large amount of experience (>20 years) and love for a particular slice of life (The Coast Guard) and let them go with a decent story. If you tick any the boxes for the book's description, I highly recommend you read it.

I enjoyed the characters of the book and also the action. Jargon level was perfect, not too dense, but authentic enough. For some reason I really enjoyed the Victoria / Ben interaction. Also the action and technology utilized was also great.
6,029 reviews41 followers
December 17, 2021
Our crew is used to all kinds of encounters or so they thought. When they find evidence of alien involvement, they are not so sure anymore.

This is an ocean going thriller with an element of science fiction to it. The story is well written, easy to read and highly engaging. Things start off simple enough, but escalate rapidly making it very hard to put down. The characters are well done and bring a lot of flavor to the story. And everything fits together in such a believable way, you expect to see it in the news tomorrow. Overall, this was a wonderful story and I am definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Highly recommended.

I received an ARC from Hidden Gems for review purposes.
Profile Image for Tom Mahan.
293 reviews4 followers
June 28, 2021
This might have been a good drug interdiction story from a Coast Guard angle, but throwing the first contact angle on top of it just ruined a good nautical thriller. It was great to get an inside view of how a CG patrol craft operates, but to toss in first contact so offhandedly just threw out any realism. Any first contact story should be of startling consequence, not just a we also saw a few aliens by the way, and they seemed nice.
31 reviews
November 19, 2020
Great stiry

Great story. The characters were well formed and very interesting. The interaction btwn the CO and XO were an example if a great working relationship. The officers inspired the loyalty of the crew. The action was very well done.
41 reviews3 followers
November 2, 2020
A good read!

Well thought out storyline backed up ny excellent writing. Plenty of drama and action that is believable without overdoing it.
Profile Image for Todd Hosea.
Author 3 books19 followers
November 4, 2020
Good writer who knows how the Coast Guard operates. I struggled with the pace of the story and where it was going, but fans of techno-thrillers will enjoy the read.
40 reviews
May 30, 2021
Excellent original science fiction.

The writing is original and interesting. This is a great first novelt to an a well written military sci-fi series.
Profile Image for Keziah.
16 reviews
January 9, 2021
Received 10/14. Thank you to the author who signed by copy! Review to come.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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